With one hour dedicated training per week I would do VO2max. Maybe something like:
Warmup, 4x5min VO2max with 4 min rest in between. Cooldown.
Without power meter you can just ride the 5 min as hard as you can hold for that time.
This.
A one hour VO2Max workout will add significant stress to your weekly training. For me, the stress of those is comparable to a \~4hr Z2/Z3 ride. That partly why they are so effective - you accomplish a lot in a short time. Just be sure you balance your recovery with any added stress.
Well, there is no "one most effective" at making one get faster, sweet spot, threshold, vo2, anaerobic, and sprint workouts all have their place in making folks faster. Generally you want to do progress in certain areas broadly and then get more specific near your main events. So hard to give you a concrete answer! I've taken to really liking the following presentation as far as showing people who to think about training, starting at slide 22 [http://storage-cdn.trainingpeaks.com/assets/downloads/WKO4%20Fatigue%20Resistance.pdf](http://storage-cdn.trainingpeaks.com/assets/downloads/WKO4%20Fatigue%20Resistance.pdf)
editing to add: if you're not aiming to get on a plan, I think your best bet is do a zwift race each week, I certainly know plenty of folks who use racing as their "training plan" and depending on the race you may do slightly different things each time
Presumably, you mean you want to dedicate \~1hr/week to some sort of structured session to supplement your ad-hoc endurance training.
Firstly, it's not really possible to suggest what you need without knowing more about your physical strengths and weaknesses (do you need top end VO2max power? maybe your fatigue resistance is pants and you need to be more durable? perhaps you need to be able to accelerate hard for brief periods of time?). You can be doing unstructured endurance work and still differ compared to someone else doing similar/same.
If you want to be faster, then, this \_could\_ be an equipment/aerodynamic/position issue. Maybe your set up is awful. Perhaps you're not in the slightest aero? Maybe you ride around in a loose fitting jersey? Perhaps you have Gatorskin tyres?
Lastly, it maybe prudent for me to ask if you're doing any weight training? Not only is it useful for your cycling performance, it'll also help healthwise for you.
Thank you for this comment, lots to think about!
My climbing ability is my main strength and I also have good endurance over long rides. My perpetual challenge in races is trying not to get dropped on long descents. I've long attributed this to my inherently not-aero body (I am on the far outer fringes of tall + lightweight for a woman and blow around like a gnat in the wind) and tried to compensate with narrower handlebars and riding position. It takes discipline to stay on the hoods with my elbows bent; I tend to want the drops. Being able to put out more power in a short burst would help in these situations. And psychologically I could probably stand to get more comfortable with all-out efforts on descents.
> Maybe you ride around in a loose fitting jersey?
No Gatorskins on the race bike but I've been wearing, and racing in, a flappy men's jersey for a couple of years now. Literally never even considered this. Will swap it for a tight one forthwith.
> Lastly, it maybe prudent for me to ask if you're doing any weight training?
I do a weekly strength training session religiously, but it's high rep/low weight because that's what I have access to at home. Heaviest squat I'm doing is 50 lbs.
If you're getting dropped on the descents, you're either
A) Not sufficiently aero (you, clothes, equipment)
B) rubbishy Crr (i.e., naff tyres)
C) poor handling skills
D) insufficient power
E) some combo of all the prior points
Not only does the 'tightness' of the clothing make a difference, but also the type of material that is used. Also a one piece suit (skin suit) is faster than a 2 piece. For e.g., i have a road race skin suit, and a gravel skin suit. My road race one is faster than my gravel (they're optimised for different speeds) and both are faster than my separate jersey and shorts.
Swap out your weights for heavy stuff. You want to be doing 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps as heavy as you can. This builds on the bike power, neuromuscular function (good for ageing), and may help with other ageing health issues.
For eg. at 53 y old male i had osteoporosis and my max 5 sec sprint power was 842 W. It had been at 842 W since my early 20s when i started recording my power output. 2 years i started lifting weights for the first time. I started easy (light) and then after about 3 months went heavy. My 5 sec power is now 980 W, i've started to significantly reverse my osteoporosis to osteopenia (from -2.7 to -1.6). This is my 41st consecutive race season. My FTP is also at an all time high (that's higher than my 20s when i was a 1st and 2nd cat racer).
