Critt racing - want to get quicker but how ....?

[Tiny01]

Just a little bit about myself ...

I'm a 1st year roadie as only started in April of this year but really hooked on it & Strava returning just over 3000 miles to date so I feel I'm doing alright for an old boy nearer 50 than 40 years old .

Joined a club 3 months back & ride with there fast group every Saturday completing 50 miles & I do another 100 or so during the week to hit my target of 150 for the week

The club lead me to start Critt racing with the TLI group on a Tuesday evening of witch I've completed 6 races to date , depending on numbers theres usually about 60/70 riders depending on the weather etc .

I always start with the slow ( veterans ) group say approx 15 of us in this group & I'm quite strong within this group & have finished top 3 the last few weeks .

Last time out the middle group come past us with 30 minutes or so racing left & I felt good & thought I'd get on the back of them & breakaway from the vets so I managed to get on the back of this group

Well I lasted 3 laps ( a lap is approx 4. Mins ) and then I couldn't hack it anymore & got dropped and ended up in no mans land as such behind the middle group but in front of the vets & completed 4/5 laps on my own that was hard work !

There's only 2 races left this year but I'd like to improve & get ready for next year & maybe start or stay with that Middle group a bit longer next time , how do I go from a approx average of 21 - 22mph to the faster group who are nearer 24 - 25mph ave ?

Is it just bike time / fit , I've not the best bike in the world but it's got me up & running & into racing , I've to change it for next year anyway as it has disk brakes & they're banned from racing for now at least !

Any help appreciated

 

[S-Express]

150 miles per week is a fairly arbitary target, and kind of irrelevant for crits, which rarely go over an hour and usually under. If you don't have a turbo, get one and work on your tolerance of 20 minute, 5 minute and 1 minute efforts. 2x20, 3x5 and 5x1 is what I used to focus on, although not in the same session, obviously. If your time is limited, drop some of your distance and replace with more focus on sustaining effort.

 

[ayceejay]

This is funny because our old friend jamma is asking a similar question and I advised almost the opposite to S - Express for him. Tiny does seem to have the basic fitness that jamma doesn't have so I think this is good advice but keep up the group rides to build skill as well as speed and forget about the average speed, if you can go from fast to very fast and back again - recover quickly and go again you will do well.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Fit the shortest cranks you can cope with, put 25 mm tyres on your rims, and learn how to 'shoulder' people, without coming off.

 

[Tiny01]

150 miles per week is a fairly arbitary target, and kind of irrelevant for crits, which rarely go over an hour and usually under. If you don't have a turbo, get one and work on your tolerance of 20 minute, 5 minute and 1 minute efforts. 2x20, 3x5 and 5x1 is what I used to focus on, although not in the same session, obviously. If your time is limited, drop some of your distance and replace with more focus on sustaining effort.

Thanks , I don't have a turbo trainer but do have an excercie bike in my gym at home that I guess that I could use I'll try what you suggest sounds good advice that thankyou , think I'll probably get a good set of lights & continue to ride through the winter as well

 

[S-Express]

Fit the shortest cranks you can cope with, put 25 mm tyres on your rims, and learn how to 'shoulder' people, without coming off.

None of that makes any sense.

 

[S-Express]

Thanks , I don't have a turbo trainer but do have an excercie bike in my gym at home that I guess that I could use I'll try what you suggest sounds good advice that thankyou , think I'll probably get a good set of lights & continue to ride through the winter as well

Exercise bike should be ok, providing you can get a good approximation of your racing position on it. Steady winter road miles will be useful too, as will local CX or MTB winter series events, if there are any local. Start your periodisation 2-3 months before the season kicks off again.

 

[huwsparky]

Personally, with winter coming sooner rather than later maybe building a good base to work from for next year may be best. Do plenty of zone 2 work over the winter and build structured intervals as s-express suggested into your plan a month or two before you intend racing.

I'm kind of in a similar place myself and was thinking of changing my approach to taking an easy winter with plenty of easier rides. I've noticed my rate of progress is slowing so I'm gonna give it a go. To date I've just been smashing every ride which does work but it's not as affective as it was as I've got fitter.

 

[Tiny01]

Personally, with winter coming sooner rather than later maybe building a good base to work from for next year may be best. Do plenty of zone 2 work over the winter and build structured intervals as s-express suggested into your plan a month or two before you intend racing.

I'm kind of in a similar place myself and was thinking of changing my approach to taking an easy winter with plenty of easier rides. I've noticed my rate of progress is slowing so I'm gonna give it a go. To date I've just been smashing every ride which does work but it's not as affective as it was as I've got fitter.

From reading that it seems we are very similar especially the last paragraph as that's what I've noticed also

Thanks thst all makes sense , could you just explain what Zone 2 work means please

 

[huwsparky]

Zone 2 would be easy riding, to the point where it may seem pointless. But for the greater good can build a good base to work from for next season.

I've never really done any zone 2 work unless riding with really slow people but I'm going to try it at least. There's plenty of info on line regarding the subject so it may be best for you to do a quick search and try a plan which would fit within the time you have available to train.

 

[kiriyama]

I don't race so can't give you advice on specific training BUT keep going through winter, however hard the riding is and however easy the excuses are, you will reap the rewards in spring.

 

[steve292]

If you've got the cash a turbo with electronics and a power meter is the way to go,suc as a tacx vortex, along with a traineroad subscription.

 

[S-Express]

Zone 2 would be easy riding, to the point where it may seem pointless. But for the greater good can build a good base to work from for next season.

I've never really done any zone 2 work unless riding with really slow people but I'm going to try it at least. There's plenty of info on line regarding the subject so it may be best for you to do a quick search and try a plan which would fit within the time you have available to train.

If that's what zone 2 is, then I would suggest it would not be that productive if your goal is crit racing, as that kind of 'long and slow' riding is geared towards endurance and won't bring about any of the changes needed in your aerobic capacity for shorter, high output events. It's ok for a sunday ride, but not as any kind of training benefit.

If you have a HR monitor, then a 2-hour ride, two or three times a week, working at between 75%-85% of your HR max is going to build a better aerobic base for you. Without an HR monitor, then that effort level basically just equates to the highest effort you can sustain for around two hours of riding. Best done alone, unless you have a riding partner(s) with similar fitness and goals.

 

[Racing roadkill]

None of that makes any sense.

Get some riding experience in Crits. It will.

 

[S-Express]

Get some riding experience in Crits. It will.

Whatever mate. You've clearly done loads with advice of that quality.