Commuting?

Training
1

Hello,

I’m wondering how commuting adds up to my weekly training load and wether I should take it into account when setting a training plan up. I usually commute 4 times/wk for 2x30mn @50%FTP with bits @FTP and I don’t know if these rides should come on top of or replace some of my general purpose training plan sessions.

Return on exp much appreciated!
P

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2

Sounds like your commute is like a recovery ride with a hill somewhere. My wife has a similar commute. You’re obviously acclimated to the commute. If you don’t feel like doing the active recovery rides on commuting days, you could probably skip those with no harm. Otherwise, I’d just follow the plan.

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3

Depends also on how fit you are and what you’re training for. When I was fit and training for a 200km hilly race, I was doing the Mountainous GF plan and using the morning commute after trainer sessions as extra volume plus cooldown and the commute home as a recovery ride.

Currently I am unfit and not commuting at all. :flushed:

4

I love my commutes on the bike, during outdoor season. I typically use Suf/Systm during indoor season only. That said, when I’m commuting (35-40 minutes each way) I’d do one or more of the following:

  1. Recovery ride
  2. Time Trial as fast as I can sustain
  3. Interval training
  4. Extend the commute a bit longer either to or from work as time allows.

Which one(s) I choose depends on how fatigued I am.

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5

Nice, that’s ace you can use your commute that way. Mine is 20-35km one way and is usually a dice with death. Intervals go out the window but I guess the way I ride is pretty surgey

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6

9 mile commute with bike lanes and 6.6 miles on a dedicated paved bike path along the Chicago lakefront. That path is a total of 18 miles long so I can easily extend my ride as needed. Early in the morning it is mostly empty so I can safely go any speed I can sustain.

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7

Thanks a lot for the input. Indeed, my commute is a long descent then some flat then a 8min climb. And the same on my way back… Unfortunately, most of it is done in heavy traffic so time trialing it is not an option… I guess I’ll keep on playing it by ear and not really consider it has any effect on «real » training…

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8

So it’s literally uphill both ways. That’s perfect! Something to tell the grandkids when the time comes.

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9

That’s a Sufferlandrian commute if ever I saw one. M.C. Escher would be proud too.

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