Do LSD* to go Faster

Don’t run out to a doctor and get drugs just yet…. (Or ever for that matter) This LSD* is Long SLOW Distance.

When I started out to write an article regarding going slow, I thought it would be the easiest to write, compared to my previous articles. Nope. Wrong! It was extremely difficult to describe what these LSD rides do for you. The short answer is these LSD rides are designed to build you up, not tear you down. You should be fresh at the end, not so tired you have to sleep. This will help you race faster and do your intervals harder.

Spring is usually when everybody thinks about going slow (but doesn’t) and getting in the distance rides to build up your endurance, get rid of excess winter fat, and prepare for the long race season ahead. This is true. You are also usually tired and fatigued after these rides in the spring. This is the primary difference regarding how you should feel after this LSD ride.

Spring = tired after the ride. This LSD ride during the racing season = refreshed after the ride.

When you are in your racing season there are other reasons for doing long rides. The most obvious one is that you like riding your bike! The other important reasons are other weight management, recovery and race endurance preparation. The level and intensity of your racing schedule will help you decide how long and how often you need to do these LSD rides.

Provincial and National level track sprint cyclists need to do one LSD ride of three plus hours a week during the racing season. Endurance specialists need a five plus hour ride per week. Road athletes can determine how long by their race requirement. If your goal event is expected to be 2 hours long, you will need to be able to do a 3 hour LSD ride. If you are expecting your longest race to be 4 ½ hours you need to be doing your LSD for 6 hours.

For all you athletes that go by “feel” you can stop reading now (i.e.: no speedo, no Heart rate monitor or power meter). You’re done. The other people who are done, are the ones that spend all their money getting tested, but haven’t spent a few dollars more for the speedo/heart rate monitor/power meter. You wasted your money on the testing. You really need a coach, not a testing facility.

The rest of the club athletes and the serious athletes that want to improve and stay away from injury and overtraining, keep reading. Here comes the short version.

Your LSD ride starts with breakfast. Eat a breakfast that is at least 50% more food than you normally eat at breakfast. Eat at least two hours before the ride starts. In your planning for this ride, you should also include 200 calories per hour of food. You can expect to be burning 400-600 calories per hour. You can either carry this on your bike in hard foods, or in liquid or gel form. The alternate choice is a route with a store or two, so you can stop and buy more water and food along the way. This is important, as you should be drinking a water bottle per hour or more if you sweat a lot. Most of the guys I know hate carrying two or three water bottles in their pockets, on top of the two they have mounted on the bike. This ride takes a lot of “drinking and driving”.

You should need one of Phil Leggett’s “Nature Break” in the first 1-2 hours. If you don’t, you didn’t pre-hydrate enough and you haven’t been drinking enough during the ride so far. You should expect to take a “Nature break” every two hours!

Remember, the concept behind this ride, at this time of year, is to build you up, not tear you down. Always use this concept as your answer to your questions. IE: I’m tired today, should I go for a four hour ride anyway? Yes, if you think you’ll be fresher AFTER the ride. HHHmmmmm, what about a one hour ride then? This is also the primary consideration when you finish your LSD ride. Did you feel great? Did you go hard enough? Or wasted? You are supposed to feel great. This isn’t a race. If you feel wasted, you did it too long, too hard, didn’t eat enough, and or didn’t drink enough.

What should the pace of this LSD ride be?

This depends upon the tools you have at hand. The simplest tool is a speedometer, with NO cadence. This is a poor way of doing things, but better than nothing at all. My much more detailed, and accurate version of this article includes using cadence, heart rate, power and calorie expenditures as a method of figuring how long and hard your LSD ride should be. You should call me or e-mail about this when you decide you’re interested in going faster.

Now slather on the sunscreen, before you “turn a pedal in leisure”.

Start with a tailwind and finish your ride with a tailwind. The following will give you an approximation of the speed you would probably find acceptable.

Time trial speed 45 kph = 20:00/ 15 Km = LSD pace = 28-32 kph.

Time trial speed 40kph = 22:30/15 Km = LSD pace = 25-27 kph.

Time trial speed 35kph = 25:43/15 Km = LSD pace = 22-24 kph.

These are general speeds. If it is hot or windy, speeds will be lower. Group (4 plus riders) speeds can be 3 kph faster. If you are a PRO CYCLIST with a very high tested Active Recovery zone, you can go 33 kph by yourself. Remember to do 20-30% of this ride on the drop position of your handlebars. This will help you make more speed for longer and maintain this position during the race.

Other than going this easy for hours, what should you be doing in this ride, other than looking at the scenery? You should do accelerations of 10-20 seconds, every 30 minutes or so .These will help you assess how you doing. If your legs feel like logs, you have a problem. It’s time to turn for home and go home 3-5 kph slower than you have been going up to this acceleration. If they feel fresh each time you’re doing all of it right. If your legs get progressively heavy through the ride, you are going too hard between each acceleration, and probably not eating/drinking enough! (When was your last Nature break?) This means slow down and eat/drink more.

When you get home after this ride you need to eat/drink 200-500 calories. Do this BEFORE your shower.

After the first recovery meal, you should go through a series of Range of Motion (R.O.M.) stretches. You may have tightened up a little during this long ride, or you have been getting tighter in the days before this ride. This stretching will promote your recovery. Have fun!