HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ‘LONG RIDE'?

BOOST AEROBIC FITNESS, BUILD STRENGTH AND IMPROVE PEDAL TECHNIQUE WITH THE WEEKLY, OFF-SEASON LENGTHY SESSION

- Ben Bright

The long ride is part of the staple diet for any triathlete serious about improving their performance, especially in the off-season when base aerobic conditioning is so important. The session that follows takes the long ride and adds another couple of dimensions to it, giving you base and muscular endurance, as well as neuromuscular and lactate threshold conditioning all in the same ride. It’s between 2.5 to 3.5hrs long, depending on how you plan it.

START SLOWLY

The session begins with a 45-60min warm-up. You should start at a very easy intensity (around 6-7 on the Borg Rate of perceived exertion or RPE scale) and gradually build up, so by the last 5-10mins or so you’re riding at a steady intensity (12-13 RPE).

Once warmed up you can begin the low cadence, or Over Gear (OG), part of the ride for between 3045mins. Holding a steady intensity (12-13 RPE) and pedalling at around 70-75rpm cadence, really work at being smooth and holding good form. The golden rule with the OG section is that you should not be rocking on your saddle. Hold yourself as stable as possible – if you’re not able to do that, increase your cadence until you can.

The OG part of the ride will work on stressing your muscular endurance so that by the time you’ve finished, your legs should feel pretty tired – a bit like you’ve been to the gym and done plenty of endurance weights. Conversely, your heart rate should remain slightly lower than normal at that intensity, so your cardiovascular system will be slightly less stressed.