Training tips? What works for you?

donal_mcg

Morning all,

just wanna see the different opinions on this one..Im training for Gaelforce at the moment and doing a fair bit of cycling on the road, enjoying it too. With weather like last night I retreat to the gym and do some running / static bike & leg weights but find myself very sore the day after. Gym guy told me NEVER to stretch after doing squats and other leg exercises as I could do damage to the muscles, just warm down with 5 mins walk on treadmill.

Im just finding myself very sore the day after, and the day after that, and sometimes the day after that too, which shouldnt really be the case as legs are strong enough and Im only doing low weights. Anything I could be doing better?

Cheers!

tunney

donal_mcg wrote: »

Morning all,

just wanna see the different opinions on this one..Im training for Gaelforce at the moment and doing a fair bit of cycling on the road, enjoying it too. With weather like last night I retreat to the gym and do some running / static bike & leg weights but find myself very sore the day after. Gym guy told me NEVER to stretch after doing squats and other leg exercises as I could do damage to the muscles, just warm down with 5 mins walk on treadmill.

Im just finding myself very sore the day after, and the day after that, and sometimes the day after that too, which shouldnt really be the case as legs are strong enough and Im only doing low weights. Anything I could be doing better?

Cheers!

Do you strength work on the bike?

Find a big hill, stick in in your 53x11* and stay seated the way up.

*Or if you are a gaylord like most on here stick it in your 40x15

Lumen

How many years have you been training for cycling? As Lukester pointed out on another thread, Joe Friel's advice is to avoid muscular endurance training for the first 2 years.

Looking at the distance breakdown, the cycling bit looks a piece of piss compared to the running.

donal_mcg

Lumen wrote: »

How many years have you been training for cycling? As Lukester pointed out on another thread, Joe Friel's advice is to avoid muscular endurance training for the first 2 years.

Looking at the distance breakdown, the cycling bit looks a piece of piss compared to the running.

Did it last year and struggled on the bike as I borrowed a road bike for the day, and my legs were only used to the easy ratios of my mtb. Have been mtb-ing for over 2 years now, just on the road last 3 months, but the gym work is to improve overall leg strength. Maybe just gotta put the bike in top gear and suck it up as the first poster advises.

tunney

donal_mcg wrote: »

Did it last year and struggled on the bike as I borrowed a road bike for the day, and my legs were only used to the easy ratios of my mtb. Have been mtb-ing for over 2 years now, just on the road last 3 months, but the gym work is to improve overall leg strength. Maybe just gotta put the bike in top gear and suck it up as the first poster advises.

Cavaet being if at any stage you get *any* knee pain or discomfort you stop immediately.

You're looking to have a cadence of about 60-70 rpm to start with. As you get more experienced low cadences are okay. It won't blew your legs but you will make gains.

tunney

My 2c.

I wouldn't do too much strength focus - its an endurance/skills even, concentrate on those.

There is alot of beach and trail running - really practice these as trail running when tried is a minefield - very very easy to go over on your ankles when tired. Practise and make sure you get used to placing your foot. Beach running is tough on the achilles and hamstrings too.