How many hours of training do I need?

Few days ago one of the athletes I coach asked me "how many hours" he would need to train more to perform well at his races?

I thought to share the answer with many of you who may have the same question, in order to re-think your expectations based on the "realistic" time you have for training.

I always plan the training based on the "realistic" time people have to train, if they do not race professionally, considering their working and family schedule.

As always, the number of hours/week you need to train depends on your goals:

1. For a race and/or event that lasts less than 3 hours, you need to train:

• 5-10 hours/week if you just want to finish the race
• 12-15 hours/week at least for high performance and place yourself in the race

2. For a race and/or event that lasts more than 3 hours but less than 8 hours, you need to train:

• 7-12 hours/week if you just want to finish the race
• 15-25 hours/week for high performance and place yourself in the race

Of course, it's not just about quantity, the quality of your training is even more important....

Luisa Sullivan

My favorite ride in Italy on a friend's blog

My Favorite Ride in Italy

Anyone who loves riding and finding undiscovered and unknown places on a bike knows the difference between admiring scenic landscapes and approaching small, hilltop villages by bike rather than from the window of a car. However, when I up the Dolomites passes for the first time, I felt an emotion that I never felt before. With every switchback, the road hugging the mountains, those gigantic ragged peaks looking majestic and intimidating, I felt very small, but also powerful and proud, and like I was in heaven. As I have said when describing my Dolomites tours, you feel a great sense of achievement mixed with the joy of being surrounded by such breathtaking beauty.

I know the Dolomites so well that I can be there for over a week, and never ride the same route twice. However I have my favorite loop that I would like to share with you.
Read the story on : http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/