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How to retrain?

 
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billygoat
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Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 119

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:36 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: How to retrain? Reply with quote

I have taken an 8 month break from anything cycling with my first ride yesterday. I have been swimming, running, and other calisthenics during this time so my fitness is still more than couch potato but not like it used to be.

My question is how slowly do I need to ramp up my training to get back to race form? My ride on sunday was a good low effort spin on the flats with the MTB for 35min. How long should I wait to ride trails again? or pushing like I used to?

I just dont want to get to heavy handed too quickly with the training and get injury prone....

Thank you so much for the help.

Eric
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The Bike Doc
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Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 1398
Location: Corpus Christi and Warda, Texas

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:42 pm GMT +0000    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eric:

Get back on the trails today. No need to shy away. Just go easy and realize that climbs and technical sections that required some muscle and finesse that you cleared before, may not be allow you a dab free ride for awhile. Build up gradually over the next 3-4 months using the 10% rule: do not increase your intensity or distance more than 10% a week above of what you can comfortably tolerate now. Same training principles apply that you likely used before. Break up intense days of hard sprinting and climbing with easy spinning days then do a distance/endurance day where you ride at a relatively steady pace but work on gradually increasing your distance. Mix road riding with your trail riding using the road riding for your distance/endurance days as well as your easy spinning days and your trail riding for your sprinting and climbing days. Like the Good Book says, “And on the 7th day He rested.” Be sure to have rest day built into your weekly training. Use the Fall Cup as part of your training. A race day counts as a sprinting/climbing training day. Take a rest day after the race day. Be content to finish in the mid to back of the pack during your first several weeks of racing this fall. Focus on having a good time with your friends who will encourage you on in your cycling recovery. Come spring championship series, you should be coming back into or maybe even better than your old form.

Enjoy the ride!
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Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc
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