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The soul crushing of IM bike training
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 2013-06-30 5:52 PM |
 6 |  Subject: The soul crushing of IM bike trainingI am training for my first IM which happens to be imlou. The long bikes are killing me! I have done two 70.3s and four full marathons as well as multiple sprints,Olympics , etc. I guess what I am wondering is does this high mileage riding get any easier? I am a 45 year old woman and I ride a road bike. I seem to be getting my nutrition on the right track, but the long slow, and I mean SLOW, rides are crushing me and making me wonder if I should really be doing this. My swimming and running are coming along, but the bike has really frustrated me. Any advice would be appreciated. I would like to do the ride in 7 hours, but now I am scared I won't make the cut off. Is anybody else out there as terrified and paranoid as me? Thanks for your help. |
| 2013-06-30 8:04 PM in reply to: Trimom68 |
New user 11 Arlington, Virginia | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm training for my first IM distance but a non-Mdot being Beach2 Battleship. The bike leg is definitely my weakest so I share your concern but I haven't hit the huge hour/mileage numbers yet. I would just share a thought from a training video that is now my life-mantra. The person was addressing open water issues and concerns. I'm lucky because I am a fairly good and comfortable swimmer but she said in a off hand way, "just swim to the next buoy" and that's it, isn't it? If we focus on the waypoint maybe that's better. Of course, that's me saying it without any attempt at a 90+ mile training ride yet but that's my mindset going forward. Don't doubt yourself, you can do it! |
| 2013-06-30 10:43 PM in reply to: Susan Kay |
643   | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training When is your IM? I am/was in the same boat as you for the swim though but I worked on that a lot this year but your issue is the bike... Do you have aero bars? If not, now would be a good time to get over that fear since it adds 1+mph easily. If you're still far away from the IM, well you'll get better at the bike. I sort of peaked speed-wise on the bike (mainly since I neglected my midweek bike interval training the past 2 weeks due to knee hurting and being sick). Are you training on HR, speed, or how you feel at the time? |
| 2013-07-01 3:45 AM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Regular 129 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Not knowing how far away your IM is it's hard to advise, I get frustrated on the bike, simply because it takes up so much of a day. Let's face it, on a run, you can get a really good work out, both aerobicly and endurance for say 1 to 2 hours. The same with the swim. 1 to 1.5 hours and your done. It's not the same for the bike. Unfortunatly there is no easy strategy, you have to get those mile in the legs. Depending on how much time you have depends on your actions. Myself, I train 99% alone and on my own I never do more than 4 to 4.5 hours on the bike in any one time. I live in Wales UK and the terain is very hilly so 4 hours is about 60 miles for me. I'll do this once or maybe twice in a week along side one or two spin classes and one or two fast 1 hour sessions on the road followed by a brick run. All across Wales there are cycle events (sportifes) Where hundreds of riders ride out together on a choice of distances 40 75 105 miles. I perhaps do three of the century rides throughout the year but these aren't so mentaly crippling because there are large groups of you and the time sort of flys by. Get some aero bars if you haven't already and take some reasurance that on race day you will probably be faster than a training day. Also, if your training on similar terain to the IM bike course you could try this, Time your self one day doing 56 miles then time your self the very next day doing another 56. Obviously it's not the same as 112 but you might get enough of an idea to help boost your confidence. good luck |
| 2013-07-01 6:05 AM in reply to: #4792027 |
| 260 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Yes , I'm terrified and frustrated just like you! I have worked incredibly hard on my bike this year for IM , knowing it was my weakness. I have seen gains in speed and fitness but they have been smaller than I would like and have taken longer to materialize than I would have expected. Right now I ride 4 times a week , one long ride ( 6 hours +)one medium ride ( 2 hours)as a brick, one interval ride and one set of hill repeats. What gave me a bit of confidence was doing a 70.3 last weekend and posting a half decent time on the bike split, while still riding comfortably, I figured if I double it and add one hour ill still make the bike cut off! Keep working at it - you still have at least 2 months of training to go- consistency is key. I can't help you with the soul crushing nature though - long solo bike rides are just that, long , lonely and painful. I'm heading out this morning and really can't stand the amount of time it is going to take out of my day. The only thing I can suggest is joining some group rides or some longer biking events. |
| 2013-07-01 7:45 AM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Expert 1118 , North Carolina | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I feel your pain! Long bikes are ALWAYS a sufferfest for me. I am 47 and training for my 3rd Iron. It CAN be done! I usually do long bike with a training partner, so I have opportunity to draft when I get tired and frustrated. Most of the time I am drafting with my lower lip hanging out in the pouting position. I agree with those above who suggested clip on aero bars for your road bike. It is more comfortable and helps in windy conditions. Having a training partner or doing some group rides may benefit you as well. Take snacks, take breaks, take photos.... whatever it takes to break up the monotony and make it more enjoyable. You CAN do it. Trust your training plan. When you cross that finish line, you will feel all the suffering was worth it (and may even want to do it again!) And I KNOW this is supposed to be fun, and some will say if you are not having fun, don't do it. But let's face it, training is NOT always fun. Sometimes the joy comes from the feeling of accomplishment after you've suffered so long to meet your goal. If it were easy, everyone would do it.