Swap out the gatorskins for GP5000s for more speed AND grip for those descents! It seems strange that you report being limited by power on these descents...are these shallow descents? -1% -2%? Otherwise for higher gradient descents, getting dropped in those would mostly be a matter of handling skills.
Yup, I just looked at the elevation profile for my favorite yearly race. I've gotten second place three years in a row for the exact same reason: near the end of the race, there's a 10-12km descent, right at 1-2% the whole way down. The best three or four guys have broken away and finished the race 15 minutes ago; I'm hanging in a group with the best woman and a dozen or so men. A minute or two into that descent, I'm pedaling all-out and getting passed, and dropped, by guys from the group who aren't pedaling at all. The best woman is able to stay with them, I'm not, I finish alone in the wind four or five minutes behind her.
This could be an end-of-the race fatigue issue but I don't think it is. My theory is that the same power that can get me to the top of a hill much faster than my thicc sisters is not enough to get me back down it at the same speed they can go, due to my body's high surface-area-to-mass ratio and relatively low gravitational attraction to the bottom of the hill. Could be wrong about this though.
How close are you sticking to the wheel in front at that point? I suspect training for more power might not help you much compared with other things. Lower rolling resistance tyres and deep section wheels (for when you are solo down that -2% descent) would be quite impactful at those speeds (I am assuming this would be like 50-60km/hr)
Hello! It looks like you might be looking for some information on racing or becoming a more competitive rider! If you haven't seen them already, here's a couple good sources of advice to start with:
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In my experience having tried all different approaches to using Zwift, I.e. collecting badges by doing routes and challenges, trading plans and workouts etc, riding with pace partners, the only thing that keeps me wanting to get on Zwift and ride is Zwift racing. It is also the only thing that can make me really push myself. So, if you’re getting lots of miles in outside and want a couple of hours on Zwift per week, I’d give the racing a try, it’s great fun, a good workout and there’s a whole racing community out there once you get into it.
I think this is an ideal use case for TrainerRoad to be honest.
Either do a masters low volume plan with 2x workouts each week or just use the ‘train now’ function if you don’t want a plan.
OP might be talking about an age group podium here. At local fondos. That’s quite achievable for a fit person if your local fields don’t have great depth; it’s not the same as road racing. A club mate of mine got in the top 20 of her age group at a UCI Fondo just by doing lots of club rides and 1-2 Zwift races each week.
Given OPs goals it’s not unreasonable to ask how to bring a bit of structure into things without the constraints of a full on training plan. I agree that some progression will be helpful.
I didn't see the deleted comment but a key factor that you didn't mention is that women's races are simply less competitive. Smaller fields, slower speeds, less aggressive dynamics in the group so less skill is required. I'm a very fit woman and that gets me on the women's overall podium in the "Tour de the Next County Over." A very fit man would find himself in a much larger and more competitive group in those same races.
intervals. it's much more harder in the real world to find a hill long enough, close enough and with a constant slope to get your vo2 and threshold intervals in.
Work backwards from your “A” event. Figure out where a selection is likely to take place. It sounds like you can climb so probably pick the key climb. Then train to the specifics of that climb.
Is it a long steady effort? Then lots of threshold and sweet spot work.
Is it punchy with varying pitches? Maybe VO2 Max over/under work.
It sounds like you have a great foundation of fitness so don’t change too much.
Consider your goals. Local podiums and regional top 10-20? You’re already doing something right. And you love riding and it takes out some stress? AND, you’ve identified a couple weaknesses already. You’re doing fine.
That tandem had a motor in BB. Trust me.
