Training Advice on How to Increase Cycling Distance

LightningBolt

I've committed myself to doing Malin to Mizen at the end of May over five days. Distances covered per day will be between 120k - 160k.

I've mainly used my bike for commuting which is about 30k max round trip though I haven't used it in over seven months for that purpose on a regular basis. I've done single spins of 30k - 40k before and found them manageable although they were on pretty flat surfaces. I'd be very much a beginner cyclist in terms of distance covered I'd imagine.

Due to work and daylight hours that we currently have I'll have to use the gym midweek until the end of April to build up my distance and then get out on the bike at the weekends with others doing the cycle.

I can comfortably do 30k on indoor bikes but figure they're not much use as they don't take into account my weight (120k) although that will obviously come down with the more time I spend on the bike.

The way I see it is that I've got 21 weeks to get up to scratch and used to doing five hour cycles over three to four days covering as much distance as possible.

Plan is to do four week blocks where three weeks are spent upping distance from a base of 30k by 10% each week and then doing a recovery week where I'd do half the distance of the third week.

I've attached a rough excel file for people to look at and point out where I'm going to have issues! We're going to be given training plans mid January-late January but I'm slightly apprehensive given that I've never really cycled much before. Mon-Fri will be indoors as you'll see and my road cycles will be on as much hilly terrain as possible to get me accustomed to climbs.

Any comments/training tips are welcome especially from anybody who's done something like this coming from a beginner level.

Thanks for reading.

fat bloke

I'm full of advice this evening, mainly cos I'm bored and I've had a few cans , but I'd say your biggest problem will be the consecutive days, and not neccessarily the distance of any one day. It's one thing to do 100 or 150k or even 200k on the Wicklow 200 or the likes, but it's another thing altogether to get up the next day and throw your leg over the bike and put your a$$ on that saddle!

The gym stuff will keep you going mid week but you need to be getting out at the weekend and putting up some miles. Join a club and participate in their weekend training spins. If you're on your bike at 9am and you stay on your bike til 1 pm (BRING FOOD!), at a reasonably leisurely pace on flat-ish roads then you're going to be clocking up 70k at least, and probably more like 80k. That's a hard and lonely slog on your own, but with a club you'll have like-minded trouts to chat to at least.

Do that and there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to complete your Malin to Mizen. You do have to work steadily towards it though. It's not like the ol leaving cert. You can't prevaricate / procrastinate for months and then try and cram the prep into a few weeks...

LightningBolt

fat bloke wrote: »

I'm full of advice this evening, mainly cos I'm bored and I've had a few cans , but I'd say your biggest problem will be the consecutive days, and not neccessarily the distance of any one day. It's one thing to do 100 or 150k or even 200k on the Wicklow 200 or the likes, but it's another thing altogether to get up the next day and throw your leg over the bike and put your a$$ on that saddle!

The gym stuff will keep you going mid week but you need to be getting out at the weekend and putting up some miles. Join a club and participate in their weekend training spins. If you're on your bike at 9am and you stay on your bike til 1 pm (BRING FOOD!), at a reasonably leisurely pace on flat-ish roads then you're going to be clocking up 70k at least, and probably more like 80k. That's a hard and lonely slog on your own, but with a club you'll have like-minded trouts to chat to at least.

Do that and there's no reason why you wouldn't be able to complete your Malin to Mizen. You do have to work steadily towards it though. It's not like the ol leaving cert. You can't prevaricate / procrastinate for months and then try and cram the prep into a few weeks...

Thanks for that, I'm very aware the biggest challenge will be consecutive days so hopefully doing Fri - Mon consecutively with two indoor and two outdoor sessions will help me on that front. Point taken on joining a club, I'll be moving out to Dundrum/D6 in the New Year so will be near a couple there along with a lot of people who are doing the M2M with me so will hopefully have the group element of training sorted by end of Jan latest.

levitronix

that plan is kinda crazy !! your last week is huge with no taper period right into m2m

no recovery periods you ll need recovery spins between the long days

feck sake lads

120k a day thats 60 miles i'm old school
60 miles a day every day is no big deal first of all get this into your head this is a holiday on a bike . you wont be getting on your bike and riding 60 miles flat out , start early ish get in 20 miles take a hour break then go for another 20 and so on, smell the roses.
when you start your training forget about how many miles you hope to cover on your training spin, instead go out for time 1 hour out 1 hour back .or even less to start with then as you get used to time in the saddle increse the time,when your fit, only then put a cycle computer on your bike otherwise it will wreck your head.;)

LightningBolt

levitronix wrote: »

that plan is kinda crazy !! your last week is huge with no taper period right into m2m

no recovery periods you ll need recovery spins between the long days

So you reckon cut right back say two to three weeks beforehand?

I'd have thought the indoor bike sessions would be nowhere near as taxing on the body as road sessions would be? Maybe it would be better to do two big spins per week starting off and then using the other two days to just do shorter spins? I thought recovery periods would be fine doing shorter spins for one week in four but maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe the best thing is to do as Feck Seck Lads says and just do timed spins until end of January and then look to get out with the other people doing the cycle as much as possible or else join a club.

LightningBolt

feck sake lads wrote: »

120k a day thats 60 miles i'm old school
60 miles a day every day is no big deal first of all get this into your head this is a holiday on a bike . you wont be getting on your bike and riding 60 miles flat out , start early ish get in 20 miles take a hour break then go for another 20 and so on, smell the roses.
when you start your training forget about how many miles you hope to cover on your training spin, instead go out for time 1 hour out 1 hour back .or even less to start with then as you get used to time in the saddle increse the time,when your fit, only then put a cycle computer on your bike otherwise it will wreck your head.;)

AFAIK there's two groups going, one will cycle with only one stop whilst the others will cycle taking a couple of breaks. Wouldn't mind being in the former group

MungoMan

I totally agree with fatbloke about the big problem not being able to cycle 150km in a day, but being able to do in on consecutive days, when your knees are suffering and maybe some saddle soreness.