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| 2013-07-01 10:45 AM in reply to: Maria527 |
| 6 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Thank you for the replies. I will try to toughen up a little, but it is nice to know that I am not alone. I really look forward to my race so I can have some company! That will help a lot. Good luck to all. |
| 2013-07-01 11:30 AM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Member 123 Roswell | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training It's not for everyone, but an iPod was a lifesaver for me. Listening to music made the long rides less mind numbing. |
| 2013-07-01 12:54 PM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training How often are some of you riding this much at once? And how close to the races are you? I tend to get more out of riding 2,3,4 hrs and pushing the effort more and doing various types of harder rides during the week. I really don't look at just time or distance. Intensity matters a lot too. I get more out of these that has translated very well to the really long rides. And if the rides are really boring, keep looking for better routes to ride, or try to learn what you can appreciate while being out there. I try to find courses that are engaging for the bigger ones. A rather hilly one a week ago took 6 hrs to do, but with so many hills I wasn't bored for a second. Balance the difficulty with your ability and it becomes an enjoyable challenge. |
| 2013-07-01 1:02 PM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Master 2855 Kailua, Hawaii | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm also in my last month for my second IM training...and the long bikes are just as difficult as the first IM. I try to make them as fun as I can, but at some point it is just a tough ride. Hang in there and push through the rides the best you can. I think you'll find that your performance will be better in the race. I'd also try varying your cadence periodically, spin for a mile and give your legs a break, and then work back into a faster groove. Don't let the mind numbing ride cast a gloom on you. If you need a break...take it. You'll feel better getting back on and probably will work harder. |
| 2013-07-01 1:08 PM in reply to: metafizx |
Veteran 179 The Woodlands, Tx | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training They are tough but it's just the name of the game. Try not to think about the whole day ahead of, try and go hour by hour or section by section. What I did was work on my nutrition. I'd consume a gel, then start the count down for the next one... |
| 2013-07-01 1:18 PM in reply to: JAngell |
Veteran 268 Northern CT | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm another first time IM (IMMT) in 7 weeks. The long rides are tough, but I try to remind myself to make the training hard so that the race isn't. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it will be here before you know it. It's very similar to marathon training that you take it workout by workout and not get ahead of yourself. If you find you need to back off a bit then do so and come back even stronger both mentally and physically. I try to vary my routes as much as possible and I've discovered some great new roads and more importantly some great little general stores I never knew existed!! |
| 2013-07-01 6:30 PM in reply to: JAngell |
Member 67 Baton Rouge | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training They are tough but it's just the name of the game. Try not to think about the whole day ahead of, try and go hour by hour or section by section. What I did was work on my nutrition. I'd consume a gel, then start the count down for the next one... +1 this. |
| 2013-07-01 8:08 PM in reply to: Kugie |
| 1053 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I have one long ride left, and I am actually looking forward to it. For me, its the 4+ hour rides that can get long. If at all possible, I will try to plan a long ride somewhere that I usually don't go. Even if you don't go with an organized group, you can check out the "tours" in your area that the group rides will follow and use it as a training course. Usually they will have cue sheets posted online somewhere, and they will usually go through some nice areas. You can also find the best climbs in your area, and plan a route that incorporates them at intervals during your ride. Or just save routes that you know you like and don't use them until the rides get really long. You can plan out your course, much like a race, check out elevation profiles, segment it into parts, use a nutrition strategy etc... For me that makes it more fun, and makes it go faster. Riding with people can also help, but you have your own goals for the ride, and it may not be in line with theirs. |
