i was recently reviewing my training regime, which mostly sucks and is without structure. I try to ride 3-4 days a week, totalling 6-8 hrs, on whatever is fun for me at the time. since i usually go hard, its a good workout. i shoot for a 4hr ride at least once a month. other than that, i typically do another 6 or so hrs a week of weights, yoga, hiking etc. etc.

good for overall fitness, but sloppy as hell for serious cycling. hey what do I know, I basically replaced practices and tournaments with rides and kept all the cross training. i also have very much avoided structure and regimen in riding because i just want to have fun; no pressure, no losers and winners, just a good day on the bike. its probably got a lot to do with why i switch rides and styles so often: road, mtb, tech, XC, climbs, social. its also a bit of a cop-out, no matter how you spell it I am not competing or forcefully holding myself up to a standard.

beckie and I were comparing what you get in with what you get out. her marathon training hrs would be comparable to my cycle hrs, or what seems to be comparable to a Cat4 racer; Beckie said pro marathoners run 15-20 hrs a week, which is much closer to the sort of hrs good teams do. Pro riders are like 25 hrs a week?

We concluded that we are near the top of the bottom of the pack in our respective sports. YES!!!  

errr…

SHIT.

woe, the training of the all-mountain rider.