Endurance.
Cycling is an endurance sport. Whether a long ride for you is 30 miles, 60, 100, 200 or more, your body must possess the endurance necessary to get you through the ride, race or event.
What is endurance? Essentially, endurance is your muscles ability to withstand fatigue over a certain time period. Cycling is an aerobic sport, so in order to improve performance, we must constantly train our aerobic system to utilize the oxygen we breathe to combine with fats and carbohydrates to produce the energy to turn the pedals.
“Endurance” level rides are considered Zone 2 in my 7-zone scale. You may recall that Zone 1 is the “Recovery” Zone.
Characteristics of Zone 2/Endurance rides include:
- 56-75% of threshold average power
- 69-83% of threshold average heart rate
- Level 2-3 of 10 in the Perceived exertion Scale
- Rides at this level are typically long rides at a very “conversational” pace.
- Rides at a level you could ride “all day” are endurance level rides.
- Leg fatigue is low, and typically is noticeable as the duration of the ride increases. In other words, legs tire because they’ve been turning the pedals so long, NOT because they’ve turned the pedals hard. This is a major difference.
- It takes very little concentration to maintain effort in an endurance ride.
- Breathing will be fairly regular, especially as you progress to the higher end of the endurance zone.
- Recovery from an endurance ride is generally quick, depending on the length of the ride. But typically, a rider is able to complete multiple endurance level rides back to back. In fact, building to this level should be a major goal of every cyclist.
The most significant physiologic adaptations to endurance rides include:
- Increase is slow twitch fiber size and strength.
- Improved capillary development and density (the ability to deliver more oxygen to the muscles)
- Increased mitochondria density (these are the “power house” of the cells that create energy)
- Additional benefits gained from endurance level training include:
- Increased stroke volume from your heart (more blood is pumped with each heart beat)
- Increased blood plasma volume
- Improved muscle glycogen storage
- Conversion of certain fast twitch muscle fibers to take on characteristics of slow twitch (Type IIb -> Type IIa)
- There are some minor benefits to increased lactate threshold as well.
One important point to note, however, is that building endurance takes time. Depending on your level of conditioning and training, you may experience benefits in the very short term. But long term improvement is typically measured in months, or more accurately, in YEARS. Cyclists at the top of the sport have ridden thousands of miles over many, many years and they are continually spending time building endurance even more.
So bear in mind that endurance building should be looked upon as a PROCESS, not a series of short term events.
The bottom line is that building endurance is the most important factor to be able to ride, race and compete at any cycling distance. Endurance rides are relatively easy, fun and social. So don’t feel like you must “hammer” each and every ride. Ride easy and ride long and you’ll notice improvement!
Add your comments below, and feel free to contact me with any questions you have, then GET OUT AND RIDE!
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