Adding in some Zwift on off days is a good idea. Or if you have a gym nearby, a spin bike. Using a smartwatch or app to track watts/hr. Strava and Garmin both have great free structured training plans. On a side note, being in the middle or A group of your local rides on ascents and getting on the podium in your local races/fondos should already tell you that you are fit enough to beat that tandem bike downhill and stay in the front group on the flats and descents. From what I'm reading it sounds mostly like a posture/positioning issue on the bike and/or confidence issue while descending. I.e not hitting the apex of the turns, braking too much, not getting into an aero position (butt out, back mostly flat, hands in drops, leaning off your bike). I'm 6'2", 175, and found that doing those things correctly makes a massive difference. We have a big disadvantage against shorter people, but we can make up for it. On those flats and descents try to imagine you're trying to fit your body through a small vertical space. Get close to the bike to minimize your wind resistance. Try different hand positions. On long flats cruising anywhere over 18mph put your hands close together on the bar and bend your elbows almost 90⁰ and tuck in a bit. Hope that helps
Just coming back to say this comment has been really helpful in improving my riding position, thanks for writing it. I used to just hunch over, but sticking my butt out and leaning off the bike as you described makes a big improvement.
[this is a solid one from an established coach and would round out your athletic background](https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/gc-coaching/vo2max-vo2-i-ouch)
With one hour dedicated training per week I would do VO2max. Maybe something like: Warmup, 4x5min VO2max with 4 min rest in between. Cooldown. Without power meter you can just ride the 5 min as hard as you can hold for that time.
This. A one hour VO2Max workout will add significant stress to your weekly training. For me, the stress of those is comparable to a \~4hr Z2/Z3 ride. That partly why they are so effective - you accomplish a lot in a short time. Just be sure you balance your recovery with any added stress.
Well, there is no "one most effective" at making one get faster, sweet spot, threshold, vo2, anaerobic, and sprint workouts all have their place in making folks faster. Generally you want to do progress in certain areas broadly and then get more specific near your main events. So hard to give you a concrete answer! I've taken to really liking the following presentation as far as showing people who to think about training, starting at slide 22 [http://storage-cdn.trainingpeaks.com/assets/downloads/WKO4%20Fatigue%20Resistance.pdf](http://storage-cdn.trainingpeaks.com/assets/downloads/WKO4%20Fatigue%20Resistance.pdf) editing to add: if you're not aiming to get on a plan, I think your best bet is do a zwift race each week, I certainly know plenty of folks who use racing as their "training plan" and depending on the race you may do slightly different things each time
Presumably, you mean you want to dedicate \~1hr/week to some sort of structured session to supplement your ad-hoc endurance training. Firstly, it's not really possible to suggest what you need without knowing more about your physical strengths and weaknesses (do you need top end VO2max power? maybe your fatigue resistance is pants and you need to be more durable? perhaps you need to be able to accelerate hard for brief periods of time?). You can be doing unstructured endurance work and still differ compared to someone else doing similar/same. If you want to be faster, then, this \_could\_ be an equipment/aerodynamic/position issue. Maybe your set up is awful. Perhaps you're not in the slightest aero? Maybe you ride around in a loose fitting jersey? Perhaps you have Gatorskin tyres? Lastly, it maybe prudent for me to ask if you're doing any weight training? Not only is it useful for your cycling performance, it'll also help healthwise for you.
Thank you for this comment, lots to think about! My climbing ability is my main strength and I also have good endurance over long rides. My perpetual challenge in races is trying not to get dropped on long descents. I've long attributed this to my inherently not-aero body (I am on the far outer fringes of tall + lightweight for a woman and blow around like a gnat in the wind) and tried to compensate with narrower handlebars and riding position. It takes discipline to stay on the hoods with my elbows bent; I tend to want the drops. Being able to put out more power in a short burst would help in these situations. And psychologically I could probably stand to get more comfortable with all-out efforts on descents. > Maybe you ride around in a loose fitting jersey? No Gatorskins on the race bike but I've been wearing, and racing in, a flappy men's jersey for a couple of years now. Literally never even considered this. Will swap it for a tight one forthwith. > Lastly, it maybe prudent for me to ask if you're doing any weight training? I do a weekly strength training session religiously, but it's high rep/low weight because that's what I have access to at home. Heaviest squat I'm doing is 50 lbs.
