Friday, 3/7/08 at 10:47 AM
by Mari Holden
by Mari Holden
Spring Training -- Workout Basics
I often go out for rides just to enjoy the scenery and company, but sometimes when I’m alone I like to add some intensity to my ride. I have spent so many years training and racing, that now I like to go hard to burn off energy and keep myself sharp enough to keep up on the local group rides.
I would suggest that anyone who is interested in a real training program should hire a coach to help them stay motivated and on target. But, there are little tricks that you can use to spice up and intensify your workouts.
The first exercise that can help improve your speed is to do sprints. I like to choose different spots on the road up ahead of me. Maybe I am sprinting for a tree, maybe a light or the top of a hill. These kinds of sprints help you improve your speed, and without realizing it, you actually improve your power too. Depending on the terrain, you want to just accelerate and hold your speed all the way to your end point. Sometimes you will be in your little chain ring, and other times you will be in the big chain ring. Generally you want to start from a medium pace, and jump as hard as you can on the pedals and go for it. I like to choose a spot that is maybe a 30-45 second sprint. Do as many as you can, keep it entertaining and fun. I like to do about ten, and I try to have full recovery in between efforts. But, the fun part about doing this kind of workout is that you can let the road decide it for you. Decide to sprint for every tree, or the top of every hill. You don’t have to have a specific plan, just make it like a game and let your route decide how many efforts and recovery time. Sometimes it might be longer and sometimes shorter but it’s o.k. either way!
The next workout that I really love is to find a nice gradual hill to ride and practice different types of riding. I will spend ten minutes at a high cadence, around 90 rpm, and then recover. Then I will go to a standing exercise, where I will try moving between sitting and standing for ten minutes at a lower cadence 70-80rpm and practice feeling my bike moving under me. A mistake that a lot of people make is that they will automatically speed up when they get out of the saddle. In this exercise, I try to focus on keeping the speed the same and shifting up a gear every time I stand in order to keep the speed the same. The reason for this exercise is to learn how to use changing positions as a way to give your muscles a break on a long climb. You can always use standing as a way to speed up, but, it will benefit you to learn how to use different muscles as a tactic to making climbing easier.
The most important thing you can do to improve your fitness is to get out and ride. But in order to get faster, you need to push the limits and learn to get everything you can out of your bike. Learning the tricks of the trade, and learning how you can get the most power out of your bike is the way to start. Don’t think that small sprints are silly. This is how we all get faster. Use these as your own private finish lines. I have won many of my best races in my imagination on my training rides. It’s what makes my riding entertaining, and keeps my routes fresh and fun.
Happy riding!
Mari
I would suggest that anyone who is interested in a real training program should hire a coach to help them stay motivated and on target. But, there are little tricks that you can use to spice up and intensify your workouts.
The first exercise that can help improve your speed is to do sprints. I like to choose different spots on the road up ahead of me. Maybe I am sprinting for a tree, maybe a light or the top of a hill. These kinds of sprints help you improve your speed, and without realizing it, you actually improve your power too. Depending on the terrain, you want to just accelerate and hold your speed all the way to your end point. Sometimes you will be in your little chain ring, and other times you will be in the big chain ring. Generally you want to start from a medium pace, and jump as hard as you can on the pedals and go for it. I like to choose a spot that is maybe a 30-45 second sprint. Do as many as you can, keep it entertaining and fun. I like to do about ten, and I try to have full recovery in between efforts. But, the fun part about doing this kind of workout is that you can let the road decide it for you. Decide to sprint for every tree, or the top of every hill. You don’t have to have a specific plan, just make it like a game and let your route decide how many efforts and recovery time. Sometimes it might be longer and sometimes shorter but it’s o.k. either way!
The next workout that I really love is to find a nice gradual hill to ride and practice different types of riding. I will spend ten minutes at a high cadence, around 90 rpm, and then recover. Then I will go to a standing exercise, where I will try moving between sitting and standing for ten minutes at a lower cadence 70-80rpm and practice feeling my bike moving under me. A mistake that a lot of people make is that they will automatically speed up when they get out of the saddle. In this exercise, I try to focus on keeping the speed the same and shifting up a gear every time I stand in order to keep the speed the same. The reason for this exercise is to learn how to use changing positions as a way to give your muscles a break on a long climb. You can always use standing as a way to speed up, but, it will benefit you to learn how to use different muscles as a tactic to making climbing easier.
The most important thing you can do to improve your fitness is to get out and ride. But in order to get faster, you need to push the limits and learn to get everything you can out of your bike. Learning the tricks of the trade, and learning how you can get the most power out of your bike is the way to start. Don’t think that small sprints are silly. This is how we all get faster. Use these as your own private finish lines. I have won many of my best races in my imagination on my training rides. It’s what makes my riding entertaining, and keeps my routes fresh and fun.
Happy riding!
Mari
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