More GranFondo Training Tips- Speed

Our second training tip comes again courtesy of Velonews. Enjoy!
 
Excepts from...
Training for Gran Fondo's, Part 2: Speed
by Velonews.com
Published  --> Mar. 26, 2010
Updated  Jul. 23, 2010 at 1:23 PM EDT -->

"When we talk about “speed work” in the context of this article we don’t necessarily mean racing. What we mean is keeping the pace of whichever group you find yourself riding in, be it two or 20 riders. This has many benefits for riders of long tours; sticking with a group and drafting helps to save energy and promote recovery.

Riding with a “quicker” group could save you energy in the long run, so safely practicing speed in groups could be an option.

When pedaling, think about spinning in circles. Be aware of picking up your power stroke as early as possible over the top of the pedaling cycle. Similarly, at the bottom of the cycle, think of scraping mud off a shoe to help get through the so-called dead-spot.

Don’t avoid speed work, even if you’re not a “racer” per se, and try to avoid gear mashing.

Pushing a big gear fatigues the leg muscles more quickly than spinning (in a smaller gear)."

Hope this helps. Check out the rest of the article here.