| 2013-07-01 8:16 PM in reply to: Kugie |
Veteran 189 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I am also a female, older than you are, slow biker doing IMLou (Aug 25th) and the winds and heat of S. AZ has been demoralizing. Finally got in a good ride this weekend of 100 miles (and it was over 100 degrees when I got home). Some things that work for me. - Vary the route so I am not doing the exact same thing every week. Only have a few options, but I try to switch it up. Just looping in the opposite direction makes the hills a little different. - Pretend I am riding in horse country with green grass rather than the very dry desert where I live. Looked at some pictures of the course to help me visualize. - Imagine Mike Riley saying my name as I cross the finish line - And mostly remember why I do this - it is supposed to be fun! I also found the lemonade a Circle K was a lifesaver. I know it isn't course nutrition, but it was cold and sugary, and then the ice went in my bottles. |
| 2013-07-02 10:58 AM in reply to: weissjaz |
| 153 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm in my early 50's, and a slow cyclist. I trained throught the summer heat last year, and did most of my looong rides alone. It was definitely a struggle for me, but I knew it would be worth it to hear Mike Reilly call my name at the end. I would visulalize that on my rides! A LOT of what happens on IM day is mental, so these rides help to make you mentally tough. On race day, you'll be glad you stuck with it. BTW - hearing Mike Reilly say I was an IM was the BEST!!!!! |
| 2013-07-02 11:29 AM in reply to: Tri Fit |
Member 242 Co Louth, Ireland | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm in the same boat and feel your pain! I'm 8wks out from my first IM and just getting into the longer rides - they never seem to get easier! Very nervous about the bike - its my weakest by a bit but extra focus on it this year have brough small gains in speed but not really over the longer distance! I don't think its ever supposed to get easier!! |
| 2013-07-02 5:54 PM in reply to: grahamclarke_6 |
Expert 1360 | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Huh... I'm kind of surprised with everyone saying that they hate long rides. I loved my long training rides for both of my IMs - one the bulk of the training was done in the summer heat, the other done in a cool fall. All my long rides for both were solo. I love being out there with just me and the road. yeah, the wind can be demoralizing at times, but I usually plan to ride into the wind on the first half of my ride so that the way back is a little easier. Guess I'm a bit of an introvert. Do other people love long solo rides? I actually really miss them right now (Preggo and due in about a month). |
| 2013-07-02 6:39 PM in reply to: Daffodil |
Master 2855 Kailua, Hawaii | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Originally posted by Daffodil Huh... I'm kind of surprised with everyone saying that they hate long rides. I loved my long training rides for both of my IMs - one the bulk of the training was done in the summer heat, the other done in a cool fall. All my long rides for both were solo. I love being out there with just me and the road. yeah, the wind can be demoralizing at times, but I usually plan to ride into the wind on the first half of my ride so that the way back is a little easier. Guess I'm a bit of an introvert. Do other people love long solo rides? I actually really miss them right now (Preggo and due in about a month). I actually enjoy most of my rides. however, I do get sick of the stress from constant flow of traffic. we don't have great roads here, so it's a little harrowing to say the least with the aggro traffic. I think that's what sours the experience for me. |
| 2013-07-02 7:52 PM in reply to: Trimom68 |
Member 36 Danville | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training The long miles aren't such a problem to me, but the uphill climbing is what has me worried about making the cutoff. I did some number crunching to see how slow one can go and still come in under the bike cutoff of 10:30 after race start: So if the swim took 1:45 (which is a 2min30/100 pace) and then you had a leisurely 15 minutes in T1, two hours would be gone and it leaves 8:30 for the biking -- which seems to be just a tad over a 13mph pace. If you actually rode most of it at say 15-16 mph you'd have time to do the climbing parts much slower, and still have a few minutes for some porta-potty breaks and (hopefully not) a flat tire change. I'm hoping for a faster swim & T1 to save time for the bike, but it is comforting to know how slow you can go and still get there. Somebody tell me if my logic or calculations are all a mess. |
