by Matthew Ives » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:41 pm
[quote]Mr Ives is the guys to ask, his first race he finished 5th
LOL...thanks for that, Sean
I would echo what Sylv has said, even though I didn't follow that advice myself. I seemed to be constantly on the back sprinting like an imbecile just to get back on.
Having said that, even at the front, there is still quite a bit of sprinting required., so I would between now and May, or whenever it is that the Palace season starts, concentrate on three things:
1. Get out with the training group as often as you can stomach it. You can't really push yourself as hard as you can with other riders, especially (and I don't mean to offend you here) if you're riding with some guys who are slightly better than you.
2. Do at least one V02 max session a week. This will enable you to react to changes in pace and recover enough to go again. Very necassary at The Palace.
3. Do a 2x20min threshold session each week if you can aswell. You need the basic horsepower to stay with the group and not go into the red.
By May, you'll be in good shape to stay with the bunch and as others have said, it's no shame to be dropped there since it often takes guys a good few races to find their feet .
Good luck , dude