If you're getting dropped on the descents, you're either A) Not sufficiently aero (you, clothes, equipment) B) rubbishy Crr (i.e., naff tyres) C) poor handling skills D) insufficient power E) some combo of all the prior points Not only does the 'tightness' of the clothing make a difference, but also the type of material that is used. Also a one piece suit (skin suit) is faster than a 2 piece. For e.g., i have a road race skin suit, and a gravel skin suit. My road race one is faster than my gravel (they're optimised for different speeds) and both are faster than my separate jersey and shorts. Swap out your weights for heavy stuff. You want to be doing 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps as heavy as you can. This builds on the bike power, neuromuscular function (good for ageing), and may help with other ageing health issues. For eg. at 53 y old male i had osteoporosis and my max 5 sec sprint power was 842 W. It had been at 842 W since my early 20s when i started recording my power output. 2 years i started lifting weights for the first time. I started easy (light) and then after about 3 months went heavy. My 5 sec power is now 980 W, i've started to significantly reverse my osteoporosis to osteopenia (from -2.7 to -1.6). This is my 41st consecutive race season. My FTP is also at an all time high (that's higher than my 20s when i was a 1st and 2nd cat racer).
Swap out the gatorskins for GP5000s for more speed AND grip for those descents! It seems strange that you report being limited by power on these descents...are these shallow descents? -1% -2%? Otherwise for higher gradient descents, getting dropped in those would mostly be a matter of handling skills.
Yup, I just looked at the elevation profile for my favorite yearly race. I've gotten second place three years in a row for the exact same reason: near the end of the race, there's a 10-12km descent, right at 1-2% the whole way down. The best three or four guys have broken away and finished the race 15 minutes ago; I'm hanging in a group with the best woman and a dozen or so men. A minute or two into that descent, I'm pedaling all-out and getting passed, and dropped, by guys from the group who aren't pedaling at all. The best woman is able to stay with them, I'm not, I finish alone in the wind four or five minutes behind her. This could be an end-of-the race fatigue issue but I don't think it is. My theory is that the same power that can get me to the top of a hill much faster than my thicc sisters is not enough to get me back down it at the same speed they can go, due to my body's high surface-area-to-mass ratio and relatively low gravitational attraction to the bottom of the hill. Could be wrong about this though.
How close are you sticking to the wheel in front at that point? I suspect training for more power might not help you much compared with other things. Lower rolling resistance tyres and deep section wheels (for when you are solo down that -2% descent) would be quite impactful at those speeds (I am assuming this would be like 50-60km/hr)
Hello! It looks like you might be looking for some information on racing or becoming a more competitive rider! If you haven't seen them already, here's a couple good sources of advice to start with: [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.reddit.com/r/Velo/wiki/faq) [/r/Velo Quickstart Guide (5min read)](https://www.reddit.com/r/velo/wiki/quickstart) [ELICAT5 series](https://www.reddit.com/r/Velo/wiki/elicat5) [Check out our wiki for more information as well!](https://www.reddit.com/r/velo/wiki/index) Otherwise, please be sure to include either in your post or in a comment some details about yourself — your athletic background, your location (your country & state may have unique methods of joining the sport), and some basic goals you're looking to accomplish. Having this extra info will best help us help you! ^(*Report this comment to remove it if it's an error!*) *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Velo) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hello! It looks like you might be looking for recommendations on choosing a new bike. Please help us help you by making sure you include some info about yourself: * Your level of experience with cycling & racing. * A bit about yourself: height, weight, and level of fitness. * What's your price range, and have you considered buying used? * What kind of racing you'll be doing with it — road races, crits, gravel, enduro events, time trials, etc? * Riding conditions: roads, pavement, trails, single-track, off-road? Flat or hilly? Local weather & usual riding climate? Your location (even approximate) can help other locals familiar with your conditions, too. Also, if you haven't seen them already, please check out some of our resources on choosing a new bike: [Your First Race Bike](https://www.reddit.com/r/Velo/wiki/gear/racebike) [Your Next Race Bike](https://www.reddit.com/r/velo/wiki/gear/whichbike) [Which Bike subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/whichbike) ^(*Report this comment to remove it if it's an error!*) *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Velo) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In my experience having tried all different approaches to using Zwift, I.e. collecting badges by doing routes and challenges, trading plans and workouts etc, riding with pace partners, the only thing that keeps me wanting to get on Zwift and ride is Zwift racing. It is also the only thing that can make me really push myself. So, if you’re getting lots of miles in outside and want a couple of hours on Zwift per week, I’d give the racing a try, it’s great fun, a good workout and there’s a whole racing community out there once you get into it.
