Endurance is an athlete's ability to exert himself for a long period of time. This exercise can be either aerobic or anaerobic. To cycle a century, which is 100 miles in one day, or any multi-day cycling tour or race you must develop endurance. Many cyclists refer to building this cardiovascular endurance as "base building." This is what many cyclists do in the early spring to build endurance and prepare their bodies for the greater intensity that follows the base building period. For cyclists endurance can be built solely on the bike.
Step 1
Ride hard instead of long. While professional racers have the time to dedicate to training every day for hours on end, most of us are pressed to find a long stretch of time to ride. Some coaches believe that the only way to develop a strong base is to ride many hours worth of slow miles. This is a way to allow your body to adapt to longer biking efforts. But for those with less time, riding a shorter duration at a higher intensity can have the same effect.
Step 2
Perform intervals that stress your body, making your aerobic system stronger and able to go for a longer duration. Include this interval in your workout. After warming up perform 15 seconds of fast pedaling. Use a computer with cadence and try to move the pedals more than 100 rpm, but not to the point where your hips are rocking. Rest for five minutes after the 15 seconds, and perform five sets over the course of the hour. During a ride later in the week, ride for another hour and perform an interval in a difficult gear, one that you can only push for 50 to 70 rpm. Perform three, 10-minute sets, resting for five minutes in between each interval.
Step 3
Ride long once a week. If you're training for a century or another long ride, it's important to gauge the time you expect to be on the bike and to try to train on the bike for at least 80 percent of the time. This way your body will adjust to pedaling and sitting on the bike for that length of time. When training for a century, begin at least eight weeks in advance. Ramp up the distance or time of your long ride each week by 10 percent. This gives your muscles and joints time to adjust to riding and you will slowly build endurance.
Step 4
Speed up your ride. Endurance isn't just built on long, slow miles. When you ride just below your lactate threshold, which is 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, you work on raising your threshold, which allows your body to do more work before it is overtaken by lactic acid and raises your aerobic capacity. Wear a heart rate monitor and perform three sets of 10-minute long steady-state intervals at lactate threshold, with five minutes of rest in between. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, ride at an intensity that feels like a perceived exertion of eight out of 10.
Step 5
Rest, especially after your longer efforts. When you rest you allow the body to grow stronger, and you reap the benefits of all your hard efforts. This is why time off the bike is just as important as the time spent riding. Allow your body to recover by getting at least seven hours of sleep each night, eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrates and protein and try to keep stress levels down, as stress can hinder your recovery rate.
Member Comments