Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

Master

1484

Sedona, AZ

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

Triple post? Quadruple post???

Edited by MonkeyClaw 2012-05-08 9:42 AM

My Race Log

Not a Coach

11473

Media, PA

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

1. Up your swimming. You discount it as a contributer to slowing down on the run. But it matters more than you think. Get faster in the water and you will be faster on the land.

2. 2 and 3 hr rides are enough for a HIM. But don't just spin the pedals leisurely when you are riding. Lots of HIM (and above) intensity in the mix. Use shorter rides for even more intensity unless they are truly just easy recovery spins. You've done Jorge's program, so you should have the general idea of what it means to work on the bike.

Congrats on the improvement.

My Race Log

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

Don't know if this will help - I typically vary my rides according to how I'm feeling - on the trainer. If I get on and I find I can go harder, I do. If I'm flat out exhausted, and I need to ride, I look for a ride on trainerroad with a lower intensity, and I usually wind up being able to push a little harder than I expected. If I'm rockin' and rollin', I'll usually look for a sufferfest ride. But when I go out for my longer rides (say... over 2-3 hours), I ride to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong - I'm still working for it. But I work for it at a lower intensity that keeps me coming back for more.

My Race Log

Master

1770

Bedford, MA

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

I think it varies from person to person quite a bit. I'm aiming for around 600-700 miles this month on the bike after marathon training over the winter. I biked about 2 hours a week on the trainer over the winter, and began building up volume on the bike over the last month or so. In my first HIM I biked 2:21, but would have been faster if I hadn't crashed.

Most of my rides during the week are in the 1-1.5 hour range with a 2-3 hour long ride on the weekend. Most mid-week rides are pretty high intensity - around 85-90% power or incorporating 2-3 20' intervals at 95% power. This past weekend I did a 72 mile ride at 75% power, which is about 5% below what I'll be targeting at a HIM at the end of June.

More riding will definitely improve things. When I first began biking about four years ago I could a 15 mile loop at around 15mph, and would be done. Simply riding a lot more built up my base, then incorporating intensity and intervals is the icing on the cake.

My Race Log

168

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

Nothing in my post that hasn't already been said. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat to get to Sub-6.

I have done it several times with relatively slow runs, including most recently with a 2:28 hallf marathon that included a lot of walking. Getting my bike split to sub 2:45 has really given me a lot of leeway to have a bad swim or run or sometimes both and still getting in under 6. Two things I focused on the most are improved position on the bike and riding hard in training. I have yet to wear an aero helmet or run anything deeper than 404s, but I have significantly improved my position on the bike. With respect to training, I do consistently try to get longer rides in of 3-4 hours from about mid-March 1x per week. During these rides I will do a couple intervals at HIM effort for 30 minutes or so. I typically ride 3x per week, with the other 2 days being hard hard and more hard about 1 - 1.5 hours. Most of this is V02 interval work on the trainer. Make the trainer your friend, its hard to do quality intervals outside.

My mileage has rarely ever gotten above 300 miles/month, but a lot of it is intense. Now, I have cooked myself several times over as my stand alone half marathon has been as fast as 1:47 and my fastest off the bike is 2:10, but I also consistently race undertrained on the run relative to the swim and bike. I just hate running. I have several other friends with 3hr + bike splits but can throw down 1:45ish runs and still comfortably come in under 6. Race your strength, train your weakness. Good luck!

168

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

natethomas2000 - 2012-05-08 10:20 AM

I think it varies from person to person quite a bit. I'm aiming for around 600-700 miles this month on the bike after marathon training over the winter. I biked about 2 hours a week on the trainer over the winter, and began building up volume on the bike over the last month or so. In my first HIM I biked 2:21, but would have been faster if I hadn't crashed.

Most of my rides during the week are in the 1-1.5 hour range with a 2-3 hour long ride on the weekend. Most mid-week rides are pretty high intensity - around 85-90% power or incorporating 2-3 20' intervals at 95% power. This past weekend I did a 72 mile ride at 75% power, which is about 5% below what I'll be targeting at a HIM at the end of June.

More riding will definitely improve things. When I first began biking about four years ago I could a 15 mile loop at around 15mph, and would be done. Simply riding a lot more built up my base, then incorporating intensity and intervals is the icing on the cake.

