Friday 27 December 2013

Additional club ride - Saturday 28th December

As the weather looks better tomorrow I’m going to go out for a 50 ish mile / 3 hour ride. If you want to join depart from Brock at 0900.

Possible stop at tea shop tomorrow to maintain cake levels

Don’t know the route yet, depends on floods / trees down etc. If you want to meet somewhere in the forest let me know and I’ll try and make that part of the route.

Plan B will be to meet at Bolderwood. I’ve worked out for the winter programme that leaving Ashurst / Brock / Burley at 0900 should mean that we can converge at Bolderwood at 0930.

Hope to see you tomorrow

Barry

PS
Brock to Bolderwood via Rhinefield
Ashurst to Bolderwood via Lyndhurst and Emerry Down

Burley Cricket Ground to Bolderwood via Queens Head, A35, Ornamental Drive

Tuesday 24 December 2013

Base Training Endurance Rides 2014 - Month 1


The winter base training programme is intended to be a part of members annual training plans to build aerobic endurance for the race season. Due to the carrying nature of the competitions entered by NFCC members flexibility has been built into the plan to allow for varying length rides throughout the base period.


Logsitics

·         All rides will start at 0900 sharp. Please aim to be at the start for 0850 for a briefing as to what the plan is for the day.
·         The route for each ride will be posted by Thursday each week via the NFCC email group. If not subscribed please contact barry.wootten@gmail.com and you will be added to the mailing list. Rides and last minute changes will also be posted on the clubs training blog http://nfcc-training.blogspot.co.uk/. If you follow the blog you will get email updates from that and Martin Balk will to post on the clubs Twitter account @newforestcc.
·         This is winter riding and there will inevitably be last minute changes due to weather and please use you judgment and local knowledge to decide if it is safe and appropriate for you to ride.
·         If there is a last minute change of plan due to weather a comment will be pasted on the blog site and an email sent to those on the yahoo alias before 0800 on Saturday with either a postponement or cancellation notice. E.g. if it’s icy the start time may be deferred by an hour or two or the ride deferred to the Sunday in extreme conditions. Please ensure that Barry Wootten has your mobile number, an “In Case of Emergency” number and is aware of any allergies or medical conditions that the emergency services may need to be aware of.
·         Please ensure that you are carrying two suitable tubes and tools / pump. Also that you are riding with suitable tyres for winter riding and that they are in good condition. We all get punctures but it is extra important in winter to minimize them as it’s easy for everybody to get cold waiting for a repair. Other riders will also appreciate it if you equip your bike with mudguards for winter riding.
·         Ensure that you carry enough food and drink for you to complete the ride.


Fitness

We are aiming to make the training as relevant as we can for the majority of riders to prepare themselves for the season for numerous disciplines. Please ensure that you can comfortably complete the distance and average speed before joining the group rides. If you are only able to sustain the pace for a short while it is OK to join the rides for an hour for example and then drop off and return at your own pace. If you do so please let the ride leader know so that the rest of the group doesn’t spend the day looking for you.
With the increase in club membership, the various stages of everybody's base training and the number of riders currently riding on Saturdays it is planned to run two groups on each ride. One ride will run slightly faster than the other. Please remember that this is base training and ride in the appropriate group. In base training we are teaching our bodies to burn fat for fuel and to become more efficient. For those using a 5/6 zone heart rate training system these rides are zone 2. As the leading coach Joe Friel says "The objective of all training is to achieve the greatest level of adaptation, not to become the most tired" and to quote Joe Beer "there are no prizes for being King of January". Don’t let your ego decide which group you ride in, ride in the one that will get you the best adaptation and make you better when it counts.
The more time you spend increasing your efficiency at a low intensity level the more you will be able to train at or just below Lactate Threshold Heart Rate for those sessions. A good rule of thumb for most athletes, make your easy sessions easier and you hard sessions harder. Ride at a medium or "tempo" intensity on the base rides and you will not be able to perform the high intensity workouts and fitness will plateau before it reaches its peak.
The stronger riders in the group will keep to the planned pace of the group and may do more time on the front to make their training a little harder.

Group Riding

It is imperative that we ride safely and that we are advocates for cycling and NFCC in particular. Riding in club kit is to be encouraged and we will ensure that we are exemplars for cyclists everywhere.  There are some key principles for which we all need to adhere to and ensure that those new to group riding are introduced to.
·         We have the same rights and responsibilities as other road users. We share the road with others and must remember that at all times. We will generally ride two abreast but keep a fairly tight formation. There may be times that the road conditions dictate that we ride on single file. At such times signal your intent and move smoothly into line without overlapping wheels.
·         When on the front keep the pedaling smooth and consistent. Avoid sudden changes of pace as these will be amplified down the group. When moving to the front keep the pace the same. It is not a time to accelerate. If you wish to move to the back after your turn at the front indicate your intent with a flick of the elbow. Then move clearly to the right after checking that it is safe to do so. Ease off the pace and then filter in behind the last rider.
·         Point out hazards to others. Not every little blemish in the road but those that may cause damage to a wheel or require deviation from the line being taken. Do not brake or make sudden movements. The further back riders are the less time they will have to react.
·         If you need to expunge any bodily fluids please move to the back so that they are not shared with fellow riders.
·         Ride close but not too close to the rider in front. Take benefit from the drafting effect but NEVER overlap wheels. Keep a small gap; we are not the GB team pursuit!
·         Concentrate. Keep watching the rider in front and those around you. We are all responsible for our own safety and those of others.
·         Mechanical problems / punctures. These will inevitably happen. If they do raise an arm and advise the other riders. We will then endeavour to stop where it is safe to do so and rectify the problem.