| 2013-07-03 8:19 AM in reply to: Kevin26.2 |
Master 1770 Bedford, MA | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training One thing that makes long rides go a bit quicker is to break them up into intervals. My coach has me doing 4-5 hr rides that are broken up into something like: 30 min warmup, 20 min @ Olympic pace, 10 min easy, 3x (7 min @ Olympic pace, 5 min easy, 10 min @ HIM pace, 5 min easy, 35 min @ IM pace, 5 min easy), easy CD. You also need to keep thinking during the ride to know which part of each interval you're doing. For me, it helps to pass the time. |
| 2013-07-03 10:25 AM in reply to: Daffodil |
Alpharetta, Georgia Bronze member | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Originally posted by Daffodil Huh... I'm kind of surprised with everyone saying that they hate long rides. I loved my long training rides for both of my IMs - one the bulk of the training was done in the summer heat, the other done in a cool fall. All my long rides for both were solo. I love being out there with just me and the road. yeah, the wind can be demoralizing at times, but I usually plan to ride into the wind on the first half of my ride so that the way back is a little easier. Guess I'm a bit of an introvert. Do other people love long solo rides? I actually really miss them right now (Preggo and due in about a month). I do up until a certain point. That point is right now in my IM training |
| 2013-07-29 4:42 PM in reply to: Trimom68 |
| Chicago, IL | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training I'm not a fan of the bike training, either. I have a really hard time staying mentally engaged/focused for anything past 4 hours. I'm also doing IMLOU, and this upcoming weekend is my final long ride. I'm determined to do the full 112 miles, regardless of how long it takes me, just to get the confidence boost of having done the distance. I'm not a fast biker, by any means, it's definitely my weakest discipline, of the 3. My goal is a 16mph average speed, but my worst-case scenario (heat and humidity) is a 14mph average speed. But I'm not too concerned about not making the bike cut-off. My biggest concern is a mechanical failure (getting a flat) which could add an unexpected delay, and push me dangerously close to the bike cut-off time. My advice, for what it's worth, with regard to making the 6.20pm bike cut-off, would be to get in line as early as possible for the swim start. I'm talking like 5am. The closer to 7am that you jump in the river, the greater chance you have of making the cut-off. Not rocket science, but outside of training, there's not much you can do to improve your chances. If you get in the river at 7am, and say you gut out a 2hr swim, that leaves you 9hr 20mins to bike 112 miles. That's 12mph, which should be a very achievable pace for pretty much any level of bike skill. At least that's my perspective. Good luck!!! |
| 2013-07-29 7:09 PM in reply to: Daffodil |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training Originally posted by Daffodil Huh... I'm kind of surprised with everyone saying that they hate long rides. I loved my long training rides for both of my IMs - one the bulk of the training was done in the summer heat, the other done in a cool fall. All my long rides for both were solo. I love being out there with just me and the road. yeah, the wind can be demoralizing at times, but I usually plan to ride into the wind on the first half of my ride so that the way back is a little easier. Guess I'm a bit of an introvert. Do other people love long solo rides? I actually really miss them right now (Preggo and due in about a month). I enjoyed my long rides and probably was one of my favorite workouts in IM training. I found that as time passed, I would get into this zen place in my head that was peaceful and I became one with my bike and it was like my mind said go and I went.....freedom in nature, one with the world...all super. Being prepared for long rides, knowing where you can get more fluids, what route to go, all the details can make preparing for the long ride more challenging. I've ridden some 20K or more miles from my house. I have a few routes with mostly right turns that have low traffic that I do over and over. Having a good safe riding location makes it easier. |
| 2013-07-29 7:10 PM in reply to: KathyG |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: The soul crushing of IM bike training One other thing, is if you think your long rides. Your state of mind does make a difference about your experience. |
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