Stuart from Perth asks:I have only a limited amount to train, but it varies from week to week. At best, I have about 10 hours/week to train which equates to approx. 300km. But this usually turns out to be 250km due to Uni demands and so on. Sometimes I have the chance to loads more, and sometimes I can't do any training for a week or so.My main goals are: 1. Get fitter than before 2. Ride competitively in State B-Grade - maybe a win or two 3. Ride Shorter A grade races-mainly for experience I am 20 years old and I haven't got the strength that comes with age yet. My main problem with getting up early, is that I go to bed too late due to my studies. Though I am probably a little bit lazy as well. The Coach responds:At your age with B grade aspirations for the time being, presumably due to the priority you are placing on your university studies, you don't need to do the same kms per week as a full-time A grade bike racer.10 hours per week is not very difficult to fit in if you get organised. After all if you think of it as 6 days a week riding and one day a week off, then it is about 1.6 hours per day. If you have more time on the weekend, say to do two 2.5 hour rides, then you really have a very small commitment to manage during the week. So the pattern might look like this: Sunday: Steady with High Quality intervals - 2.5 hours Monday: Rest - recovery, get up early and do assignments and tutorials Tuesday: 1.5 hours high quality riding Wednesday: 1 hour steady (75 per cent) Thursday: 1.5 hours hard Friday: 1 hour steady (75 per cent) Saturday: Racing 2.5 hours Equals: 10 hours and around 350 kms depending on how hard you race. Everyone faces a finite supply of time. One of the claims on time is disorganisation, another is lack of motivation, and another is laziness. They are all connected obviously. If you find it hard to ride in the afternoon, then you have to find a set time in the morning. With the type of claims implied by the above pattern, you could easily set out at 6.30 am each morning. Perth mornings are not that bad!!! The real problem might actually be lack of motivation. You have to want to ride before you actually try to systematise your training. You get back what you put in. The important point is that you have to set priorities and put aside specific times for all your desired activities. So draw up a timetable for the next month. You know what assignments are due each semester and when they are due. You know what tutorial work you have to do and when. You know when the races are that you want to target. So then fit you training in to a schedule where all that is accomplished. On the easy riding days, do heaps of uni. work. On the nights you have to work on the computers late, follow them with an easier ride (like the 75 per cent efforts). On the two days I have specified you work very hard, don't do any night time computing. Merely write things up or do other study preparation. But plan it all out in advance and stick to the plan. Its the old fashioned word - discipline. Plan and stick to it. |