Training Time

confusedxx

Hello Everyone

I used to cycle a fair amount, but in the last 5 years I have done very little. Now life has really become busy and I am working 60 hours a week.

I do not have much time during the weekdays to cycle and I currently go like your typical weekend warrior and cycle only on the weekends. When I go on the weekend, I go cycling for about 3 hours.

I figure realisitically, if I get an indoor trainer, I can manage to do about 5 - 6 hours a week. My goals are to be able to cycle the mountain passes in Switzerland and to build up a good fitness level.

Are there training plans that will let me reach these goals with 6 hours a week of training? What should I consider as a minimun time requirement if I want to achieve those goals?

grahamspringett

You can either use a coach to set you a training plan or you can read all you can on these forums about sweet spot training, threshold training and join in the debate on just what base training is.

You'll be able to ride mountain passes on a bare minimum, less than 6 hours a week, but to do it comfortably you'll need to push your limits.

If you're in a position to be able to afford a power meter then you'll be able to nail where you are fitness-wise and then work on areas of weakness very specifically, which is very useful on limited time.

Basically, you're looking at a 15-minute warm-up then (ideally) 2 intervals lasting 20 minutes at or near your functional threshold power level. By near I mean in your sweet spot, which is high tempo level. If 20 minutes is too much, start with 10 and build up a couple of minutes at a time.

Many riders here are racing competitively on severely limited time, ie maybe 8-10 hours, so for what you wish to do - which entails extended periods of deep but not over-reaching effort - your 5 hours should, if well spent and if you're prepared to grimace, be enough to crest big mountains.

Take the time to read the 'It's Killing Me' thread, and you'll see how well Tyson has done on limited training. I believe he is a great example of what can be achieved if you're prepared to invest effort in your training.

60 hours a week is an enormous amount of time to work. You might find that the training effort required may leave you a little fatigued at work and at home, so you'll need to make a few decisions on what is important to you. It's no good being really fit if your family and work life suffers.

I hope you're getting big bucks and a few perks in your job. If so, set up a bike on a trainer in your office and ride in your lunch hour! There are ways and means for the creative! I ride after work in my garage almost year-round, and my work finishes at 10.30pm. That enables me to train, do my job and be a father to 3 small boys without too much compromise.

Best of luck, and let us know how you get on.

PS for an interesting read on base training and for some inspiration, go to www.biketechreview.com and read Kirk Willetts' thoughts and experiences in his stripped down, raising the left, new definition of base training reports. Learn how mitichondria are your friends!

dhk2

For your stated goals, it's not necessary to do any kind of formal training, or even to ride for 5-6 hours a week. With a 60 hour a week job, the last thing you need is some dumb program that says you must train each week in some precise regiment. That's just not necessary to become a fit recreational cyclist. IMO, for those of us with full-time jobs and families, cycling is supposed to be recreation, not just another thing to add stress to a busy schedule.

Just go out and ride hills on weekends, and get in a couple of trainer sessions during the week when you have the time and energy. Lose weight if you need to, put the right low gears on your bike, and go enjoy the mountain passes at your own pace.

bigbadwoulfe

He was asking for a workout advise that would put him into better shape than he is now. He's not cycling just for fun, but the OP have a goal and the advise given prior to yours is A ok.

dhk2

Strange you'd say the OP isn't cycling just for fun. With vague goals of being able to ride up mountains and build up fitness, he sounds exactly like a recreational rider to me. In my mind, it's likely that the reason he quit cycling "a fair amount" 5 years ago is that it became just another daily chore in a busy schedule, or a source of stress due to some arbitrary goals he dreamed up and failed to attain.

Besides, my advise will definately put him into better shape than he is now. Plenty of time for "formal training" this winter indoors; right now I say go out and enjoy those Swiss mountains while the weather is nice.