Thinking of going racing next year.

Amprodude

I would like to go racing next year and am looking for a bit of advice from people here who have done so or who are still doing it. What's the best way to prepare? I'm trying to get as much mileage into my legs as possible these times but am fully open to to good advice or feedback on the right approaches. I have turbo trainers and rollers too btw.


Thanks.

Zorba

Yeah me too but is it a really viable option with 2 young kids ?

Amprodude

Zorba wrote: »

Yeah me too but is it a really viable option with 2 young kids ?

I don't have any kids so will have time.

Zorba

RACE RACE RACE RACE

my man before the selfish precious little persons take up all your precious time !

smurphy29

Zorba wrote: »

Yeah me too but is it a really viable option with 2 young kids ?

I've two young kids and race. Our lives are a bit hectic but we make it work. You do need a supportive family at home who don't mind you disappearing every so often. My OH is into cycling/mountain running as well, which is obviously a big help.

See if they'll come along and support with a view to doing something family-ish in the area after. Lots of races are in Meath, Kildare and so on, so have a trip to Japanese Gardens or Tayto Park or wherever lined up post-race so your family don't feel like the day is a write-off. I don't know how old they are, but they might enjoy the spectacle of watching you racing. As far as my eldest is concerned, I'm Fabian Cancellara and Chris Froome into one.

Hmmzis

Just keep getting the distance in your legs. The odd interval once a week or so might make it more interesting than just zone 2 all the time. Don't forget about recovery. If distance is high and intensity low you'll still get tired, it's just a bit more gradual than the totally spent feeling after a sprint session or pyramid intervals.

Try and avoid the early season handicap races though. Been there, done that and unless you need the fitnes for the Ras or some early season stage race, just don't bother, they're quite hairy safety wise and even more so for a novice.

07Lapierre

Amprodude wrote: »

I would like to go racing next year and am looking for a bit of advice from people here who have done so or who are still doing it. What's the best way to prepare? I'm trying to get as much mileage into my legs as possible these times but am fully open to to good advice or feedback on the right approaches. I have turbo trainers and rollers too btw.


Thanks.

Join a cycling club and do a few club races first.

Slo_Rida

Super advice here. I started racing last season and got 99% of my info from posters here.
Get the easy miles done now and up to almost Christmas. Occasional hi end bursts are no harm. Then from Christmas onwards I advise the same long spins on the weekend (Sat & Sun since you've no babies) with an odd burst in them to keep it interesting. And 2 or 3 sessions during the week with the harder stuff in them with a view to preparing the body for the intensity of races.

What I have written above is opinion, below is fact.

Sleep is the key to training. Obviously a healthy diet is good but if you get loads of sleep you will recover much better and be able to build on your training.

Good luck with it cos racing is a great thrill. The early season races are not nearly as much fun as the rest. I found from May onwards races were safer, and more relaxed. The weather is better and you will be fitter.

Keep us posted on how it goes, there's loadsa training logs on here you should keep one. I did one last year but it will be no use to you as I have family and time is scarce.

Enjoy it.......

Paddigol

I'm in the same boat OP. Thinking of joining Bray Wheelers sometime soon just to get used to club spins, cycling etiquette etc.

Would definitely like to do club races first though.

Haven't a notion about training unfortunately, but as Slo Rida points out, I've found great advice on here searching through old threads.

I'm currently commuting to/from work 4 days a week making a daily round trip of about 55km. Not very long each way, but I'm keeping a log of my times and try to push myself each trip to get the time down. It's city centre to Greystones, so involves a small bit of hillwork which is good.

I'm still at the 'trying to get my cycling legs' stage though. The burn is a welcome reminder of what's needed!

daragh_

What Slo Rida says.

Also worth checking out Bike Insurance. You might never crash but if you do it's worth knowing your bike can be replaced.

07Lapierre

daragh_ wrote: »

What Slo Rida says.

Also worth checking out Bike Insurance. You might never crash but if you do it's worth knowing your bike can be replaced.

Can u get bike insurance that will cover Race damage?

daragh_

Yep. CycleSure do Competition/Race Cover.

Amprodude

07Lapierre wrote: »

Join a cycling club and do a few club races first.

I'm in one at the moment but haven't done club races.

07Lapierre

Amprodude wrote: »

I'm in one at the moment but haven't done club races.

Your half way there so!

G1032

Slo_Rida wrote: »

Super advice here. I started racing last season and got 99% of my info from posters here.
Get the easy miles done now and up to almost Christmas. Occasional hi end bursts are no harm. Then from Christmas onwards I advise the same long spins on the weekend (Sat & Sun since you've no babies) with an odd burst in them to keep it interesting. And 2 or 3 sessions during the week with the harder stuff in them with a view to preparing the body for the intensity of races.

