The Limitless Ride – realizing one’s fitness, is the final ride of the four REAL Rides. Limitless Rides are a cyclist’s target, the reason a cyclist rides. They are not training rides. Not surprisingly, they are depicted by a red circle in the center of the REAL Rides diagram.
Limitless rides have no limits to effort {intensity}, duration {time} or both. Limitless rides are where one’s adaptations to training are realized. More importantly, where the limits of a cyclist’s fitness are reached. Limitless Rides give a picture of a cyclist’s current fitness level.
They are essentially every other type of ride outside of normal training:
- group rides (the one’s that are like racing)
- testing (vo2Max, FTP, Hour Test, etc)
- racing
- an epic day out
- a ride where you do whatever you feel like (smash every hill, sprint every traffic light, chase cars, go for KOM’s or PB’s)
These rides are all challenging by either intensity, duration, or both. And they all pose significant stress on the physiology of the cyclist. Given this, Limitless Rides should only be performed when they have been planned in advance.
In base or build phases, limitless rides should be kept to a minimum. possibly once every 4 weeks. During specific high-effort training periods, they should be capped at 2 times per week. However, in most cases, one should be optimal.
Limitless Rides more often than not should be goal rides. Rides with specific desired outcomes, that you have trained for. Obviously, we plan testing and racing as goal rides. However, we can even use a group ride (the type that are like races) as a goal ride. You may wish to stay with the main pack or win a sprint. Or even just spend a lot of time on the front, there are many possibilities.
Recovery must be an integral part of planning for Limitless Rides. In order to give the cyclist a better chance of reaching optimal performance. This might be one or two days easy before an FTP test. Or a 2-week taper prior to an important race.
In addition, given how taxing Limitless Rides are. Following up with a Recovery Ride is absolutely essential. In many cases, more than one day of recovery may be necessary. Of course, if you are competing in or preparing for a multi-day race, these rules will be broken.
Realizing ones fitness
As mentioned before, a limitless ride is where one realizes one’s fitness. This realization can take place in many forms. Obvious things that one might see are:
- a peak heart rate,
- a peak power for a given duration,
- a lower heart rate for a given power output
Or even simpler outcomes like:
- personal best time up a hill, or over a certain distance,
- not being dropped in a group ride,
- cycling longer than one has before,
- climbing over a greater elevation than before.
the possibilities are endless, but it’s all about setting new boundaries or seeing new limits. Actually, seeking out one’s Limits, whatever they may be, is possibly the main reason a cyclist trains at all.
Limitless Ride – realizing one’s fitness, is part of the REAL Rides training concept. Make sure you also read about Recovery, Endurance, and Accumulation Rides.
