How do you train?

[cristina_velovostra]

Hello! I would like to develop a training plan generator as a side project while on my maternity leave. I have read some books (Joel Friel's Training Bible, The Time Crunched Cyclist, Tudor Bompa's Periodization research, etc) that made me think a lot of the advice there could be automated. I am curious to see if this would be of interest to cyclists. So my question is, how do you currently train? Is training and having a specific goal for improvement something important for you? If so, how do you go about it? Do you use a certain app, AI agent, or do you create a plan yourself, follow your mood? Thank you in advance for your opinion or experience!

 

[Punkawallah]

‘Train’? Ye gods! Next you will be asking if I want to go faster!
The best I can do for you is ‘I practice’. If I want to go further than normal, I’ll step up to the distance over time. No voodoo, no hoodoo. If I struggle, I’ll eat more and drink more.
Of course, this means I will never win the TdF - I suppose I’ll just have to ‘manage my expectations’.

 

[HLaB]

I use TrainerRoad and let its AI do the thinking.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Athletica and let its AI do the thinking. When I am training; I am 100% outdoors unless too icy. I am also a great believer in not training year round as I think it’s better for health (and motivation) to take a break now and again.

The main thing with these AI tools (both Athletica and TrainerRoad) is that they are adaptive, not just static plan generators. The plans update and change after every single session completed (or not) as required.

The other thing I do is strength training and balance work 2 or 3 times a week. Important particularly as we age.

 

[PaulSB]

I work with a personal trainer who also happens to be an extremely good cyclist. My training objectives, in the order below are;

1. Maintain mental wellbeing
2. Maintain physical wellbeing, suppleness and overall strength
3. Improve core strength, balance, stamina and endurance

To achieve this I stretch for 25 minutes 5 days a week and do light weights 3 to 5 times a week for 25 - 40 minutes depending on the routine. The frequency depends on riding, I don't do weights on cycling days. I'm careful to include 2 days rest per week.

If I have a specific cycling objective which includes hills I will put in 6 months of hill climbing to prepare my legs. For example I hope to ride the Fred Witton next May - 114 miles and 12000 feet. We began training last week.

I hate to disappoint you but in my view is humans need empathy not just analytics.

 

[oldandslow]

‘Train’? Ye gods! Next you will be asking if I want to go faster!
The best I can do for you is ‘I practice’. If I want to go further than normal, I’ll step up to the distance over time. No voodoo, no hoodoo. If I struggle, I’ll eat more and drink more.
Of course, this means I will never win the TdF - I suppose I’ll just have to ‘manage my expectations’.

I'm afraid that I too have always regarded training as a mild form of cheating. I just try to ride a bit more often. This may explain why I've never looked likely to win much in races, but frankly I don't think any form of training would have changed it.

 

[Punkawallah]

I'm afraid that I too have always regarded training as a mild form of cheating. I just try to ride a bit more often. This may explain why I've never looked likely to win much in races, but frankly I don't think any form of training would have changed it.

‘The best part about training is when it stops’ :-) I’m not saying I -haven’t- trained, or that I -wouldn’t- train, but for me the ‘reason for riding’ is entertainment and transport, not the grim-visaged pursuit of speed and efficiency.
As for ‘cheating’, I came to the conclusion long ago that all high-level sport is inherently unfair, as those with best access to nutrition, auxiliary staff, equipment etc have a better chance than others without.
In cycling, all competitors should ride the same bike (of an appropriate size) to determine the fastest rider, and manufacturers should have a separate, ‘technical’ event for the fastest machines.

 

[Gwylan]

Train, what a quaint idea. So un British, we'll be expecting to win next.
I ride for simple exercise, pleasure and convenience.
I'm a cheapskate too.
Why use the car around the town and pay parking when I can cycle for considerably less. Also I can feel self righteous about saving the planet.
I'm sure there are cyclists who train, but I think they are in other, darker corners of cyclechat and the broader webbosphere

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

As soon as I see AI on anything I tend to run a mile, I am not anti what is currently presented as AI and I sometimes use ChatGPT type products for routine tasks where in the past I would have created an explicit program to do the same thing.

