More Training Tips

Scott has been weight training and cycling, but he can’t train more than 2 hours a day on the bike and wants to know how to make the best use of his time. We suggest he should try interval training and we have written a schedule for him.

Question:
Hello. I can only afford about 2 hours a day to Cycle. I just started all this about a month ago and love it. I do about 30+ miles a day with the time I have and also every other day I work out in the gym. Now having done neither EVER in my life I am hoping to get more out of the cycling portion. I recover quickly now but still only have the same allotted time and I push it hard every time. I can’t just add more weight like in the gym.
Please advise.
Scott.

Hi Scott.
If you only have two hours to train then the answer is interval training.

As you have probably read the previous training suggestions, so I don’t need repeat how to do interval training. But here is my suggestion to your possible training schedule, but remember you need to take a day off once a week or go at least go for an easy ride.
Give this a try:

Monday: 2 hours steady/fast riding with or without company.
Tuesday: 2 hours of flat intervals of up to 2 kilometres with rest periods.
Wednesday: 2 hours steady riding with or without company
Thursday: 2 hours hill intervals, go into the red, but don’t go too deep, when you do then go for a good cool down.
Friday: 2 hours steady ride.
Saturday: 2 hours with a fast group, similar to race speed.
Sunday: Either a rest day or just go for a good ride for as long as you can.

You don’t need to follow the days exactly, but I would stick to the order of the training.

If you want to swap the interval training days for a good chain gang session. This would do you as much good and will give you speed and teach you some race tactics and improve your bike handling in a group.

You need to own a pulse monitor to interval train properly. Work out what your max pulse would be and then ride within that. Obviously take care when interval training to the max as you could take it too far and pass out at the top of the climb. Just like when you are weight training you have someone to catch the weight if you get into trouble, the same goes for hill intervals as you could go into the red zone!

Let us know how you get on and if this helps, and anyone else who tries this schedule.