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Tom Newman · Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I'm putting together a training plan for a veteran rider keen to ride the above (not the real event of course) but riding the stages a few days before the tour.

My rider has about 12 to 15 hours per week to train.

Could anyone offer some useful tips please.

Thanks Tom

Porkyboy · Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

Hi

mark the spark · Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 11 Location: Hull

Bit out of my league as I rarely do rides over 60miles and have managed the majority of my 10 years of (some would say very) amateur racing on between a 4.5 and 6.5 hours per week averaged over the course of the training and racing year. Not done bad on that though, specificaly in recent years when quality and training focus has been at its best, having beaten some folk who train ( Question

) 15 hours a week during a season of a 4.5hour average!

I would expect a programme for such a long endeavour to incorperate a minimum of one long and hilly ride (as extreme as possible), and as many shorter harder rides as possible too through the week. All progressive and periodised according to the timings of the main and smaller goals on the way.

Of course it depends on starting condition, but its important to remember that the distance can't be covered in training, so getting a high level of endurance and cycling strength and power should be the goal in order to make the actual event as easy and pain free as possible.

Personnaly I would suggest incorperating a weekly strength session using varying lengthed intervals of low cadence and massive gears, using hills and rises in the road etc., and build on this as well as the pure endurance based work too. I like using resistance and other forms of training which doesn't suit everyone, and considering the length of the event, spending as much time as possible in the saddle would probably be advisable.

Doing extremely short heavy geared sessions when absolutely shafted from endurance based stuff on previous days can be a satisfying way to spend an hour, or more. More on the fly power based stuff, sprints and longer efforts good when the body is used to the heavy strength work.

Talking of being extremely shafted though, illness management is of course a priority as extensive hard endurance based activity depresses the immune system.

We grow stronger during recover, not during hard training.

With all the volume available and targetted, the single most important point in my opinion, is too work very hard doing lots in training, and have a good taper cutting volume drasticaly during the few weeks before the event whilst keeping the intensity high, in order to reach the main goal fresh and keen.

On such a momentus journey, I'd hate to spend it grovelling, (starting it already tired Confused

) staring at the tarmac all the way round.

Hope you all enjoy it! Smile