QUESTION: I have a 58-mile cycling tour in a couple of months. Two years ago I barely finished in the "platinum" group by riding it in just under two-and-a-half hours. Now the organizers have lowered the platinum time to 2:20, an average of 25 mph. How can I train in the next 8-10 weeks to push my average speed up by 2 mph on my bike? The course is fairly flat and I'll be in a … [Read more...] about How Can I Increase My Average Cycling Speed by 2 mph?
1Training & Health
What’s the Best Interval Training for Time Trials?
QUESTION: In a report I saw, five different interval programs were studied, ranging from 4 8-minute intervals at race pace with one-minute recoveries to 12 30-second hard intervals with long recoveries. The conclusion suggests using the 30-second interval program in the final three-week tapering period before a time trial. This approach is unique compared to the standard … [Read more...] about What’s the Best Interval Training for Time Trials?
How Do I Know if I’m Doing My Best?
QUESTION: I'm 45 and have been riding for 12 years. I recently did a 25-mile time trial and improved last year's time by 2 minutes. My average heart rate was 184 compared to my maximum of 205. Did I do my best? Should I use my heart monitor during competition? -- Steve J. RBR REPLIES: Fit riders can time trial at about 90% of their max heart rates. So the numbers say you … [Read more...] about How Do I Know if I’m Doing My Best?
Cycling Nutrition: How to Eat During Rides
By Arnie Baker, MD Consider for a moment a typical American workday: You work three hours in the morning, have a 15-minute coffee break, take 30 to 60 minutes for lunch, and work for four hours in the afternoon, with another 15-minute break. You consume 500 calories for breakfast and 1,000 calories during lunch and work breaks. You drink many glasses of water, coffee, or … [Read more...] about Cycling Nutrition: How to Eat During Rides
Anti-Aging: New Research on Fatigue
By Coach John Hughes What is fatigue? Seems obvious. When you’re tired after a bike ride. Fatigability and Fatigue Scientists are parsing this question. They distinguish between fatigability and fatigue. Fatigability is “an objective measurement of a person’s ability to do a physical or cognitive task — can be different from the perception of fatigue — a … [Read more...] about Anti-Aging: New Research on Fatigue