Recommended training schedule???

[Jiffer]

I just posted about my first solo ride on my single. Now I'd like to get some input as to how I should train to improve my speed and distance. I started riding tandem last Fall with a strong partner (DH). Now that I'm riding my own road bike, it's definitely harder for me. I got the bike 3 days ago, which means I have ridden it three times exactly! The first day 5 miles, the second day 10 and today, my first solo, I went 20. This was huge! I can't even believe I had enough confidence to go out on the road by myself already, let alone to do 20 miles. When my husband asked my pace and I said 11.7, he grinned and I could tell he really wanted to say, "That's great honey!" ... but he was sort of speechless! I went through this with running, too, because he's a superstar runner as well as cyclist. I have since retired from running, but don't intend to do the same with cycling (I love it much more for sure!). He WAS very impressed that I went 20 miles, though!

So, my question is, how should I train to improve speed and distance? I'm sure DH would love to give me an ear full of advice, and probably will without me asking, but I'm curious what you guys have to say on the subject. If I do what he does, I'd probably have no rest days. His rest days are typically just lighter work out days, which he's convinced helps his muscles recover better than doing nothing. Since I just did 20 today, I'm leaning toward doing an easy 10 tomorrow. What do you think? ("Easy" for me would be snail's pace!)

[RoadRaven]

Time on the bike is how you improve both your endurance and speed.

There are many threads here on training schedules and programmes and it is probably worth doing a search on words like training, programmes, racing, and such...

Before we can give much advice, we really need to know what your goals are.

For example, my over-arching goal is increasing fitness with my cycling goals revolving around racing at club level with particular emphasis on time trialling. So if that was an interest for you, I would direct you to a thread in the "Tips and Tricks" forum called "Training for Time Trials".

If your goal is to ride enduro events like 100milers or more, then I would not have much in the way of specific tips for you.

If your goal was to commute to work, I could give you some ideas on what works for me.

So let us know your what your cycling plans are and we can maybe give you some relevant ideas for what you intend.

[Jiffer]

Thanks RoadRaven. First of all, I'd like to report that my ride yesterday was not an 11.7 pace after all. It was 13.2, which feels a little bit more respectable!

Anyways, my goals are two fold. First of all, I'd like to be able to ride with a group and not be the one lagging behind. And I guess that's pretty vague because it all depends on the group. DH and I ride with some friends which are all in better shape than me. If they want to do a faster paced ride, I still have the tandem option, which is wonderful. I'll never be as fast as my husband or the other guys we ride with, so I guess my goal is more to be on the same level as the girls. One in particular who, after a 10 mile ride we did said it was a pretty easy ride for her, when I was really working it! She and I are planning to start riding together soon, but I'm worried I'll be holding her back.

My secondary goal is to do a half century, which I feel isn't too far of a reach. I've done up to 52 on the tandem and I'm not all that concerned about speed for that.

I decided to ask hubs his opinion this morning. For now I feel 20 should be my "long ride" that I may do once or twice a week. In between, he suggested doing 10 to 15 and to just go with how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling strong, do the whole 20 or make myself do some hill work or sprint more, etc. If not, kick back and take it easier. The last time I was "training" for something, was for a half marathon, and he says training for cycling is easier. Your body doesn't need as much recovery.

We did a 30 minute tandem ride today, by the way. It was my recovery ride, though I'm happy to say I'm not all THAT sore from yesterday.

[RoadRaven]

The best way to increase your speed over training rides is to ride with someone who can ride a little bit faster than you and then just sit in behend them.
Don't do any work on the front, let them keep you at a steady pace about 4-5km above what you would ride on your own.
I do this with my partner and sons - for them its a comfortable recovery ride, for me its a solid, exhausting workout.
Do this kind of ride 1-2 times a week.

Do a slow ride 1-2 times a week - this is called active recovery and it is vital that you do not make every ride a 'race' and try to do them hard and fast.
So what is a slow ride?
Well, I road-race at about 32-35kph (as long as i can stay with the group)
I time trial at just under 32kph
I ride at a recovery pace at 24-26kph.

Once a week do a long ride... 20m, then a couple of weeks later 25m, then 30m and so on. The "rule" for increasing distance is no more than 10% a week.

Remember you are asking your body to make a metabolic change. You want it to respond differently to stress at a cellular level, and this takes time. Muscle grows in response, your heart learns to react differently, weight is shifted around your body or sometimes shed completely.

Be patient with yourself, and if you want to measure yourself and see your improvements, then choose a course you train on and every few weeks (when conditions are similar -weather/wind/light/temp etc) try and ride it at a good pace and compare that time. Try to avoid comparing every ride you do with the previous. This is an unhelpful habit in cycling as the conditions for each ride are different and it means that you often forget to do the all-important slower riding.

[RoadRaven]

I decided to ask hubs his opinion this morning. For now I feel 20 should be my "long ride" that I may do once or twice a week. In between, he suggested doing 10 to 15 and to just go with how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling strong, do the whole 20 or make myself do some hill work or sprint more, etc. If not, kick back and take it easier. The last time I was "training" for something, was for a half marathon, and he says training for cycling is easier. Your body doesn't need as much recovery.

I agree with 'hubs'. 20 miles is a good place to begin... and increase slow and steady as I describe in above post.
However, I do not agree that with cycling you need less recovery. Every time you do a tough ride, your make little tears in your muscle and it is vital you give your body time to respond and heal with the "new adjustments".

We did a 30 minute tandem ride today, by the way. It was my recovery ride, though I'm happy to say I'm not all THAT sore from yesterday.

This is awesome. My partner and I have often talked about getting a tandem. I'd love to do that sometimes.

~Raven~

[Jiffer]

Thanks so much for all your advice, RoadRaven. I've been debating if I should ride tomorrow, though I really want to. I do think I should probably give my muscle a break. I'll see how I feel in the morning. If I do anything, it will be very light and short since I can hardly stand the thought of not riding at all! Boy, am I sucked into this cycling thing or what?!

Regarding my hubs comment about not needing as much recovery for cycling... he was relating it to running, which he does a lot of in addition to cycling. He does marathons, trail runs, Century street races and MTB races. In regards to recovery, he was referring to the pounding your body takes when running and how when you run, it's a constant impact on your body and use of your muscles. With cycling, your muscles get to recover here and there throughout the ride, requiring less recovery afterward. This is one of the main reasons I love cycling so much more than running. It's not a constant exhaustion of my body and I tolerate it much better.

But what you said makes sense as well. I'm certainly feeling the soreness in my muscles and see how they could use a break. I didn't realize working your muscles caused actual tears. Good to know!

Thanks again for all your advice. I really appreciate it.