in Beginners, Newbies, Noobz, etc (Moderators: imwjl, TheMayor1)

Hello. I caught the mountain bike bug this year during a family vacation and like to start training for the 2013 WORS season. I've been scouring the web trying to get a handle on how I should be training, however the information is pretty daunting to me. For example, would getting tested for VO2max as a newcomer be of much use? How do I know if I'm training in the upper L3 range? I don't really have the means to hire a trainer as I'm saving for a race-ready bike for the spring. I have an old cannondale road bike I have been commuting to work (4.8 miles each way) and riding around town during the week. Also, I have an entry level trek 3700 mountain bike I have been hitting camrock, blue mounds, and local trails on during the weekend. I have been riding as often as possible, and have seen a lot of gains in the past couple of months. However, I don't want to over do it and train as efficiently as I can. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. 

Ride bikes a lot as fast as you can :P. Thats my training philosophy. I doubt a newbee needs all that fancy stuff, I've never even heard of it. Others might have different opinions though. Which class will you be racing in?

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I will be 42 next year. The problem is I have had a pretty sedentary lifestyle for the past 15 years. When I was younger, I was a nationally ranked BMX racer and ran cross country and 10k races for a number of years into my mid-20's. Family life and work took a front seat after that. I am fairly competitive and want to "do my best" because life is short. I'm afraid if I bike as much as I can, I won't be giving myself enough recovery time and at a certain point, be doing more harm than good. Does this make sense, or am I missing something?

I am far from an expert, so take this with a grain of salt.

If you train less than 8 hrs a week, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just try to vary your rides in intensity and duration. Try not to get bored, as burning out will be the worst thing for your training. In the off season your workouts will tend to be longer duration, lower intensity. As your target season approaches, transition to shorter, more intense workouts (intervals). Make exceptions, ride with friends, listen to your body. Stretch often (after riding, I wouldn't bother stretching before), and eat well (eat enough!).

If you start training 8-12 hrs a week, just make sure you have 1-2 "recovery rides" (~1hr very low intensity/no intensity) per week mixed in with your training. Do more stretching, massage, etc.

If you start training more than 12 hrs a week, you need to spend some time reading a good book (e.g. The Cyclist's Training Bible) or working with a coach.

Most of all remember to appreciate the feeling every time you get on the bike - it's why we ride!

I appreciate the quick feedback guys. Currently, I'm right about the 8 hours per week mark. I can't handle anything more. My legs get pretty sore. So I back off a bit. Does it sound about right to just do as much as I can handle up to the 12 hour mark? Basically listening to what my legs are telling me. After that, setting a more focused training schedule based onwhat I learn from The Cyclist's Training Bible?

BTW, I have no idea how I forgot about how much l love to ride. Maybe it was the time I hit my head on the pavement...