I'm relatively new to cycling and will never compete in a race but I'd be interested to know how far you mean for someone to cycle when you say to do the long spins on the weekend? How long?
My longest ride to date has been 85km and I'm hoping to have that up to 160+ over the winter. Maybe that's an unreasonable expectation but I'll find out soon enough. I'm guessing when you say long you're talking well over 200km??

smurphy29

G1032 wrote: »

I'm relatively new to cycling and will never compete in a race but I'd be interested to know how far you mean for someone to cycle when you say to do the long spins on the weekend? How long?
My longest ride to date has been 85km and I'm hoping to have that up to 160+ over the winter. Maybe that's an unreasonable expectation but I'll find out soon enough. I'm guessing when you say long you're talking well over 200km??

No, for race training you don't need to be putting in those sorts of distances. That would be training for very long sportives or audax. Most A4 races are 50-80k, so long spins should be a bit longer than that to build the stamina, anywhere between 90-120k depending on the terrain. Quality of training is the key for racing, rather than tons of 'junk miles'.

160k is a VERY long time to be out in the middle of the winter when it's usually cold and/or miserable. Unless you're training for some very specific, very long events, I'd question the value of such a long ride.

Slo_Rida

G1032 wrote: »

I'm relatively new to cycling and will never compete in a race but I'd be interested to know how far you mean for someone to cycle when you say to do the long spins on the weekend? How long?
My longest ride to date has been 85km and I'm hoping to have that up to 160+ over the winter. Maybe that's an unreasonable expectation but I'll find out soon enough. I'm guessing when you say long you're talking well over 200km??

Hell no. 85km is great at this time and as others have said if you're aiming for A4, 100km is loads. But again as the same poster said it's about quality.
I found that I have to know exactly what I want to do in a session and achieve exactly that. If you're pooped after a weekend winter spin, you've gone too hard. As an experienced racer told me: when you finish, you should feel like you could do more.
I think a plan is important and every step should be mapped from the start. Every session should have a goal and you should reflect after each session and take note of what happened. That helps me anyway though may not be necessary for others.

G1032

smurphy29 wrote: »

160k is a VERY long time to be out in the middle of the winter when it's usually cold and/or miserable. Unless you're training for some very specific, very long events, I'd question the value of such a long ride.

Sound. Only new to it and haven't had a winter under my belt yet but it's good to pick up info like this. I'll leave the attempt at the long spin until we start to get some warm weather again so. Thanks.

lennymc

on the other hand, the occasional long spin with no particular aim is a wonderous thing. Dont let cycling become a chore! Make sure you have some enjoyable spins with friends and stuff.

re racing - ive yet to meet someone who says they dont enjoy it. (unless you ask them during a race, then no one enjoys it. LOL)

Slo_Rida

lennymc wrote: »

on the other hand, the occasional long spin with no particular aim

This is my nightmare! But mainly because of my lack of time!

More good advice:
Avoid Lennymc in races, just as in life, he'll only bring you down.

lennymc

Slo_Rida wrote: »

Avoid Lennymc in races, just as in life, he'll only bring you down.

at least you wont have to worry about that next year until unless you get upgraded



occassional long spins in the back of ambulances listening to slo_rida coming out with the worst chat up lines imaginable are pretty horrendous in fairness. Did you ever get yer wans number?

Slo_Rida

lennymc wrote: »

at least you wont have to worry about that next year until unless you get upgraded



occassional long spins in the back of ambulances listening to slo_rida coming out with the worst chat up lines imaginable are pretty horrendous in fairness. Did you ever get yer wans number?

She got mine ;-)


And I gave her my number as well

sheepfield

The most important thing about going racing is simply to do it: don't over analyse why you are there or how you expect to do. However, do set some kind of goal for each race, the most basic of which would be to finish with the main group in the A4 grade to start with. This sounds simple but does involve getting familiar with the group dynamic in racing which is quite different to touring or leisure cycling (as you would expect.) As a beginner, I was more conscious of knowing where to be and how to conduct myself safely in a fast moving peloton. That is something that can only really be learned from racing and to some extent is more important than Vo2 max intervals, p-t-w ratios and all that malarkey; hence the suggestion that club racing should be the ideal starting point before tackling the open racing scene. Training wise, just get the long steady miles in to start with - after that, there is no end to the advice/options re: intervals out there, so take a lot of it with a pinch of salt. And if you are any way fit and determined, even the most "Average Joe" racing cyclist should be able to hang with the A4 bunch on the flat circuits.

And I hope you enjoy it. Tis mighty crack all the same !