# Training opinions with commutes



## schmalts (Sep 10, 2008)

If I ride to work 35 miles RT 3 times a week and try to push it fairly hard, and throw one day a week at the gym doing some leg presses and squats (that make me sore for 3 days) what would you recommend for a weekend ride? I have been tryng to do a 40-50 mile ride on weekends with some hills thrown in for intervals.
Asking because if I ride to work more than 2 days in a row the third day I am really lacking some legs on the ride home usually. I am 43, 6'1" and a little over weight @ 205 but trying to control my appitite and drop down. I am trying to do a few amature RR this year and looking for more of the flatter courses as I am not a great hill climber.
I found that If i do a long distance charity ride or race I do much better without getting on a bike 2 days prior. Am I over training? no clue... Is it normal to become almost worthless at my age trying to ride 3 days to work in a row and keep an average of about 19.5 MPH on my commute with small hills and factoring out wind?
I am not trying to be a pro, just want to be a weekend warrior a handfull of times a year and need to keep a family life.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

This is completely unscientific--

I'm 39, and just got back into riding. My commute is not that far, and on the longest days it's only 20 miles (RT), unless I intentionally add to it. On weekends, I'm up to doing roughly 40 miles, but not terribly quickly. (My goal is to get up to the point where I can ride 60-70 comfortably, then throw some speedwork in there). But I still have a lot of pounds to shave off, and am really trying to get fit for the first time in over five years.

I've found that it's really important NOT to kill myself on every ride. Some days, if my legs feel tired, I'll just put the bike in a lower gear and spin, or just take the day off completely. Squats rip muscle, and if I try to hammer gears the next day my legs won't get any chance to recover. So on days after lifting, YMMV.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

you train for what you want to be able to do, if you dont want to race or anything like that, its more 'riding your bike' than training, and riding your bike doesnt need training as such, sounds like what your doing is working for you at the mo so.


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## aussiebullet (Sep 26, 2005)

My 2c, no point pushing hard 3 days in a row, if it feels hard or nearly impossible it is because it should.
The body needs more time to recover than your giving it, the simple saying goes "the more you train the more you can train" if your are trying to get fitter so you can race than my first advice is to drop the weight training for now particularly the legs as it is taxing your recovery time and or time that could be used to ride.
At 205lb it sounds like you don't need the extra muscle, at the very least it "may" help in a final sprint but you gotta make it the finish line without getting blown out of the pack first.
lf you must train 3 consecutive days than try pushing it on Day 1.
Day 2 ride at a comfortable endurance pace and up the milage a bit maybee take a detour on the way home add another 30-60m to the trip home at an EASIER pace.
Day 3 cruise to work but put the hammer down on the way home and really empty the tank.
There are lots of ways to organise a training routine for every hard day you should have an easy day or day off but pushing it 3 days in a row as your only training apart from weights it is no suprise your legs are toast on day 3,
spread your training out more, on the days you ride hard they should be really hard in bursts of
10-40min on the rivet balls out and best done with fresh legs,
on the easier days they should be longer 2-4hrs and much easier but still hard enough that you finish with legs feeling fatiged. Remember "the more you train the more you can train" Longer rides will help you recover faster from the really hard days,
l have 2-3 days either off or super easy each week the rest are used going HARD AND LONG but l have worked up to this by increasing training load + intensity over many many months years even, but l race away some of that fitness each year and start fresh the next year but at a much higher level than the year before.
Good luck and keep us posted on the progress.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

*wow wow wo!!*



aussiebullet said:


> My 2c, no point pushing hard 3 days in a row if...


I refuse to read anymore untill you edit this with the enter key


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## schmalts (Sep 10, 2008)

thanks guys. I took today off completely as when I was driving home from work and was going to the gym I felt really tired and looked in the rear view mirror and did not like what I saw, glassy eyes and just looked wore out. I did 46 miles yesterday after going fishing the day before and started out weak the first 15 minutes but finished real strong in some hilly spots. I guess that is why guys warm up on a trainer before races, to wake up the legs?
I hope to ride to work tomorrow, and the next day looks like rain so I will give it hard tomorrow.
I will try to not push more than 2 days in a row hard, but as an excuse I have been because of the crappy weather we have had in WI this year I ride when I can. Sick of the trainer, just want to ride outdoors. I also ride with a guy from work who is smaller in size and has been doing a lot more miles for years and trying to keep up with his routine is not possible. I can hang with him, but just not days on end like he can. CJ if you read this "you the man"


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