Punch, lack of

Did another TT last Thursday, been a bit busy since. Finally went out
for a proper longer ride today, 40 miles.

I'm amazed at how little *punch* I have left.

My normal ride out simply hasn't made me hold down power for extended
periods of time, as a TT does, where you just can't let go. You've got
to do 25/30 mins no-stopping no-resting. So I'm finding that these
weekly TTs and the weekly TT training I'm doing are just totally taking
away my punch in normal weekly rides.

To be a bit more descriptive, I'm finding it hard to spin up to the full
100 cadence. I *can* notch up a gear and push at the same speed I
should be spinning in in the lower gear, but that's not the way to go.

--
Callas

Callas typed


Did another TT last Thursday, been a bit busy since. Finally went out
for a proper longer ride today, 40 miles.

I'm amazed at how little *punch* I have left.

My normal ride out simply hasn't made me hold down power for extended
periods of time, as a TT does, where you just can't let go. You've got
to do 25/30 mins no-stopping no-resting. So I'm finding that these
weekly TTs and the weekly TT training I'm doing are just totally taking
away my punch in normal weekly rides.

To be a bit more descriptive, I'm finding it hard to spin up to the full
100 cadence. I *can* notch up a gear and push at the same speed I
should be spinning in in the lower gear, but that's not the way to go.

I suspect you may be getting overtrained.

IMHO you need might more carbs. Make sure you get some immediately after
your TTs and, if possible, then spend 48 hours with NO CYCLING. (It
takes about 48 hours to rebuild glycogen reserves & glycogen synthetase
levels are highest immediately after exercise). If you then eat
reasonably and *don't* overtrain, you might find your zip returns.

(Make sure also that you have enough water in your body, youve had
enough sleep and you're not to hot etc)

Whatever else, you need (at least) one day per week when you do NO EXERCISE!

Less is more!

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

"Helen Deborah Vecht" wrote in message
...
Callas typed


Did another TT last Thursday, been a bit busy since. Finally went out
for a proper longer ride today, 40 miles.

I'm amazed at how little *punch* I have left.

My normal ride out simply hasn't made me hold down power for extended
periods of time, as a TT does, where you just can't let go. You've got
to do 25/30 mins no-stopping no-resting. So I'm finding that these
weekly TTs and the weekly TT training I'm doing are just totally taking
away my punch in normal weekly rides.

To be a bit more descriptive, I'm finding it hard to spin up to the full
100 cadence. I *can* notch up a gear and push at the same speed I
should be spinning in in the lower gear, but that's not the way to go.

I suspect you may be getting overtrained.

IMHO you need might more carbs. Make sure you get some immediately after
your TTs and, if possible, then spend 48 hours with NO CYCLING. (It
takes about 48 hours to rebuild glycogen reserves & glycogen synthetase
levels are highest immediately after exercise). If you then eat
reasonably and *don't* overtrain, you might find your zip returns.

(Make sure also that you have enough water in your body, youve had
enough sleep and you're not to hot etc)

Whatever else, you need (at least) one day per week when you do NO
EXERCISE!

Less is more!

Id agree with all that entirely.

Also, I'd try doing some intervals. Keep these long-ish - say 5 mins on, 5
off. It might sound odd, given that TTs involve a steady output, but
intervals will build your speed much more effectively than just riding at
the same pace when training; the point is that you're pushing yourself
*beyond* your racing speed.

Make sure that you let yourself recover properly during the "off" sections.
This means selecting a low gear and just keeping the pedals turning over -
nothing more. A heart rate monitor will help - "on" you should aim to ride
slightly above your anaerobic threshold, "off" at perhaps 60% of your AT.

Others may well be able to offer more accurate information, but this should
help restore your "edge". HTH.

wrote:
Callas typed

I suspect you may be getting overtrained.

Certainly I'm not fully recovered. Not sure about overtrained, though.
I don't think I've done enough to reach that point. However, I am aware
I may well be wrong.

IMHO you need might more carbs. Make sure you get some immediately after
your TTs and,

Yeah, that doesn't happen. We're miles away from town and we all chat
afterwards for a while. But I always eat a full balanced meal
immediately after a normal ride.

if possible, then spend 48 hours with NO CYCLING. (It
takes about 48 hours to rebuild glycogen reserves & glycogen synthetase
levels are highest immediately after exercise).

Can't I even cycle normally? two days is a long time for *no* cycling.

If you then eat
reasonably and *don't* overtrain, you might find your zip returns.

It should be back in a few days. Hundred mile ride tommorow, though.
Very slow pace though, so all fat burning, good for me.

(Make sure also that you have enough water in your body, youve had
enough sleep and you're not to hot etc)

Yup and yup.

Whatever else, you need (at least) one day per week when you do NO EXERCISE!

Yeah, I get that, got lots of other stuff to do, unfortunately. Wish I
could just cycle and cycle and cycle, really.