168

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

natethomas2000 - 2012-05-08 10:20 AM

I think it varies from person to person quite a bit. I'm aiming for around 600-700 miles this month on the bike after marathon training over the winter. I biked about 2 hours a week on the trainer over the winter, and began building up volume on the bike over the last month or so. In my first HIM I biked 2:21, but would have been faster if I hadn't crashed.

Most of my rides during the week are in the 1-1.5 hour range with a 2-3 hour long ride on the weekend. Most mid-week rides are pretty high intensity - around 85-90% power or incorporating 2-3 20' intervals at 95% power. This past weekend I did a 72 mile ride at 75% power, which is about 5% below what I'll be targeting at a HIM at the end of June.

More riding will definitely improve things. When I first began biking about four years ago I could a 15 mile loop at around 15mph, and would be done. Simply riding a lot more built up my base, then incorporating intensity and intervals is the icing on the cake.

168

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

natethomas2000 - 2012-05-08 10:20 AM

I think it varies from person to person quite a bit. I'm aiming for around 600-700 miles this month on the bike after marathon training over the winter. I biked about 2 hours a week on the trainer over the winter, and began building up volume on the bike over the last month or so. In my first HIM I biked 2:21, but would have been faster if I hadn't crashed.

Most of my rides during the week are in the 1-1.5 hour range with a 2-3 hour long ride on the weekend. Most mid-week rides are pretty high intensity - around 85-90% power or incorporating 2-3 20' intervals at 95% power. This past weekend I did a 72 mile ride at 75% power, which is about 5% below what I'll be targeting at a HIM at the end of June.

More riding will definitely improve things. When I first began biking about four years ago I could a 15 mile loop at around 15mph, and would be done. Simply riding a lot more built up my base, then incorporating intensity and intervals is the icing on the cake.

Wow dude 2:21 is flying! Nicely done! I am trying to get down to 2:35 this year and pull my run down to 1:50ish, hoping I can squeeze in a sub-5 later this year, would love to pick your brain on some benchmark training numbers.

Extreme Veteran

724

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

I'm shooting for between sub-5:30 and 6 hours depending on how the race goes on my first HIM. If everything falls into place (ie nutrition, weather, mechanical and physical) I should be able to go sub-5:30. My only open HM was a 1:38:54 on a very difficult course with zero taper (1 miles swim day before and 10 mile run 2 days before). If I can put together a 1:45 run and a 40-42 min swim it will all come down to the bike. My only ride so far over 50 miles put me in below 3 hours and I really wasn't pushing myself.

My miles are probably significantly lower than most, but I try and focus on putting together good miles when ever I ride As long as I can average 19mph+ on the bike I'll be happy. Over 20 will put me in faster than my overall goal. We'll see where I am next week when I do a 50/7 brick, but I think I should be in pretty good shape.

The big thing for me is putting together a decent time on my first HIM. After that I will gauge how much more training I need to push that time down further and where my miles are best spent.

My Race Log

Master

3888

Overland Park, KS

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

JohnnyKay - 2012-05-08 9:42 AM

1. Up your swimming. You discount it as a contributer to slowing down on the run. But it matters more than you think. Get faster in the water and you will be faster on the land.

2. 2 and 3 hr rides are enough for a HIM. But don't just spin the pedals leisurely when you are riding. Lots of HIM (and above) intensity in the mix. Use shorter rides for even more intensity unless they are truly just easy recovery spins. You've done Jorge's program, so you should have the general idea of what it means to work on the bike.

Congrats on the improvement.

That's interesting about the swimming part. I feel good once on the bike even after a choppy swim. You might have something there!

My Race Log

Veteran

178

, New York

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

I did a 5:34 on my first HIM that was super windy. Looking through my logs, I didn't really get that much mileage in on the bike. I did get a century ride or two in, but I did a lot of biking on the trainer. I did at least one spinerval a week, and I feel like that really helped. My max weeks I did about 160 miles a week. I think getting in the long rides, while mixing it up with some speedwork, and getting in some longer bricks (3hr bike, 50min run) helped. You say you do trainer rides, make sure to go by HR or power when doing those, because a lot of people tend to lolligag when doing trainer rides.

My Race Log

Master

3127

Sunny Southern Cal

Subject: RE: Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps

Whatever training volumes that I might do, I find it helpful to do some rides where I'm keeping up with a faster rider(s). That seems to push my bike fitness along further than I would get just training solo.

My Race Log

Bike volume advice from sub 6 hr HIM peeps (Page 2)

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