Plan

The winter plan will generally follow the same pattern as the autumn plan where there will be two lap rides to allow riders to ride shorter or longer distances and plan recovery weeks to suit their own needs. The rides will generally be kept within the confines of the forest to allow for flexibility should we encounter adverse weather. The variation to this will be the 4th ride of the month which will be a little longer, the plan here is to utilise the three start points and converge at Bolderwood for 0930 and then ride to Stockbridge, possible coffee stop and then return on an out and back course.
Month 1

4th Jan
11th Jan
18th Jan
25th Jan
Distance(s)
41 / 57  miles
37 / 53 miles
33 / 50 miles
Circa 60 miles from start points
Pace
16 MPH average A group, 15MPH average B group

Objective and method
Aerobic endurance. 70% max heart rate. Ride steady. No high efforts. Try not to let effort level get too high. Steady climb in the saddle. Cadence 75-95. Make sure bike is geared to permit this type of riding.
Ensure that everybody gains experience in group riding ready for more complex drills in Base 2 and 3.
Start point
Brockenhurst
Outside St Saviours Church Burley Road

Ashurst Station Car Park
Burley Cricket Ground
0900 at Brockenhurst, Burley and Ashurst
0930 Bolderwood Car Park

Route
Hincheslea, Setthorns, Pitmore Lane, Pilley, Norleywood, East End, Bucklers Hard, Beaulieu, Exbury, Lepe, Blackfield, Exbury, Beaulieu, Hatchet Pond, Brockenhurst
Optional lap 2
Brockenhurst, Rhinefield, A35, Lyndhurst Road, Burley, Wilverley, Brockenhurst
Woodlands, Furzey, Nomansland, Ocknells Plan, Bolderwood, Brockenhurst, Blamer Lawn, Beaulieu, Ipley Cross, Colbury, Ashurst

Optional lap 2
Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Ipley Cross, Ashurst
Crow, Poulner, Hyde, Ogdens, Moyles Court, Bolderwood, Brockenhurst, Burley
Optional lap 2
Lyndhurst Road, A35, Brockenhurst, Burley

All rides depart from 3 points at 0900 to meet at Bolderwood for 0930
Brockenhurst ride follows Rhinefield Road.
Ashurst ride via Lyndhurst and Emery Down
Burley ride follows Lyndhurst Road, A35, Ornamental Drive

GPX
Other training
Try and get two other shorter rides in during the week at similar intensity either on road or on turbo / rollers. Recovery week just one extra ride.
For those that wish to have slightly higher levels of base training add distance to and from the start but keep intensity low. It will pay dividends later in the year.



Base 2 and Base 3 plans to follow

Thursday 19 December 2013

Turbo Week 6 – 18th December 2013


Summary of our sixth turbo session on the winter. Object of the session was to train for aerobic endurance with zone3 / 4 intervals. This is a build on last weeks session with more intervals and a shorter recovery at the top of the session.
Warm up was a 20 minute mixture of cadence and single leg drills.

Time
Nice easy gear rpm 90-100
5:00
1 minute @ 100 RPM
6:00
30 seconds recovery
6:30
1 minute @ 105 RPM
7:30
30 seconds recovery
8:00
1 minute @ 110 RPM
9:00
30 seconds recovery
9:30
1 minute @ 115 RPM
10:30
30 seconds recovery
11:00
1 minute @ 120 RPM
12:00
30 seconds recovery
12:30
1 minute left leg only
13:30
30 seconds recovery
14:00
1 minute right leg only
15:00
30 seconds recovery
15:30
1 minute left leg only
16:30
30 seconds recovery
17:00
1 minute right leg only
18:00
30 seconds recovery
18:30
1 minute left leg only
19:30
30 seconds recovery
20:00
1 minute right leg only
21:00
30 seconds recovery
21:30
3 minutes progressively harder pedalling to finish at bottom of zone 3
24:30




The main set was about 40 minutes of progressively harder efforts with progressively shorter recovery periods.
Task
Example Gear
HR relative to LTHR
Power relative to FTP
Time
5 minutes baseline  gear, 90-100 RPM
Zone 3
53/21
-10 to -20
75-89%
29:30
5 minutes harder gear, 90-100 RPM – remember the gear – baseline plus 2
Zone 4
53/19
0-10
90-104%
34:30
3 minutes recovery easy gear 90-100 RPM Zone 2
53/23
-20 to -40
55-74%
37:30
4 minutes baseline  gear, 90-100 RPM
53/19


41:30
4 minutes harder gear, 90-100 RPM – remember the gear – baseline plus 2
53/17


45:30
3 minutes recovery easy gear 90-100 RPM
53/23


55:30
3 minutes using harder gear you used in last 5min set. (90-100rpm) remember the gear
53/17


58:30
1minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


59:30
3 minutes using harder gear you used in last 5min set. (90-100rpm) remember the gear
53/15


1:02:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:03:30
3 minutes using harder gear you used in last 5min set. (90-100rpm) remember the gear
53/15


1:06:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:07:30
2 minutes 1 gear harder than last time – remember the gear
53/15


1:09:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:1-:30
2 minutes in previous gear 90-100 RPM
53/14


1:12:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:13:30
2 minutes in previous gear 90-100 RPM
53/14


1:15:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:16:30
1 minute in biggest gear at 90-100 RPM
53/14


1:17:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:18:30
1 minute in biggest gear at 90-100 RPM
53/13


1:19:30
1 minute recovery easy gear. (90-100rpm)
53/23


1:20:30
1 minute in biggest gear at 90-100 RPM
53/13


1:21:30

Followed by a 10 minute warm down and stretch.