But I have also recently seen what people are accepting as meetings of minutes from such a service and they are dire because there is no understanding of what was being discussed. To my mind any AI based training tool will have the same problem, if your requirements are very mainstream then the AI can regurgitate what it was trained on but once it hits your quirks it seems likely that it would skip or misinterpret them.

I commute to work 18 miles each way 5 days a week and would love a training plan that would make my average speed greater. But I can't find any training routines that accept that I will be doing the same thing twice a day, five days in a row without a break. I can't drive anymore and public transport is not viable without buying a folding bike as the train is usually too busy to take a fixed frame bike and even then it would a bit over three hours to cover the 36 miles!

So unless your training app was able to cite references for its recommendations that I could check I would regard its suggestions as nonsense.

Although my specific case is unique to me there will probably be a lot of users with their own unique issues as those with a mainstream requirement already have so many choice.

Having said this, best wishes after all I thought Facebook was a dumb idea, the same when Twitter came into existence and many other things

Bye

Ian

 

[yello]

Back in the day, when I was more minded to train, I had no scientific methodology nor logging and analysis. I had no goals as such (beyond riding my bike) I bought a couple of books but they got leafed through rather than read, and certainly not implemented in any way. I think I was probably too lazy, and/or insufficiently motivated to go that route.

I simply rode my bike until I was knackered. And repeat. Day after day. Further/faster/stronger/whatever happened as a natural consequence. As I say, neither intelligent nor scientific and so probably not recommended.

If there is a moral to that then it's maybe something like 'whatever feels right / works for you' '??

 

[JuhaL]

Personally when I do indoor rides I like to simulate irl rides instead of doing any build workouts. I'm a little bit too inpatient for that. Currently I try to do base training and build up my form which is dropped quite a lot in past few years. I don't expect any miracles but some progress could keep up my motivation level higher.

 

[Webbo2]

Train, what a quaint idea. So un British, we'll be expecting to win next.
I ride for simple exercise, pleasure and convenience.
I'm a cheapskate too.
Why use the car around the town and pay parking when I can cycle for considerably less. Also I can feel self righteous about saving the planet.
I'm sure there are cyclists who train, but I think they are in other, darker corners of cyclechat and the broader webbosphere

🤔

 

[HLaB]

I commute to work 18 miles each way 5 days a week and would love a training plan that would make my average speed greater. But I can't find any training routines that accept that I will be doing the same thing twice a day, five days in a row without a break. I can't drive anymore and public transport is not viable without buying a folding bike as the train is usually too busy to take a fixed frame bike and even then it would a bit over three hours to cover the 36 miles!

The latest incarnation of Trainer Road that they introduced last year would and would tweak your plan accordingly if it was an extra hard commute.

 

[D_97_goodtimes]

The readership of this forum most likely have the following:-

1. An enjoyment of cycling and the associated day to day obsession with bikes.
2. If invited to join the club we would refuse.
3. The thought of ‘Training’ is the equivalent of going to the local hall for a men’s coffee morning for a chat. (Chapeau to you who do)
4. Many men /women of working age commute and see their weekly distances as ‘keeping fit’. Many retired people use cycling as an excuse to get out of the house!
5. Should we enter an event then all that is needed is some extra miles to prepare. If you can cycle for 50 miles you can cycle for 100 miles - right.
6. That said - Brave souls will ‘Make a Plan’ and stick to it. Poring over the stats on Strava looking for whatever it is they seek. Other apps are available.


The nub of it may come down to personal pleasure. Some of my most enjoyable training has been conducted in the most appalling weather. Sometimes the pleasure comes at the end of a Sportive - no prizes or ceremony just the knowledge that I completed the course.

I saw the following low tech equipment which if used intelligently would be just as good as any app or other high tech approach

 

[D_97_goodtimes]

Pot stirred