Making the Most of Time: The Bike Commute (Part 2)

As I have already stated, I have started using my commute to work as active training time. For now, most of this is on the bike. That’s because I’m not very good on a bike. Last time I blogged about my easier structured sessions on the way into work. This time I will cover the harder part of my regular commute.

Travelling from work

On the way home, the need to stay fresh has passed – so I can give these sessions the extra that will push me on. Unless I am actively recovering these will always leave me feeling I have put in some work. (Even at these short distances). There are times where I will just have an easy ride if I need a level of active recovery, but most of the time I try to get some quality work done.

For me I have a 5-mile (or more) stretch up a slight but continuous hill. My most common sessions are: -

• Saw Tooth Intervals – I pick an upper HR% and a lower HR% and aim to move back and forth between the 2. For example 82% and 65%. I push myself until my HR is at 82% then ease off until it drops back to 65%. Then start to push again. 
• Heart Rate Time Trial – I will aim to ride home at between 80 and 85% MHR recording the time, to monitor improvement. (This is a bit of a LT training session for me.)
• Standard Short Intervals – These are simple 1min hard, 1 min active recovery. The 1min hard is hard but not a maximum effort. 
• High Intensity Intervals – Done as 20sec hard followed by 40sec recover. This time the hard is at my maximum effort
• Big Gear – A simple one, where I ride the majority of the ride in a much bigger gear than I am use to.
• Standing – I ride home out of the saddle, thus recruiting slightly different muscles than I normally use.
• The Long Hill Ride – once per week I will use my road bike rather than my MTB and take a longer route home (25-35mile). The aim of this is to get some quality hill climbing in. I try to hit categorised hills and aim to average well over 100ft of climbing per mile travelled.

Will

Making the Most of Time: The Bike Commute (Part 1)

For the majority of us training for Ironman, Triathlon, or any other endurance sport, the key is quite often capitalising on the time that we have available to us. Too often, I hear the excuse: “I haven’t got time to exercise.” We all have the same amount of hours in the day. It is up to us on how we choose to use them.

One way to make more time available is to make use of your commute. I know this is not available to everyone. Some people have mad 50-mile commutes. However, I do know of people that will drive part the way then use the rest of the journey as training time. (There is always a way if you want it.)

For me I am lucky. Where I live has a Sustrans cycle way running through past my house. The same cycle way, further down the line, runs past the business park where I work. Perfect!!!

I no longer drive to work, I run or ride. Bonus training time that does not eat into family time. Result.

For me the journey, depending on my choices, is only about 6-10 miles on the bike. Not a huge distance but it is a distance that I can make work for me. Especially using a heavier fat tiered MTB.

Travelling to work

Obviously going to work, I do not want to arrive there a dripping mess of mud and sweat.  However, I still want the rides to have a purpose (All training sessions should have a purpose). For me my rides into work, none of them hard – but all with a purpose, fit into one of these: -

• Recovery – Easy spin to loosen up the legs from the rigours of the previous day’s hard work. This will leave me feeling fresh and ready to go
• Drills – Could be 1-legged drills or focus on individual segments of the revolution. Alternatively, even a combination of the two. Great skills sessions.
• Constant Cadence – fixing a cadence and completing the whole ride maintain that cadence. Help me learn the feel of various spin speeds.

Next time I’ll look at the harder sessions, on my commute back home.

Will