Training Tips
We recommend that you train about 1000 miles. This is a sufficient amount for you to be able to enjoy the ride and have your muscles sufficiently prepared. This will also reduce the possibility of injury on the ride.
Planning your training schedule
You can really only count on 3 to 4 months of outside riding (starting in March). Start out with one or two short rides (10-20 miles) per week, and increase your riding about 10% a week. By the end of your training schedule you should be riding about 100 miles per week. Most people find that riding a few short rides during the week (20-25 miles) coupled with 1 or 2 long rides (50-70 miles) on the weekend, is sufficient to get them trained and is easiest to fit around their work schedules.
Make sure you zero out your computer before starting training so that you have a good log of how many miles you have trained. Take a calendar and keep a record of your weekly mileage and set weekly goals for yourself, taking into account planned activities that would prevent you from riding. Here's a rough outline for suggsted monthly mileage totals:
| March: | 50 miles |
| April: | 100 miles |
| May: | 300 miles |
| June: | 500 miles |
| July: | 150 miles |
Pacing
It is important not to over-train. If you are vigilant and consistent with your riding you will easily reach your goals without injury. Remember that this is not a race and that you are not training to win a competition. You are only trying to prepare yourself for completing the ride.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Allow at least one day of rest per week to give your body time to recover.
- Don’t let yourself ride faster than your abilities, especially over a long distance. Take short rests as you need them.
- Strive for quality not quantity in your training. It’s better to do shorter, hilly rides rather than longer flat distances.
- Vary the type of rides especially when doing rides back to back, following a long strenuous ride with a slower paced easier ride to help your muscles loosen up.
- Make sure you stretch after each ride.
- If you are having consistent pain in your knees, back or wrists, have a bike mechanic check your bike fit. You may need to raise or lower your saddle or adjust the angle of your handlebars.
Cycling Techniques
If you’re not an experienced rider, here are some ways to help you conserve energy when cycling long distances:
- Ride in the appropriate gear. It is better to “spin” the pedals rather than “push” the pedals at a high gear. As a general rule of thumb you should be in the middle chain ring on flat surfaces, smallest chain ring uphill (if your bike has 3 chain rings), and largest chain ring downhill.
- Gear down when climbing hills. If you are approaching a steep hill you may want to consider gearing down to your smallest ring before starting uphill since it can be difficult to gear down when the bike is under stress. You can then move down the gears of your small ring as you need to.
- Sit up and as far back in the saddle as you can when riding uphill. This helps get more air into your lungs and uses the large muscles in the front and back of your legs instead of putting the stress on your knees.
Diet
In general, you should be eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of complex carbohydrates (pasta, beans, rice, whole grains, fruits and vegetables).
Many new riders underestimate how much food and water they will need during a long ride. This can result in a significant loss of energy over the course of the ride and potential dehydration. Here are some tips when riding:
- Eat a good breakfast before you start riding or within the first 20 miles.
- Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink! Drink at least one water bottle per hour. A good habit to get into is to take a drink every 15 minutes. If it is really hot consider filling one of the water bottles at least halfway with Gatorade or another sports drink.
- Make at least one food stop on a 50-mile ride. The best choices for food are breads and fruits but many people find that a little protein is helpful especially if the route is hilly.
- Pack some nutritional snack bars such as Luna Bars or Power Bars. If you feel lightheaded stop and rest for a few minutes, take a drink, and eat one of the bars.
Cross Training
It’s a good idea to cross train. Weight training and alternate aerobic workouts can be helpful to strengthen your muscles and avoid injury. It is also wise to strengthen your arms, abdomen, back and chest as these muscles get fatigued during riding. Some of the best aerobic activities to supplement your biking are:
- Cross-country skiing or in-line skating since they use similar muscle groups
- Stair stepping to help strengthen your legs for climbing
- Running, swimming, and rowing to help increase your aerobic capacity.
While cross training is effective it does not replace training miles.
Keeping it Fresh
Usually by June you are sick of training. Here are some ideas to help keep the training fresh and vary your workouts to help increase your strength:
- Go up your favorite downhill.
- Ride the training ride backwards.
- Vary your workouts with speed or interval training, long hilly rides, and short hilly rides.
- Go up the same hill twice (only for masochists).
How do I know if I’ve trained enough?
If you have ridden 1000 miles you have probably trained enough, but here are some ways to gauge your readiness for the ride:
- When you can complete two 60-65 mile rides back to back with two good climbs in each of the rides.
- When you can complete a difficult long ride and still have energy left for other activities.
- When you can ride hills at a comfortable, even pace. If not, make sure you incorporate more hills into your training routes.
Partner Up
Along with this manual you will receive a participants list that includes names, phone numbers and zip codes. Try to find riders in your area to train with. We encourage you to join a group to train with to help motivate you to keep up with your training.