How to pick up the pace?

[Pedal Wench]

I"m always, always, always in the back of the pack, so all I can offer you is what NOT to do.

I can ride forever. Hour after hour. However I am slooooow. So, just putting in hours on the bike without a serious effort will not make you faster by itself. I mistakenly thought it would. It doesn't. You (okay, I!) really need to push. Be it intervals over my long distance rides, or instead of making a goal of doing a century just for the sake of doing a century, I think I need to concentrate on doing shorter, but faster rides. In fact, that's my goal this spring.

Again, I don't know if it will work, I just know what didn't work.

[SnappyPix]

Shadon,

Also forgot to mention the art of maximising your time. As KSH and Pedal Wench have said, you really need to amp up the power to really maximise your training. I try and do this at least once a week - but obviously it depends on your schedule and fitting in time to mix up your training.
Even if this only consisted of half an hour a week of full-on riding, outside your comfort zone (but obviously within safe and healthy limits), with you really pushing and pumping up the speed, it would help.
Obviously you also need to mix this with a longer, more consistent paced ride too.

Like Pedal Wench said - entering for an event is excellent motivation to get out there, put the miles in and really give it your all in training!
You need to concentrate on all the important factors: distance, speed, cadence, stamina, strength, rest, fuel and FUN!!

[shadon]

Sounds to me like I really need to ride the bike more. Someone (can't remember who) mentioned that I might be over training, which I don't think is the case. I'm working out in the gym on Tues and Thurs with a personal trainer and this week we've really up the cardio aspect of my workout. I also go get on the eliptical for a half hour after my workout with the trainer. Then on wednesday I go back to the gym and do more cardio, with the goal being to work hard. Since I've only *just* upped the cardio aspect, I think that that explains my tiredness. If I stll feel this way next week I'll consider the over training aspect.

I think maybe I need to ride on Wednesday (instead of the eliptical) and Friday as well as the rides I'm doing on the weekends.

[yellow]

This was mentioned above but kind of buried. INTERVALS. They don't have to be fancy...can be as simple as a sprint/greater effort to that tree 0.5 mile up ahead. Intervals will make you STRONG! And don't do them every time you ride...pick a couple of rides a week and make that your training goal. Good warm up before and cool down after very important.

You will be kickin butt by ALC!

[bcipam]

Yellow's right; to increase speed you have to do interval training. There are alot of good articles on the internet, or written by professional cyclist etc. Basically, its a maximum - minimum concept. Find a course that has varied terrain. And start out, warm up, ride at a good steady pace and once comfortable, do an all out sprint, pushing up the gear and cadence. Do this from a short time (say 30 seconds) only, back off, catch your breath, repeat. Each time you do your ride, increase the interval time. Start sprinting up short hills, etc. Basically it takes leg stength to sprint and ride fast. Thats why we have cyclist who specialize in certain areas; the climbers are light and have long lean muscle when sprinters are heavier and have short, explosive muscles. CG folks are in between.

Good luck!

[SadieKate]

Shadon, I agree wholeheartedly on intervals, varying the intensity of each ride and making sure you use an efficient cadence.

Your fatigue -- Are you sleeping well? Have your sleep patterns changed? Is your heart rate high in the morning? Increased colds? All of these are signs of over training. I'm sure someone else knows more of the science than I, but these are easy ways to determine if you are over training.

Also, have you changed your diet lately? Too many calories, too few calories, the same for protein, etc. Diet suiteable for restoring glycogen levels? These may contribute to your performance levels. I think one of the biggest struggles I have is taking in the right calories not only during the ride, but after so I get proper recovery. In trying to keep my weight in check, I may eat too little following a big ride and then wake up in the wee hours of the morning just ravenous. This is not overtraining but it sure inhibits recovery because I'm not sleeping.

[shadon]

Shadon, I agree wholeheartedly on intervals, varying the intensity of each ride and making sure you use an efficient cadence.

Your fatigue -- Are you sleeping well? Have your sleep patterns changed? Is your heart rate high in the morning? Increased colds? All of these are signs of over training. I'm sure someone else knows more of the science than I, but these are easy ways to determine if you are over training.

Also, have you changed your diet lately? Too many calories, too few calories, the same for protein, etc. Diet suiteable for restoring glycogen levels? These may contribute to your performance levels. I think one of the biggest struggles I have is taking in the right calories not only during the ride, but after so I get proper recovery. In trying to keep my weight in check, I may eat too little following a big ride and then wake up in the wee hours of the morning just ravenous. This is not overtraining but it sure inhibits recovery because I'm not sleeping.

SK-
You bring up some good points that may really be a factor for me. The big one is sleep. I have not slept for 8 hours straight in ages. Have an MD appointment on Thursday to get the results of bloodwork and have physical to see if there is some organic reason for this. Given that I signifigantly upped my physical activity in June, seems to me that I should have started sleeping better, but that has not been the case. I suspect that may be a thyroid or other hormone problem. My fiefdom for a full nights sleep!

My diet is good sometimes and not others. Really focusing on eating better would probably help too, though it's hard when I'm tired! I wish I had my Mom around to have breakfast on the table so I'd eat it! Breakfast is not my strong suit...accept when I'm getting up early to go on a ride!

Thank you all for your suggestions! I really think I need to RIDE more...and eat better, and sleep better....This midlife thing rots!