Working Group Rides into Cyclist OS + Racing CX
Hello Team EN! I’m baaaacccck! I’m going to be joining the cycling only NOS and was wondering if/how group rides on the weekends can be worked into the plan. After years of cycling only, group rides have become a staple of my life, not just as training but fun. Obviously my goal in doing the OS is to regain lost fitness from knee surgeries last year but wondering how much I can alter the plan to fit my lifestyle, vs the other way around. I pretty much Ride year-round so. 4 hr group ride in January is quite possible... But maybe that’s not an advisable type of riding in the OS vs what is prescribed for the weekend.
And, it’s cyclocross season! I’m generally “racing” at least once a week so wondering how that all fits in. Does the intensity of a CX race replace the longer Saturday or Sunday ride? (I’m honestly not all that concerned with results as 3rd to last vs 4th to last doesn’t matter much....)
Comments
I'm interested in the answer to this as well. I'd like to do some of my OS riding with some local groups.
@Kim DuBord Great to see you back! With regards to your question above, I think that if you look at the OS bike workouts, most of the interval work is done in the Tuesday and Thursday workouts. The hard work is done those days and the weekend is for the longer endurance rides. It would seem to me that as long as you do the workouts during the week, then your group rides on the weekends would work in pretty nicely.
@matt limbert @Coach Patrick any feedback?
I think that cyclocross is like an interval workout, so maybe taking out one of them and replacing it with something else might be something to consider, but I am not a coach.
@Kim DuBord Your CX rides can certainly replace one of the weekend workouts - especially if you are really pushing. Plus, they are just plain fun and CX only comes around once a year! Like @Ralph Moore commented - a bulk of the interval work is done during the week so a group ride could replace the ABP or Cruise and Crush ride. The intent of those rides is to build the endurance and your ability to sustain a steady pace for longer and longer, making you more efficient and stronger for solo work. So replacing the the ABP rides with a group ride depends on the personality of the ride. A group ride with lots of chatting and coffee is not the same. A group ride with lots of town line sprints and sitting in the group - is also not the same. A group ride could also be a lot like the Cruise and Crush ride. Where you are still working on the cruise part and then working really hard on the crush part for sprints and climbs.
The group rides are fun and add variety to your training. As a cyclist it is important to develop and maintain the skills of riding in groups. You can and should add them to your training - just keep in mind the "personality" of the ride and ensure you are still getting some of that steady work in and don't neglect that part of your training that helps build the physical and mental strength of riding continuously steady on your own. An option could to be to talk 1 or 2 friends into a "smaller" group ride where you all agree to the personality of the ride and share the work. It could be a the best of both rides - solid, consistent work and bring a few friends along.
@Kim DuBord so great to have you back, love your energy inside the Team. Here are just some quick video thoughts for you. I generally do this when people submit tHeir Races to me, but since your season is so open that's not really feasible. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to connect with you come out so here we go…