--
Callas

Callas wrote:
: Did another TT last Thursday, been a bit busy since. Finally went out
: for a proper longer ride today, 40 miles.

: I'm amazed at how little *punch* I have left.

WHy are you trying to find your "punch" on such days?

Go slow, or go hard. Nothing in the middle.

Keep the cadence high but don't try and keep the speed up. Keep
the effort down.

I see no harm in riding all the time - I don't have a car so
never have a day completely off the bike. I do have to be
very careful to not go too hard too often though.

I doubt you're overtrained as such after a week, but you do
need to be aware that going hard on a couple of days a week
will (and should) really take it out of you.

I get overtaken my world+dog on my commute to work these days

Go easy or go hard. And make the easy stuff *easy*. It can
be long (and should once a week or so), but it should be easy

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org
"Technolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

Callas typed

I suspect you may be getting overtrained.

Certainly I'm not fully recovered. Not sure about overtrained, though.
I don't think I've done enough to reach that point. However, I am aware
I may well be wrong.

It's difficult to know where one starts...

IMHO you need might more carbs. Make sure you get some immediately after
your TTs and,

Yeah, that doesn't happen. We're miles away from town and we all chat
afterwards for a while. But I always eat a full balanced meal
immediately after a normal ride.

Its carbs you need when your body is crying out for them. It doesn't
need to be a long chain complex job either, really. A handful of
licorice allsorts or piece of cake would help ducks & runs

A 'balanced meal' may well have a fair bit of fat in it, delaying
carbohydrate uptake further.

Can't I even cycle normally? two days is a long time for *no* cycling.

If you must, but be GENTLE. You still need to rebuild those reserves!

If you then eat
reasonably and *don't* overtrain, you might find your zip returns.

It should be back in a few days. Hundred mile ride tommorow, though.
Very slow pace though, so all fat burning, good for me.

Oh yeah, so hungry you could eat your mother by Tuesday or Wednesday,
though...

Whatever else, you need (at least) one day per week when you do NO
EXERCISE!

Yeah, I get that, got lots of other stuff to do, unfortunately. Wish I
could just cycle and cycle and cycle, really.

BTDTGTT-S

(Had F/T job, sang in choir, cycled 11,000 miles per year & did DATC.
Found cycling to clubroom & doing circuit training totally
counter-productive...)

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Other thoughts:

Alcohol can knock performance for ages. Avoid it or only drink once a
week. Sorry.

Don't even think of trying to lose weight in the same season as TTs;
you, your times or your weight are bound to suffer.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

wrote:
Callas typed

Its carbs you need when your body is crying out for them. It doesn't
need to be a long chain complex job either, really. A handful of
licorice allsorts or piece of cake would help ducks & runs

I thought it would only be useful if you ate *enough* carbs, e.g., bowl
of pasta. There didn't seem much point just taking in a few calories.


It should be back in a few days. Hundred mile ride tommorow, though.
Very slow pace though, so all fat burning, good for me.

Oh yeah, so hungry you could eat your mother by Tuesday or Wednesday,
though...

True, actually, which is interesting, because I historically I've not
normally felt like that.

Last night, I had a normal chicken + vegtables and I still felt
afterwards like I could just about have managed a bowl of pasta, too.

Yeah, I get that, got lots of other stuff to do, unfortunately. Wish I
could just cycle and cycle and cycle, really.

BTDTGTT-S

This looks like an aircraft call-sign I don't actually know what it
means, I've never been very hot on the longer acronyms.

(Had F/T job, sang in choir, cycled 11,000 miles per year & did DATC.
Found cycling to clubroom & doing circuit training totally
counter-productive...)

Dats a lot. Did you ever get to sit down!

What's DATC?

--
Callas

wrote:
Other thoughts:

Alcohol can knock performance for ages. Avoid it or only drink once a
week. Sorry.

Ah, interesting. Once a week *is* about how often I drink, and it's
about 1/3 of a glass of wine with pasta. Only happens on days I don't
ride. I've found when I do ride and I'm preparing the post-ride meal, I
can *feel* that my body doesn't want alcohol. Interesting how the body
to mind feedback works.

Don't even think of trying to lose weight in the same season as TTs;
you, your times or your weight are bound to suffer.

I don't think I've even thought of loosing weight =) I don't think I
*can* loose weight.

--
Callas

Callas wrote:
Did another TT last Thursday, been a bit busy since. Finally went out
for a proper longer ride today, 40 miles.

I'm amazed at how little *punch* I have left.

My normal ride out simply hasn't made me hold down power for extended
periods of time, as a TT does, where you just can't let go. You've got
to do 25/30 mins no-stopping no-resting. So I'm finding that these
weekly TTs and the weekly TT training I'm doing are just totally taking
away my punch in normal weekly rides.

To be a bit more descriptive, I'm finding it hard to spin up to the full
100 cadence. I *can* notch up a gear and push at the same speed I
should be spinning in in the lower gear, but that's not the way to go.

--
Callas


Overdoing it a little, perhaps?


--


Velvet