Quads and brevet training

[DarcyInOregon]

Catrin, I've changed my fitness goals often enough, which I am certain most cyclists do, so if you decide you are unable to do the brevet it isn't a big deal as most of us have reached similar conclusions in prior years, and adjusted accordingly.

The brevet you want to do is in October, which means the weather will be different and most likely the winds will be stronger and show up earlier. A 125-mile ride with a lot of wind could be similar to a 200-mile ride without wind, if you want to think of it in those terms.

I've done a lot of long rides this year, but my favorite distance remains the metric century of 60-80 miles. If I was faster, or had a group where I could draft and gain speed, I could complete a century before the wind popped up. But since I bike most of the event rides by myself or with just 1-2 friends (who can't do a paceline for anything) I can't complete a century before the wind starts blowing in my face. Cycling the last miles of a full century is never very fun for me, whereas cycling a metric century is complete and total fun. On the other hand, the cylists with impressive average speeds can zip through a century and be back before the wind is a problem.

It is why I keep suggesting that you sign up and do a full century. Once you do a full century you will have a clue about what it will be like to do a 125-mile brevet, and whether it is anything you even want to do.

Also, at this time of year, after months of cycling, fatigue can really set in. The body badly needs 1-2 weeks of rest so the muscles can heal. It is why I do my longer rides in the spring and early summer when I am fresh, then taper off to the metrics or shorter rides as the year advances. You might have reached the stage of needing 1-2 weeks off the bike, and that is what you are experiencing now.

Another nice aspect of the charity ride events over the brevets is that the event rides will typically have 3 distance choices, the full century, a metric century of 60-80 miles and a shorter route of 30-50 miles. You can sign up for the event and on the day of the ride if you can't do the century then do the metric, or if the weather is bad do the short route. Some cyclists don't even make up their minds until the century diverges off the main route. Most cyclists who do the metrics are fully capable of doing a century, but they prefer the metric because it is such a nicer distance to bike.

[marni]

Another nice aspect of the charity ride events over the brevets is that the event rides will typically have 3 distance choices, the full century, a metric century of 60-80 miles and a shorter route of 30-50 miles. You can sign up for the event and on the day of the ride if you can't do the century then do the metric, or if the weather is bad do the short route. Some cyclists don't even make up their minds until the century diverges off the main route. Most cyclists who do the metrics are fully capable of doing a century, but they prefer the metric because it is such a nicer distance to bike.

I agree totally with this. Unless there is a price difference in the registration fee for the different mileages, I will sign up for a century but will evaluate each ride on the day, about 50% of the time, the weather or my legs or my mentality don't feel up for a century, or they have the cut off time set for a pace that I don't think that I can do and still feel good through the whole ride, or the course close time is set unreasonably early, so I do the metric century instead .

Watever you decide it will be good.

marni

[OakLeaf]

The body badly needs 1-2 weeks of rest so the muscles can heal.

+1 - with all the reading you've been doing, have you been periodizing your training at all? If you haven't had a week or two to back off, you're well overdue for it.


I'll be contrary on some of the rest of it though - although I've never done 200K when I was really counting, I've done 120 a handful of times and 100 more times than I can count, and I don't really think there's an enormous amount of difference there (and I can't imagine those last 5 miles would make all that much difference). Sure, if it's windy, it can be not. fun. at. all. But neither would 100 be (and I've done my share of 100s in the wind, close to crying by the end of them ). And my guess is you're more like me and more inclined to tough it out ... the one event that I signed up for and couldn't complete was the year my knee blew up on TOSRV, and I did cry that time.

[Catrin]

+1 - with all the reading you've been doing, have you been periodizing your training at all? If you haven't had a week or two to back off, you're well overdue for it.

Periodizing? I must have missed this one. Last weekend the wind forced me to back my rides down to 35 and 45 miles respectively rather than the two 70 mile rides I had planned - but that is the closest I've come to taking a weekend off since the end of June/first of July...

There IS a charity ride next weekend in southern Indiana that sounds like a great deal of fun - and it does have a century option. They apparently will also have bands playing at each of the rest stops I may not be able to afford it since I haven't planned for it - somehow I didn't hear about it until the other day. They do have the three distance options, including the century. Depending on how I am feeling & finances I will try it (and take the next week off), or just take this coming weekend off.

Thanks for all of the comments, I appreciate it! I do tend to just keep going even when I shouldn't - but am trying to avoid over-use injuries. This was the only reason that I stopped yesterday 9.5 miles short of my goal...so am proud of myself that I actually DID stop

[OakLeaf]

D'oh. Magic 8-ball, train thyself ...

Here I was wondering why I've been so slow on my long runs and why I was so sore after my last one.

Couldn't have anything to do with going from 12 on July 30 to 23 on September 10, and no, the two weekends that I spent on my feet at "fun" events and the consequent scheduling of two long runs 10 days apart instead of 7, does not count as backing off ...

I guess this Friday I'll do 18 or less.

[Catrin]

hmmmm, let's see...June 13 I rode 30 miles and was very happy with myself. I've more than doubled my mileage in two months and I wonder that my body is complaining? Duh...

So perhaps this Saturday I cap it at 40-50...though will have to decide if that is "really" backing off

Am leaning more and more in the direction of putting off the brevet for next spring, and on doing a century by the end of this season - that seems more reasonable at this point. Time will tell

[Catrin]

Sadly, I do seem to have a slight injury to my right thigh/quad from yesterday - and my hip flexor isn't feeling well either as it is sore to the touch (sightly). I am assuming that is what I am feeling, it is on the inside of my thigh where it meets my body. It is in the actual thigh, not my groin. I was fine until I went to spinning class tonight and worked a little hard than was good for me - though less hard than normal for class.

So I am now icing my thigh and will take 1-2 days off from activities and it should be fine. This is the last time that I get stretched before a long bike ride What WAS I thinking