Race or Train?

cormpat

Right, I've had a really bad winter due to crashing & getting injured, being away for weekends & generally not being motivated with "a couldn't be arsed" attitude. I rode my first race of the season on St. Paddy's Day & can easily say it was the most awful I've ever felt in a race. By the end, my legs were like cement blocks & was cramping quite badly. I couldn't even get out of the saddle to go over a little drag/climb, I was cramping so bad at the end! I rode the Marmotte last year & after Paddy's Day I felt like it all over again (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point).

Last year I rode about 5000km, so it shouldn't take me too long to regain some form if I put my mind to it. I suppose, while I was p***ed off afterwards, in hind sight, I was able to take the positives from it. If you want to race, you have to do the hard work. End of. My motivation levels are sky high at the moment!

Now, I'm looking for a bit of advice from all the Jedi Master, Wise Old Sages types on boards. There's more racing on this weekend (& every weekend for the next few months), but for the next month or so should I avoid racing & just do a solid month of base training to get some miles in the legs. Or, as they say, the best training for racing is racing & go racing at the weekend.... I've ridden only a paltry 450km before racing on Paddy's Day so don't really have much of a foundation to start with but I'm not sure which course of action to take.

What to do?

bcmf

If it was me...I would look about 4 weeks ahead and pick a race. Make that your goal. Train hard but wisely for it. Make the aim of finishing either in the group or just a finish. Going from v little mileage in the legs to full out race is a huge jump. Its only March. Plenty of tough sportives and races ahead. Go find your legs then get back to racing.

Caroline_ie

Here is what I was told. I haven't got many big spins in the legs this year at all.
I was told to cycle out to the races, sit in the bunch, don't try anything, finish the race and cycle home. You will feel more comfortable after a few races and you will also build up your distance at the same time.
If I were you I would do the local-ish races that you can cycle to and leave the ones you 'must' drive to for later when you're in better shape and go for a long spin on your own.

Is there anyone from your club you could talk to, who cycles with you and is knowledgeable of these things?

Lumen

Completely depends on what you're trying to achieve.

amjon.

With only 500 km-ish in the legs I don't think you really have the base for riding out and back to races. You could ride out but you would probally only be dropped which might leave you feeling fairly despondent.
How many hours a week can you train? I would try and get maybe one 2 hour spin in during the week, a recovery spin of about an hour and a turbo session of two 30 minutes a few beats below threshold. Then on the week end build up to a four hour spin over the next 3 weeks at edurance pace followed by an easy coffee shop spin the following day - this would equate to about 6- 8 hours a week. Then have an easy week, then start racing. You won't have much speed in you legs but the threshold essions will ensure you can at least sit in and not get dropped. Over the next few weeks the kicks and efforts in racing will build up your speed and in 2 months or so you'll be flying. Just remember that recovery is the most important phase of training.

Crow92

he said 5000k, not 500k

cormpat

Thanks all, for the replies, not sure how to multi-quote so ye'll have to take my word for it!

I forgot to add that the longest spin I've been on was 85km & my race last week was 80km so I kinda knew to myself that it was going to be "tough".

What I'm trying to achieve is to be competitive in race's, & get back into some form & enjoy bike racing. It's just frustrating that guys who I would be skinning last year who have done solid winters are now streets ahead of me, but nobody to blame but myself.

Don't think I'll be cycling to races & cycling home as I'm not that hard! (Yet, )

I like the idea about picking a race in the next month & focusing on it. It would mean goal setting which is always a good thing.

I can train about 8 a week at the moment so if I stick to that it shouldn't be too long before I'm not chewing the handlebars in races!

DirkVoodoo

It's a long season, you can sacrifice the first half as you build up your fitness and maybe do some club racing, there is always the risk that you will get fed up sacrificing your weekends, heading all over the country to do open races only to be dropped early on. Trust me on this!

Devise a training plan and stick to it, I would focus on races about 6 to 8 weeks away though.

The great thing about racing is that there is always next season!

Fender76

Race or train...? Take the train.

chakattack

amjon. wrote: »

With only 500 km-ish in the legs I don't think you really have the base for riding out and back to races. You could ride out but you would probally only be dropped which might leave you feeling fairly despondent.
How many hours a week can you train? I would try and get maybe one 2 hour spin in during the week, a recovery spin of about an hour and a turbo session of two 30 minutes a few beats below threshold. Then on the week end build up to a four hour spin over the next 3 weeks at edurance pace followed by an easy coffee shop spin the following day - this would equate to about 6- 8 hours a week. Then have an easy week, then start racing. You won't have much speed in you legs but the threshold essions will ensure you can at least sit in and not get dropped. Over the next few weeks the kicks and efforts in racing will build up your speed and in 2 months or so you'll be flying. Just remember that recovery is the most important phase of training.

Good advice from Amjon and Dirk - don't rush it - being on form in the summer and doing well in races will feel much better than torturing yourself and getting demotivated now.