XC training - 1 hr = 2 x 30min

[ukalipt]

i have been trying to put together a bit of a training program.
with all the research i have done i have worked out that one
of my days a week i need to do 1hr medium intensity.

the question i have ... can this be done in two sessions of
30min each in one day or is that just not the right approach at all?

 

[Knopey]

My understanding is that two shorter duration stints is very different to one longer duration stint.

But I'm not any sort of expert and this is more of a bump than anything...

 

[FR Drew]

It would depend a lot if you were training to ride in crit races or if you were planning on doing longer events.

2 x 30 will be great for sprints, but useless for endurance.

You can use it to get your base strength up first and then work up to the endurance later on though. A good starting point if you're time poor.

 

[BT180]

I would say you need to do 1hr all in one hit. The first 30min you’ll be getting into the swing of things before really doing your best work in the 2nd 30min.

You wouldn’t get the same benefit in 2 different 30min sessions at all.

 

[ukalipt]

it is for both really. mtb racing say 21km club racing as well as
50km to 100km races.

it isn't the only ride, i will be doing other longer endurance
distances - 80km [3hr-ish] + 40km [1.5hr-ish] per week but it
is a little hard to squeeze an 1 hour ride in the mornings.
it takes me 25min to ride to the station so i was thinking using
the two rides to make up for a 1 hour session.

thanks all.
i will treat it as 2 x 30min sessions and work them in as sprints.

 

[Lanky Love]

Just take a longer route to the station in the morning and do an hour of intervals, or just hammer it for an hour, that will get you pretty fast. But half an hour isnt worth it realy, the idea of the hour is to ride fast for long enough so that it starts to realy hurt. In half an hour, by the time youve warmed up (10-15 mins) you wont have enough time to kill yourself.

 

[akashra]

Are you training for 30 minute races? If so then yes, this is a great way to train? If your races are 1h30 on the other hand, it might not be so helpful.

Also, 30 minutes won't go very far if that doesn't factor in a warm-up/cool-down.

 

[Steve_N]

thanks all.
i will treat it as 2 x 30min sessions and work them in as sprints.

Ukalipt - if you're going to do 2x30 min. sessions, consider the Tabata Protocol. Do a Google on it, there's a stack of stuff out there. Although more interval in nature, it may be what you're looking for.

 

[Gekigengar]

But also consider the time to warm up. Warming up is very crucial to a good training program for anything.
Have 5-10 mins befor your 30 min sprint, so techically you would be riding about 40 mins.

 

[Raw Toast Man]

But also consider the time to warm up. Warming up is very crucial to a good training program for anything.
Have 5-10 mins befor your 30 min sprint, so techically you would be riding about 40 mins.

Plus a warm down. So thats 45-50 mins.

 

[Thingymabob]

Longer interval and sprint sessions are, contrary to popular belief probably not as beneficial to you as short sessions. When it comes to intervals work the majority of the benefit comes from the initial handful of efforts. Extending the session does not equal extended benefit, it will likely by of limited use and if you start to fatigue the muscle lead to decreases in performance. Quality of sessions far outweighs quantity.

Now whether 1/2 an hour is long enough, if you can warm up and down sufficiently in that time, i cant see why you cant achieve benefit depending on what your doing. If your attempting to do medium intensity work, I dont think it will be long enough. High intensity work on the other hand may be long enough. 10 minutes to warm up, 5 x 1 on/1 off intervals and 10 minutes warm down may work. I do similar on the rollers when strapped for time and dont find it has any negative effect. If your doing 2 in one day you might want to focus the first towards higher powier outputs and the second towards cadence or something with less impact. Best to consult with a trained coach.

 

[krizbike]

it is for both really. mtb racing say 21km club racing as well as
50km to 100km races.

it isn't the only ride, i will be doing other longer endurance
distances - 80km [3hr-ish] + 40km [1.5hr-ish] per week but it
is a little hard to squeeze an 1 hour ride in the mornings.

I'm hoping those times are for on-road rides, or very flat trails, or you are damn fast.
XC I usually average 18-20km/h, but for very hilly races that drops way down to 15km/h where only the pros manage to hold 20km/h.

 

[ukalipt]

ha... my wish to be traveling that fast on the MTB
i can just hold about 15km at yellomundee now-a-days
its all roadie times and very flat.

im on the google bandwith for the Tabata Protocol now. thanks for that. steve

thingymabob. you kinda nailed it.
basically a 7-8 min warm up. then 2 max sprints of 90 sec with 3 min gaps, then a rolling warm down.
thats on the way home. in the morning it is just uphill with medium intensity.
<-- this is all on a [that] fixed gear as well which helps cadence anyway.

 

[Ozchuck]

I find that short sub hour long rides are annoying to really get any results from.
my ride to the station from my house only take 10 minutes. I stretch beforehand and use it as a single sprint/time trial.
bike computers make training on the road enjoyable, as it takes away some of the pain by seeing just how much faster than last time you're going.

Oh, and the other trick I have for maximising an annoying short chance to ride is to ride at a crazy high cadence on the straights and then switch to something way too heavy for the climbs, so it gets a good workout in the muscles and cardio sides of things.