Durability training

[pyromaniac]

Im curious how much training the good guys do. With good i mean those who can ride fast and hard for 30+ min.

How much do you train and how long can you ride at full speed?

 

[Anssi]

It takes years to build up endurance. It's always rather amusing when the mags or web sites say that "RC trained really hard for the two weeks between these nationals and it paid off." In two weeks or even two months you can mostly do damage.

I have done semi-serious endurance training (and I started from a defensive lineman's level of fitness), which means about 3-5 hours of effective training weekly (including riding, which is about 1 hour in the winter and 3 in the summer), and can ride full speed for maybe 5 minutes(I still have enough muscle to force the 450 around, and that tires you out fast), and nearly full speed for about 25. I can still make the jumps and ride at a reasonable pace for 35 minutes.

If you start endurance training, find out your heart rate thresholds and present fitness level. Endurance training is surprisingly "easy" when you are building up basic endurance.

 

[MCMAN56]

Can you elaborate on easy? What percentage of maximum heart rate do you suggest training at for endurance?

 

[Anssi]

Originally posted by MCMAN56
Can you elaborate on easy? What percentage of maximum heart rate do you suggest training at for endurance?

I would suggest taking into account both MHR and resting HR and calculating the percentages from that. For example, my RHR and MHR are unusually low for an averagely fit 28-year old at 40 and 180 bpm (big guy (6'4", 200 lbs.), big heart). That gives a range of 140 bpm.

From the lactic acid maximal endurance test I went through, I know that I start accumulating lactic acid already at about 115 to 125 bpm which is also pretty low (fast-twitch kinda guy). That would be 75 to 85 bpm or 54% to 60% into my working range (or 64% to 70% of my MHR) and for basic endurance I will stay below that.

That means very easy jogging (even walking up steep hills) or riding my bike at a pace that I could maintain for a day (and do maintain for one to two hours). If that gets boring I might throw in some intervals, say something like 3 minutes at 140-150 bpm and the 5-10 minutes at 100-110 bpm, making sure I get that lactic acid processed.

 

[CaptainObvious]

While Anssi's formulas are correct, there is an easyer calculation:

220 less your age = max sustained heart rate

For endurance training you will want to get your heart rate up to 80% max and maintain that rate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Example: 20 year old male... 220-20=200x.80=160 If you can maintain 160 bpm you should be in good physical condition.

That formula doesn't work well for someone in very good or very poor condition. Some one in very good condition should shoot for 100% performance (using that simple formula) and someone in very poor condition should shoot for 60%.

 

[MCMAN56]

Anssi-------Your training is pretty low in regards to your maximum heart rate. Does it help performance when riding? (What type of riding do you do?) I'm also interested in your statement about lower range training for "fast twitch" guys. Can you elaborate? I'm not big but have (many moons ago) competed in weightlifting and have some tallent in that direction. However, stamina is definitely a challenge for me.

thanks

 

[23jayhawk]

If you're serious about improving your conditioning through a running training program, you can't do much better than THIS BOOK.

Daniels is not light reading by any means, but he gives you the basis for understanding just what you are trying to accomplish with each workout.

Personally, I've developed a program that is kind of a 10k/half-marathon hybrid to simulate what I need for riding endurance. I suppose if you were into MX then something like a mile or 3k program would be better suited.

 

[Anssi]

Originally posted by 23jayhawk
I suppose if you were into MX then something like a mile or 3k program would be better suited.

Yes, if you ride wimpy 10-15 minute motos. 30min + 2 laps is getting close to 10k running.

 

[Anssi]

Originally posted by MCMAN56
Anssi-------Your training is pretty low in regards to your maximum heart rate. Does it help performance when riding? (What type of riding do you do?) I'm also interested in your statement about lower range training for "fast twitch" guys. Can you elaborate?

I ride MX exclusively. When racing, my heart race goes up to about 165 bpm in the first few laps if I ride hard and stays there for the whole moto. That's definitely anaerobic and leads to bad performance degradation later on in the races. So by doing the low intensity exercises I'm trying to elevate my aerobic performance so that I wouldn't be so out of breath when racing.

I have noticed a definite improvement in riding performance, but that is when combining the fitness training with the fact that I'm still learning to ride (better technique leads to less fatigue) and the fact that I switched from riding whole motos (in training) to taking short spurts and concentrating on technique.

The biggest noticeablr improvement has been in recovering from riding.