Every other day?
- Thread starter azraphale
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Most racing cyclist I know train 6 days a week or 5 at the least. I swim one day cycle the next with one day off each week. I am 57 years old and this suits me. The cycling is a mix of hard intervals on turbo and longer rides on the road. Swimming is two mornings a week of about 1 miles followed by an evening session with a tri club, this is coached and involves drills.
Hip Priest
Veteran
I ride 6 days a week with a rest day on Saturday or Sunday.
I normally vary between hard rides and slow recovery rides. But like many amateur cyclists, my hard rides are often too easy, and my easy rides too hard! It's taken me from being a fatso who got exhausted after 2 miles to a reasonably fit person, who can do a 25 mile TT at >20mph.
I normally vary between hard rides and slow recovery rides. But like many amateur cyclists, my hard rides are often too easy, and my easy rides too hard! It's taken me from being a fatso who got exhausted after 2 miles to a reasonably fit person, who can do a 25 mile TT at >20mph.
Ouch, i think racing will be forever out of my sights, mainly due to the 40 fags and nearly as many pints a day 
My main goal at the moment is to get myself upto a standard to be able to join club runs and 3 sportives a year. I know a few gym freaks who train everyday but all the research seems to say you get better results by giving that muscle group a rest and training another part of the body. just wondered if cycling was the same.
My main goal at the moment is to get myself upto a standard to be able to join club runs and 3 sportives a year. I know a few gym freaks who train everyday but all the research seems to say you get better results by giving that muscle group a rest and training another part of the body. just wondered if cycling was the same.
Hip Priest
Veteran
Ouch, i think racing will be forever out of my sights, mainly due to the 40 fags and nearly as many pints a day
Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to racers at this stage. If your aim is to do club runs and sportives, then concentrate on that at first. Soon you'll achieve them, then you can move onto the next goal. Who knows, you might end up racing one day.
My initial goal was to ride the 4.5 flat miles to work without wanting to cry, and that was less than three years ago!
welsh dragon
Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
If you ever consider giving up the cigarettes, there is a thread called smoking.........no more. There are quite a few of us on there who give each other moral support, but of course there is no pressure, to have a look..
50000tears
Senior Member
- Location
- Weymouth, Dorset
Whilst the posters who train 5 or 6 days a week are fine doing so, it is something that needs building up to. I have been cycling 6 months and only in the last month have I been OK training 5 days a week. I know in the first few weeks that I would need 1 or 2 days of rest to recover after any half decent effort.
You are correct though that it is when you rest that your body adapts to the stresses you have put on it. But the difference it that with a largely aerobic activity like cycling your body recovers better than pushing weights. I agree with Priest that you still need to balance the harder days with gentler efforts though.
You are correct though that it is when you rest that your body adapts to the stresses you have put on it. But the difference it that with a largely aerobic activity like cycling your body recovers better than pushing weights. I agree with Priest that you still need to balance the harder days with gentler efforts though.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Pedrosanchezo
Veteran
- Location
- Perthshire, scotland
Most amateur cyclists actually train/cycle too much without realising that rest is just as important. Riding 5-6 days a week is fine if one, maybe 2 of these days are recovery rides - that means spinning a low gear and letting the 65 year old granny pass you on the 3% gradient because otherwise you just end up exhausting yourself and your body wont recover. Rest is when the body rebuilds and becomes stronger. WAY too many cyclists forget this or pay no attention to it.
Also worth noting that everyone is different and recovery times vary, but there is defo an issue with cyclists seeing their fave pro talking about riding 7 days a week and trying to emulate them. Problem is pro's don't have a 9-5 job and a family to look after. We don't rest like they do. They joke about not standing when they don't need to, thing is they aren't joking. They train, eat and then sleep. Repeat! For the mere mortal, if you are feeling exhausted or sore then give yourself a rest day, or two if need be, as you will be doing numero uno no favours by training/cycling when already fatigued. You still have to work and function outside the bike.
So IMO, take it as it comes. Learn the way your body reacts to doing too much and learn when to rest up. From there you will be able to make huge leaps forward. Merely cycling all the time won't cut it. Most keen cyclists have over reached or over trained and will attest to this.
Good luck. After all is said and one, enjoy yourself.
Also worth noting that everyone is different and recovery times vary, but there is defo an issue with cyclists seeing their fave pro talking about riding 7 days a week and trying to emulate them. Problem is pro's don't have a 9-5 job and a family to look after. We don't rest like they do. They joke about not standing when they don't need to, thing is they aren't joking. They train, eat and then sleep. Repeat! For the mere mortal, if you are feeling exhausted or sore then give yourself a rest day, or two if need be, as you will be doing numero uno no favours by training/cycling when already fatigued. You still have to work and function outside the bike.
So IMO, take it as it comes. Learn the way your body reacts to doing too much and learn when to rest up. From there you will be able to make huge leaps forward. Merely cycling all the time won't cut it. Most keen cyclists have over reached or over trained and will attest to this.
Good luck. After all is said and one, enjoy yourself.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Good post !!
I would put money on the fact that froome etc are not working night shift on their feet on all night lumping bits of steel around then doing a 10 mile each way commute and then thinking about training session in-between trying to sleep and looking after the kids etc.
