Last week was a pretty poor effort training wise. I just didn't feel right and mentally work took me to another place where there was no room for decent training intensity. This gets me down a bit but I'll have to accept that not every week is going to be perfect.
I didn't really fancy it but yesterday I went out on the Saturday club ride. It's a fixed route of around 30 miles and if I add in my effort to get to and from the start it totals around 45. I guess there are 3 climbs worthy of any note: not Pyreneen, not Mallorcan, not much at all really, but enough to get the heart pumping. I mention this because I am supposed to be into my 3rd week of a 4 week climbing training block.
So I pick the 2nd group of 4 on the ride not knowing what speed it would be at but figuring there would be some kind of descending order of speed from group 1 to 4. I ride strongly for the first 30 mins and feel quite pleased with myself.
Climb 1
Hit the climb riding near the front of the group of 12. On the climb (2-3 miles) the group splits into 3 parts: 4-5 riders - 50m - then me solo - 50m - then the rest of the group. I'm not the slowest for once but then there were some newbies who might have just held back while they cut their teeth on their first climb. My perceived effort? Hardish, breathing heavily but feeling fairly well in control.
Climb 2
Hit the foot of the climb near the front of the group again but one by one I am soon passed by all the group. I am breathing heavily, actually gasping for breath, not wearing my HR monitor but I know I am at my max or even beyond. I'm suffering like a dog. I tell my legs to shut up but it's not really my legs that are the problem it is that I just can't get enough oxygen. I lose about 75-100m on the group but it doesn't get any worse despite my state. I'm worried.
Climb 3
This is a short, sharp, steep one, near 20%. As in #2, I'm rounded by all within 50m. Panic sets in and I grimace as each rider goes by. I just about manage to stay within 10m or so of the last man although I later realise that there is one rider a way behind me. He's new and if his cough was anything to go by he's not well, so no compensation for me there.
Today was a beautiful day but I felt really tired so I didn't train. What the next week will bring I don't know but I am hoping for something to give me back a bit of confidence. I am in no way over-training and can't say I feel ill, so rest isn't the answer. Ho-hum.
Keep at it Andrew. It's a long road to the Etape and fitness gains can come in fits and spurts. I'm sure all your hard work will pay dividends come July.
ReplyDeleteI've had a similarly confidence bashing week Andrew. At 95kg (tall rugby player build) I do struggle on hills at the best of times but legs shot today on my meagre 35 mile ride. Guess I'm still tired from big effort last week.
ReplyDeleteYour last commentor is right though. Long way to go and progress can be gradual and sporadic!
Thanks men for your wise words - very much appreciated. I should put a health warning on some of my darker posts so I don't bring everyone down.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has days when they don't feel the training is going that well (even the great Mark Cavendish - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article7101041.ece), but more often than not it all comes good in the end. Be patient with your body and I'm sure all the hard work you are putting in will have you flying up climbs in no time.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, here's a couple of things i think might help;
ReplyDelete- it sounds like these climbs are short sharp efforts at full gas so not really what you'll be doing come etape day, unless you want to give yourself heart failure! but a good tip to surviving group ride climbs and staying in touch is to adopt THE BIG FADE technique.
what you need to do is get to the very front of the group for the start of the climb. Then start climbing at your own pace and gradually the group will pass you, and in theory, you'll end the climb at the back of the bunch but still on the last guys wheel. Sometimes if you're near the back and see the climb coming you'll need to make an effort to get to the front by accelerating away but if you're with a good, knowledgeable bunch they'll know you're not launching an attack and merely adopting this tactic.
- possibly look at scrapping all upper body weight training as this won't do you much good going up hills.
- keep plugging away though, the bad days can do you more good in the long term than the good ones!!
@Dan: Thanks for that Cavendish article, I really enjoyed that. I read his book and that's a nice extension to the story. I do like the quote "This is not a f****** hobby! I’m in cycling to succeed!". OK he has to make a living from it and I don't but I could replace "in cycling" with "doing the Etape" and it would show a bit of my desire and why I take the disappointments so badly.
ReplyDelete@Rich As always mate spot on and very valuable advice, many thanks indeed. I will try that big fade technique. One thing I found in Mallorca is with the long climbs it is possible to get into a nice rhythm which really helps. Down here on the climbs I don't find that, I'm all a bit ragged. You know I've been thinking today about taking on the challenge of my bodyweight (again). I had thought I wouldn't worry about it but I'm up to 87kg again and my target was 82.
@All - cheers again everyone. What a moaner I am. I was talking to a PT in the gym today who told me that you have to be quite stoical when training for endurance events. If you have a bad day you just have to forget it - it happens. You'd think after all these years I'd know this but I don't think I have ever trained for an event (any event!) before.
There is also a school of thought, undoubtedly right, that we get stronger and 'fitter' in the recovery periods between heavy training sessions, not when training itself.
ReplyDeleteI guess you could write off this week as one of those (I always found it a good excuse)
Consider it written off! I wish there was a higher power who could tell me when one of those weeks is here so I just don't bother. Perhaps I need to learn to read the signs.
ReplyDeleteAndrew - all the best and hope things are on the up.
ReplyDeleteAs I recently found, a few days off after a period of heavy training will leave you better, fitter and stronger once you get back on the bike.
That and a nice Ciff bar. They seem to work wonders for me!!
Hey Stuart, You're right and I need to learn to deal with these things better. I looked up Cliff bar and yep these will be on my shopping list fron now on.
ReplyDelete