Question: Does a person have a finite number of really hard efforts in his athletic career? I was a competitive swimmer at the age of 10, moved on to weightlifting and then began to ride. Now, in my mid 40s, I find it very difficult to work at the levels that I attained previously. It’s…
Question: You’ve said that for long time trials, a rider should be able to go hard for approximately double the race distance. Does that hold true for short TTs, too? In other words, in training for a weekly 10-mile TT, should I do a race-effort 20-miler once a week, or break up the distance into…
Question: I’ll be in China on business for the next three weeks, with only a stationary bike in the hotel’s fitness room. The best I can hope for is 45 minutes a day of boring pedaling. Prior to this trip, I’ve been averaging 150 miles a week with interval work and climbing. Any suggestions for…
Question: I’m 33 and getting back into racing after 13 years out of the sport. My problem is that I get blasted off the back of criteriums when the speed increases. I’ve been doing steady-state intervals at my lactate threshold, but they don’t seem to work. Should I continue with these workouts ordo more intense…
Question: How can I use my new road bike to train for a 40-mile mountain bike race in early September? My plan is to ride 30 miles at least once a week in July and increase to 40 miles in August. Does that sound reasonable? — Jim G.
