Group rides-Any lessons learned?

Training
1

I know this is talked about alot in the podcasts but how do people(beginners?) fit in their group rides on low volume plans.

I’m on low volume (climbing road race) and i get great gains most months on 3to 6hrs per week. Ftp increases about 1 or 2% usually, so i know i should just stick with the plan… but I train to keep up with group rides, so I find it hard to drop them out of my plan!! I love them and it’s one of my main reasons to train.

So how do you guys manage it. I do tues, friday, sunday (3.5hrs) but find i have to drop 2 intensity days due to the group ride. Is it worth it or should i just skip these rides or reduce to 1 or 2 per month. Should I drop it in during rest week? It’s a big day out circa 250tss. Any lessons learned ? I dont want to drop it!!

2

If group rides are the reason you ride, you love them, and you don’t want to drop them, then ride on! You’re not training to win the TDF.

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3

Hey there,

I definitely think you should keep doing the group rides! That’s a great motivator for your training and it’s also a big reason many of us get into training more seriously to begin with.

Is the group ride your Sunday ride? I’m assuming it’s on the weekend when you might have more time to get out for a ride like that.

If so, you could keep your interval sessions for your weekday workouts, then keep the weekend open for the group ride.

It could also be worth checking out Masters Plans, which would decrease your intensity a bit. Instead of 3 hard days per week, you’d only have 2 plus a lower-intensity ride.

I do think it would be a good idea, though, to not do those big rides during your recovery weeks. Skip them for those and focus on taking it easy instead. I think you’ll find that doing so helps keep the rest of your plan more on track.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas – feel free to let us know if you have any more questions!

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4

Fittest I ever was was doing 3 challenging group rides/wk, ~150 miles/wk between the rides themselves and riding back/forth from home to the rides. Those were great times.

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5

For me, a hard group ride just takes the place of one of my intense days (I ride ~15hrs per week with 2 intense days). And I (or my coach) try to be smart about the type of intensity that it’s replacing. So if my group ride is really punchy, VO2, anaerobic efforts then my other hard day of the week will likely be a more FTP type workout.

But on the low volume plan (I’m pretty sure they have 3 hard days), if I were to add in a ride that (1) is hard and (2) is nearly equivalent to my average weekly volume (time) then I’d definitely remove two of the hard scheduled workouts. Make one of them an endurance ride and have the other try to complement the group ride.

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6

A few lessons learned from group rides:
(In case there is any confusion, this is meant as parady)

  • Never ride single-file. Be sure to take up the whole road and ignore all pissed off drivers behind you.
  • Take your turn at the front or take insults… It’s your choice.
  • Got dropped on a no-drop ride? It’s your fault for being slow.
  • Never wave or say hello to anyone lesser than you… which is everyone!
  • If you aren’t in a kit, you suck.
  • If you are faster than me you are doping.
  • Don’t stop at stop signs. Those are for cars.
  • You don’t need training, just smash the group ride!

Missing anything? :rofl:

7

Same…my fitness high peak is always once I get back outside and resume riding with the regular crew. Tues / Thurs early AM smashfests, long group ride on Saturday and med distance Sunday group ride (mostly sitting in).

Nothing builds fitness faster than hanging on by your toenails to a group drilling it…

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8

This is the correct answer

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