Phill has decided to put together a few training tips to help anyone that has not done this kind of distance before. Mark has also added a few bits at the bottom. If there is anything we haven’t covered then please ask in the comments section and we should be able to get a lively discussion going. Feel free to put any of your own advice in there too!
If this is your first big ride, (70-ish miles) then there are a few questions you probably have and a few things that if you put into practice when training will make the ride a lot more fun… and a lot faster 🙂
At this stage the key is to keep things simple, no real point in getting ahead if yourself with complex plans; you’d be better served concentrating on getting the mileage in and thinking about your ride nutrition. So the basics;
- Do the distance each week; try to ride at least the full target distance during each week leading up to the ride, (preferably a little more). But don’t overdo it if you’re starting from a low mileage base, do what feels comfortable and build up the distance each week by no more than 10-15% to avoid injury.
- Add in some hills; the old saying goes, ‘hills will help you on the flats, but flats won’t help you on the hills’; so make sure you incorporate some inclines in your weekly training.
- Try to do at least one big session a week; building up to as close to the full distance as you can manage as you get closer to the event.
- Get a bike fit; you don’t have to shell out a lot of money but get someone who knows what they are looking for to have a look at your position on the bike – this will keep you comfortable, help stop you getting injured (I’m looking at you Warwick) and sore and make sure you maximise your power output.
- Taper off; a few days out from the event drop the total volume of training down to make sure you’re fresh for the big day; do some short easy sessions just to keep your legs active but don’t overdo it.
- Eat before, during and after your big rides; being properly fuelled for long rides, (that is over an hour at a ‘brisk’ pace) is important as it will help keep you going and make sure you recover well afterwards. Before training eat some long lasting complex carbs to keep you going; during exercise focus on simple carbohydrates, (such as those in sports drinks and gels*) and afterwards try to get some protein and carbs to help rebuild your muscles. Note – during exercise is when the body is best able to use simple carbs, for the rest of your diet you should try to eat mostly complex carbs.
- Hydrate; drink before you are thirsty and drink often during exercise.
It’s important to remember that these are only very basic guidelines to help you get started with your training; I strongly encourage you to read up on the wealth of information available on exercise and nutrition to help you build yourself a plan that more accurately caters for your level of fitness, experience and goals.
Happy riding! – Phill
*I would like to note that cheap gels taste vile and expensive ones are, well, expensive. Bananas have a good amount of simple carbohydrates as well as potassium and a few other things. They are natures energy bar but will not help replace salt lost in sweat. Lost salt leads to cramp, cramp leads to anger which leads to injury and I guess the dark side as well [Citation needed]. Additionally if there are any smokers on the team, now would be a good time to give up or at least seriously cut back! – Mark