1st race in 6 weeks..

[JonGW]

I started riding again, been doing it for about 3 weeks after a year or so out.

I decided that I'm going to enter a race to act as a goal for training, the one I've picked is in 6 weeks time. I've got nothing else on from now till then so my sole focus is on training to do the best I can at this race.

I'm just after a few tips on how I can use this time best in order to get results.

Many thanks..

 

[screenman]

What sort of race might help. 5 mile TT or a 6 day stage? Jammy sod how do you get 6 weeks with nothing to do, how I wish.

 

[montage]

I'd get some riding with others in there....used to rubbing elbows and drafting again etc

 

[lukesdad]

Id second that Montage. Are you in a club Jon? Some of the younger members will have the time of as well,see if you can get out with them.

 

[walker]

I think Eddie Merckx put it best when he said 'ride, ride and ride some more'

6 weeks is a short time to get yourself back into any sort of shape for racing if your not having time off work. I'm asuming that it will be a cat 4 crit, between 30-40 miles, so I would train for about 28-35 miles foor about 2-3 times a week with a speed that is medium to high, an exersion where you are still able to string sentences together. in the evenings where time is tight against daylight, do 10 mile rides where you can still talk but are struggling to make any sense.

I would also get some club rides in, aside from that try commuter racing :-)

 

[JonGW]

It's a 40min circuit race, 3rd/ 4th catergory.

I'm in between college & uni and I'm only working a few weekends over summer so I've got pretty much 5days a week for 6 weeks to train/rest.

 

[montage]

Do interval training with sprints as well. Even watching crits can tell you that you need to be able to sprint even to hang on!
A lot of sprinting out of corners etc.......and you can also give a bunch sprint a go at the end.

 

[walker]

crits are rarely easy, but as monty put it work on your sprints as there is a lot of quick speed out of corners, after climbs etc. the best bit of advice I can give in a Cat 4 is be careful and don't be over cautious. Any small move you make can make a big mistake behind or around you. remember these are amatuers just like you and things like handling and cornering is not great in these races. When I was racing and when I first started out there was so many schoolboy errors that it pushed me harder to get out of Cat 4 and striaght into CAT 3.