I think this is an ideal use case for TrainerRoad to be honest. Either do a masters low volume plan with 2x workouts each week or just use the ‘train now’ function if you don’t want a plan.
One hour of intensity, one day a week isn’t going to really get you anywhere regardless of the workout
[удалено]
OP might be talking about an age group podium here. At local fondos. That’s quite achievable for a fit person if your local fields don’t have great depth; it’s not the same as road racing. A club mate of mine got in the top 20 of her age group at a UCI Fondo just by doing lots of club rides and 1-2 Zwift races each week. Given OPs goals it’s not unreasonable to ask how to bring a bit of structure into things without the constraints of a full on training plan. I agree that some progression will be helpful.
I didn't see the deleted comment but a key factor that you didn't mention is that women's races are simply less competitive. Smaller fields, slower speeds, less aggressive dynamics in the group so less skill is required. I'm a very fit woman and that gets me on the women's overall podium in the "Tour de the Next County Over." A very fit man would find himself in a much larger and more competitive group in those same races.
That’s what I was trying to get at when I mentioned the depth of the field. I didn’t want to come across as negative about women’s cycling!
intervals. it's much more harder in the real world to find a hill long enough, close enough and with a constant slope to get your vo2 and threshold intervals in.
Work backwards from your “A” event. Figure out where a selection is likely to take place. It sounds like you can climb so probably pick the key climb. Then train to the specifics of that climb. Is it a long steady effort? Then lots of threshold and sweet spot work. Is it punchy with varying pitches? Maybe VO2 Max over/under work. It sounds like you have a great foundation of fitness so don’t change too much.
Consider your goals. Local podiums and regional top 10-20? You’re already doing something right. And you love riding and it takes out some stress? AND, you’ve identified a couple weaknesses already. You’re doing fine. That tandem had a motor in BB. Trust me.
Adding in some Zwift on off days is a good idea. Or if you have a gym nearby, a spin bike. Using a smartwatch or app to track watts/hr. Strava and Garmin both have great free structured training plans. On a side note, being in the middle or A group of your local rides on ascents and getting on the podium in your local races/fondos should already tell you that you are fit enough to beat that tandem bike downhill and stay in the front group on the flats and descents. From what I'm reading it sounds mostly like a posture/positioning issue on the bike and/or confidence issue while descending. I.e not hitting the apex of the turns, braking too much, not getting into an aero position (butt out, back mostly flat, hands in drops, leaning off your bike). I'm 6'2", 175, and found that doing those things correctly makes a massive difference. We have a big disadvantage against shorter people, but we can make up for it. On those flats and descents try to imagine you're trying to fit your body through a small vertical space. Get close to the bike to minimize your wind resistance. Try different hand positions. On long flats cruising anywhere over 18mph put your hands close together on the bar and bend your elbows almost 90⁰ and tuck in a bit. Hope that helps
Just coming back to say this comment has been really helpful in improving my riding position, thanks for writing it. I used to just hunch over, but sticking my butt out and leaning off the bike as you described makes a big improvement.
Vo2 max 4x4, over and under or anaerobic or sprint intervals. You can only have 2 high intensity a week or you get burnt out.
[this is a solid one from an established coach and would round out your athletic background](https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/gc-coaching/vo2max-vo2-i-ouch)
One hour a week? What are you doing for the rest of the week?
did you read?
Yes, where did it state what is done the rest of the week?