Splitting the long bike

Why not ride as long as you can both AM and PM?

why not ask me questions that i have already asked myself?  anyone have an opinion on the usefullness of splitting the bike long bike? is it pointless as i use my long rides as endurance type work?

Do what you want to do. Have a nice day.

To answer your question: There is evidence showing that a split workout is almost as effective as a single long one. 

i.e. 30 + 30 = almost same as 60.

So its worth it,
Enjoy your rides. 

Thanks!

Yeah, that's totally wrong but have fun with it!

Both a 60 minute workout and a 30+30 minute work out are effective, although for different things. If you cannot complete the long workout then the next best option is a 30+30...clearly...as the only other option is no work out...

I would simply suggest riding as often as you can, as long as you can, and as hard as you can while not affecting your other planned workouts.

nope.  i would actually like some opinions.  I think it would not be the same but have no evidence.  Although I am more of a lurker here I tend to see a lot of people chime in with obvious type stuff like "why not move your work out?"...because I can't.  I guess my sarcasm wasn't taken well.

@bryancd.....any input would be appreciated. 

 

 

Edited by tallvinny 2011-08-25 3:03 PM

I said ALMOST. I didn't say just as good. Sheesh. If I recall it was either an article in Triathlete or Runners World. If anyone really cares I can try an find it. But I don't know how GOOD the research is. 

Our bodies respond to a few simple form of stimulus. Intensity and time. The physiological response of a 60min training effort is different then a 120min training session. Splitting your long ride is fine but it is in no way still the same thing as the long ride to were intending to do. You remove the extra duration, go through a period of recovery, and then train again. Totally different forms of stimulus and response. If you have no choice then at least you are getting volume by doing it, but it's not the same.

One thing you would be missing is the feeling of sitting on your bike for that distance.  I felt I learned this lesson while training for my half iron distance race last summer.  I would do all of my long rides in one time, but I would stop one or more times for a break.  Getting off the bike, even for 10 minutes, proved to be detrimental on race day.  I was DYING after a few hours and ultimately talked myself into a potty break so I could stretch a little.  In hindsight, I wished I had done a few rides where I stuck it out for the duration.

Another example with split workouts: Ragnar.    In this race, you run 3 seperate times, usually about 10 hours apart.   I can generate a running pace for each run that is much faster than what I would do if I ran the distance at one time.   This tells me that the benefits of the long run are not realized when the run is split up with recovery in-between.

However, doing two rides is never a bad thing.  If it's not a habit, you won't have wasted your time.    I would then likely try to fit in a little bit more for each of the two rides (instead of 30+30=60, maybe 45+45=60). 

That's my unprofessional opinion.

Either long ride another day or do two rides.  If this is your only long ride then delay it, if it is one in 20 long rides then do two rides and move on.