when does it get easier or faster?

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edindave

Über Member
Location
Auld Reeker
If you keep doing the same things you can't expect different results.

Proper recovery is vital for improvement to take place. Graeme Obree is a great advocate of the importance of recovery. He wrote about 'rest' days when he would be on the bike forcing himself to go slow at low effort, ignoring the cyclists overtaking him on MTBs. It takes a lot of restraint and discipline to do this but is a necessary factor in improving.

I like the idea of going extra hard on Mon and Fri, and going extra easy from Tues-Thurs.
However 2 days at the weekend may not be a long enough recovery period to enable any over-compensation gains/improvements.

Now if only I could get faster too...! :thumbsup:
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
thanks that sounds good advice might make every other monday "speed day" if the conditions are right.


ps sorry for the multiply posts i dont know how to add multiple quotes in one post

First..to reply in multiples...hit reply on the post you wish to reply to, then hit reply in all the others...all the relevant text will appear in your main reply...as to replying to posts from another page...I cant help as every time i hit the other page number I loose the original replies.

make sense?...hope so.

As for the speed, distance question.

You and I are pretty much riding as a mirror. I'm in from Kent to north west london at 22 miles each way. I did this run every day for about 2-3 weeks recently (otherwise its 3 times a week) but came down with tendonitis of my achilles and have only really just got back on the bike...frustratingly.

anyhow.

I ride fast...at least I think its fast, see my channel for vid's of my average pace. I ride often with a buddy and we cruise at over 20mph on the flats. Very little (if anything) that is pedal powered overtakes us when we are in full sprint.

and I average 14.8mph.

so your average is frankly pretty stunning.

in mitigation (and to save face) I did once count something like 96 sets of lights on my commute...does that mean anything?.

The point is, I dont notice any real difference in times from the days that I feel fresh and fast, to those that I feel a little foggy. Tail winds/headwinds make a big difference and my fastest runs have all been with favourable (or no) wind.

Perhaps forget trying to beat "london" and get out on a weekend club ride. That will show a clearer average speed capability.

J

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0BUZQAMEZI&list=UUv0u1H3J5a_t0_5oYC4U5Vw&index=6&feature=plcp


http://www.youtube.com/user/jonnygeez?feature=mhee
 

Andrew_P

In between here and there
and I average 14.8mph.

so your average is frankly pretty stunning.

in mitigation (and to save face) I did once count something like 96 sets of lights on my commute...does that mean anything?.

If the 14.8mph is Total that is impressive, and 97 light F*** that would drive me insane!

I switched to autostop when Garmin stopped Total and Moving Times. I hated it at first but for side by side comparing times it is a lot better plus it looks good!^_^
 

redcard

Guru
Location
Paisley
My average speed has gone up 3.5mph in the last 3 months since I started commuting.

March was 12.27mph
April was 13.45mph
May was 14.43mph
June is currently 15.79mph

My target is to add 1mph each month, and if I'm struggling to do this I'll do earlier commutes where there's less traffic and less red lights, else I'll cycle longer at the weekend where my average speed is higher.

Doesn't matter how I get there, I'm adding that 1mph. Hardly scientific, but means if I don't cycle faster on my commute, then I'm forced to ride a longer weekend ride.
 

400bhp

Guru
If you keep doing the same things you can't expect different results.

Proper recovery is vital for improvement to take place. Graeme Obree is a great advocate of the importance of recovery. He wrote about 'rest' days when he would be on the bike forcing himself to go slow at low effort, ignoring the cyclists overtaking him on MTBs. It takes a lot of restraint and discipline to do this but is a necessary factor in improving.

I like the idea of going extra hard on Mon and Fri, and going extra easy from Tues-Thurs.
However 2 days at the weekend may not be a long enough recovery period to enable any over-compensation gains/improvements.

Now if only I could get faster too...! :thumbsup:

Is this really comparable to Mr Obree with someone who spends about 13 hours a week commuting and has 2 rest days at the weekend?

I agree with your comment on doing the same thing - the body gets used to it. Perhaps some interval training would be more beneficial, say some sprinting on a few of the 10 commutes.

Even going different routes to and from work will benefit.
 

edindave

Über Member
Location
Auld Reeker
Is this really comparable to Mr Obree with someone who spends about 13 hours a week commuting and has 2 rest days at the weekend?

I agree with your comment on doing the same thing - the body gets used to it. Perhaps some interval training would be more beneficial, say some sprinting on a few of the 10 commutes.

Even going different routes to and from work will benefit.

I'd say it's comparable... well, in theory! In terms of reaching and getting over a plateau. That's where I was coming from. And if OP is doing the same thing every day and pushing for better results that's got to be a recipe for a plateau.
Obree's body works the same way everyone else's does. He just operates at the higher end of the scale.
 

400bhp

Guru
You see I'd say 13 hours a week isn't enough to warrant additional rest time (assuming the weekend is also rest time and also assuming a reasonable distribution between training zones-see below).

My understanding is that the plateau comes from the body getting used to the same muscles and heart being used in the same way.

What we don't know and really need is how hard the OP is pushing himself for those 13 hours - how much is fitness/aerobic/anaerobic. The distribution of that will determine whether he needs more rest or not.
 
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