I would continue following the TR plans indoors/outdoors as you can and work at incorporating stuff around training.
It might also be helpful to read up on some training concepts, the TR guys touch on a lot of it during the podcast but if you want a bit more info all in one place Training and Racing with a Power Meter is a great read.
Slowly eating healthier, cooking as much of your own food as you can with lots of greens and veggies will help a ton. Dont rush the weight loss, IMO it is much better to get to eating healthy in a way that you can sustain for the rest of your life rather than immediately trying to lose weight as fast as possible.
it might be worth reading The Endurance diet, even if you dont follow what is suggested in the book there is a lot of info on eating healthier and being more mindful of what you do eat in general.
Also working on some flexibility and strength is always a good idea, being comfortable on and off the bike is a huge help, and avoiding or treating ongoing issues enables you to train more effectively without injury.
It might be worth looking into a bike fit to help with this if you are experiencing issues on the bike.
As well as the above I have found Matt Fitzgeralds How bad do you want it and Becoming a Supple Leopard to be great reading.
I’m with Torinhowe on this. Don’t rush into this, you’re playing the long game here because you have a few goals to achieve…
get fitter on the bike
lose weight
and recover from those injuries
Follow the TR plan (I did SSB 1 + 2, General build and Rolling road race last year and knocked 30mins of my Whistler time). Fuel for your indoor rides and be sensible the rest of the time.
You need to consider the body and how to strengthen it too. Flexibility, you did martial arts so you are the pro there. Start back into that lightly. Strengthen the muscles and tendons around the injuries, with variations of planks, and other exercises around the legs and arms that stick to using body weight.
The kitchen - we are our own worse enemy there (I LOVE bread)…so plan your meals but make enjoyable otherwise its a burden and get the kids involved and it becomes everyone’s habit.
This is very helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I did the Whistler Gran Fondo last year after getting my first road bike 6 months before and my only goal was to finish the event. I rested a lot at each each stops and finished it just over 6 hrs.
This year I was aiming at a better PR, around 4.5 hr - 5 hrs, which was also the main reason I started to use TR for structural training. My FTP now is at 239w. Do you think I will have chance to finish it under 4.5 hrs with this FTP if everything else works well?
I was following SSB I & II + Sustainable Build + Gran Fondo plans. Then, this COVID thing happened and the event got cancelled. I guess this just gives me more time for base training.
I can’t answer with just your FTP. Need to know your weight, weight of your bike, etc. But I can say that Best Bike Split is supposed to do those calculations for you and predict your outcome. Until to get a head or a tail wind
Other question, how much did you draft? I found a big benefit from this. Obviously not much benefit on a stead climb, but there are opportunities.
Without knowing your weight its a bit hard to be sure on times, take a look at Best Bike Split and if you can draft a lot or look at getting a skinsuit to save a bit of time
I drafted mostly on flat sections. Being as a new cyclist, I am still not too confident on my bike handling skill in an emergency situation. I often find it stressful when I am just a wheel behind another bike, or someone ride closely behind me.
Now that you have another year of training to go, I could see you achieving for 4.5 easily…with one key difference. Only one stop. Around Alice Lake. Rest stops take up a lot of time and you lose your rhythm.
I’d also incorporate more hills into the training on weekends. Cypress every weekend or biweekly is good to do (long slow grind or hammer it for a sub-hr), or a Horseshoe bay and back, or Deep Cove and back. Maybe even both of those…heck go for a triple crown with your mates.
Whistler fondo is all about biking up Taylor Way like a bear is chasing you, then suck a set of fast wheels to Squamish (do your part in the rotation), in sub 2hr, then slogging it the rest of the way to Whistler.
If you find that you are having trouble sustaining energy, cramping, then consider using this year to get your nutrition worked out and training those quads to do some heavy long work.
Pick centuries to do around Vancouver, airport, Richmond. Pick them with headwinds to grind them out. Do a couple of them back to back over a weekend! And then take the remaining week to do recovery rides.
It all adds up.
PS. if training goes well, stick a 3rd bottle in your back pocket, and don’t stop till Whistler!
You’re at a totally different level than me. Good on you.
FYI, I was getting cocky this year (as my cardio is better than previous years). I did the Triple Crown for the first time …I’m a heavier guy (227 lbs) and 49… all I can say is OUCH! Didn’t help that it was a warmer day.