I like your plan, but how on are you going to ride 100km+ spins on an indoor bike without dying of boredom !
Also the week before the event, I'd say you are over doing it a bit. 125km, 187km, 187km on 3 consecutive days, then just 2 days off before the event.

LightningBolt

MungoMan wrote: »

I totally agree with fatbloke about the big problem not being able to cycle 150km in a day, but being able to do in on consecutive days, when your knees are suffering and maybe some saddle soreness.

I like your plan, but how on are you going to ride 100km+ spins on an indoor bike without dying of boredom !
Also the week before the event, I'd say you are over doing it a bit. 125km, 187km, 187km on 3 consecutive days, then just 2 days off before the event.

Think I'll take that on board as others have said and maybe look to reach my max distance the first week of May and then do a couple of weeks of only small spins to taper off.

The boredom bit is something I'll have to try work around and it's probably something I'm just gonna have to put up with unfortunately for the first couple of months.

C3PO

Speaking from personal experience I would say that your biggest issue is your weight! Carrying extra weight makes cycling so much harder. Unless you are very tall you will need to lose at least 20kgs between now and the end of May! This won't happen unless you have a serious look at your diet. For me the best dieting measure is just getting on the scales every morning!

I also think trying to do all the midweek work in the gym will be soul destroying (3-4 hours at a time on an exercise bike!!) and also not nearly as productive as the real thing, so I would seriously consider getting some lights and a reflective jacket and get out on the roads - that's what most of us do!

Finally, I would look at trying to increase the frequency of your workouts, particularly in the earlier stages of your plan which will not be particularly demanding. I would try to do some exercise on 5 days of the week. This will help to keep your metabolism high and thus aid weight loss!

Best of luck and keep us updated!

petethedrummer

LightningBolt wrote: »

I've mainly used my bike for commuting which is about 30k max round trip though I haven't used it in over seven months for that purpose on a regular basis.

If you start commuting again 5 days a week you'll be right as rain. Once you're comfortable doing 30km 5 days a week, you could increase the home commute by taking some detours. Throw in the odd long spin at the weekend.

You won't need any special training plans or much self discipline once it becomes part of your daily routine. Also learning to commute in all weather conditions will prepare you for whatever the irish 'summer' throws at you. You will also have bought all the right clothing by the time the holiday comes round.

LightningBolt

RPL1 wrote: »

Speaking from personal experience I would say that your biggest issue is your weight! Carrying extra weight makes cycling so much harder. Unless you are very tall you will need to lose at least 20kgs between now and the end of May! This won't happen unless you have a serious look at your diet. For me the best dieting measure is just getting on the scales every morning!

I also think trying to do all the midweek work in the gym will be soul destroying (3-4 hours at a time on an exercise bike!!) and also not nearly as productive as the real thing, so I would seriously consider getting some lights and a reflective jacket and get out on the roads - that's what most of us do!

Finally, I would look at trying to increase the frequency of your workouts, particularly in the earlier stages of your plan which will not be particularly demanding. I would try to do some exercise on 5 days of the week. This will help to keep your metabolism high and thus aid weight loss!

Best of luck and keep us updated!

Thanks for that advice. I'm 6"4 but could definitely do with dropping at least 12-14 kilos. I play rugby but only socially now in the last while meaning I stopped training at a high intensity and put on a few kilos.

The midweek gym sessions on a bike seems like a bad idea once I'm doing anything more than hour so I'll look at trying to work in evening cycles although with work in different places I'm not sure how feasible that'll be. I should probably start a blog on here once I get going in the next few days.

seamus

Yep, can't add much more than has been said. Do as much training on your own bike as you possibly can. You won't be riding a gym bike during that week, so the more intimate you and your bike are, the better.

As pete says, commuting 5 days a week (or building up to it) means that riding becomes part of the daily routine, and getting yourself up off your arse and onto the saddle on a wet Sunday morning becomes that bit easier.

A Monday commute is a great recovery spin from a long ride on the Sunday. Stretches out the legs. I also know on the A/R/T forum, some of the guys swear by foam rollers or some kind of massage kits for helping their muscles recover. Maybe worth looking into them as even a half-decent massage after the day's riding might help you get through the next day.

You may also run the risk of overtraining if you panic about your preparation. Just remember that you're training for two reasons:
1. So that you can complete the thing
2. So that you won't need medical attention at the end

You're not training so that you can do it in record time and run a marathon after. So gear your training towards just completing it, not towards hammering it.
On the week in question, you're on holidays, so eat like it's going out of fashion, but drink very moderately, no more than a glass or two of wine. You might get away with it on the first night or two, but alcohol consumption will leave you less hydrated, resulting in much pain and suffering towards the end of the week.

LightningBolt

seamus wrote: »

Yep, can't add much more than has been said. Do as much training on your own bike as you possibly can. You won't be riding a gym bike during that week, so the more intimate you and your bike are, the better.

As pete says, commuting 5 days a week (or building up to it) means that riding becomes part of the daily routine, and getting yourself up off your arse and onto the saddle on a wet Sunday morning becomes that bit easier.

A Monday commute is a great recovery spin from a long ride on the Sunday. Stretches out the legs. I also know on the A/R/T forum, some of the guys swear by foam rollers or some kind of massage kits for helping their muscles recover. Maybe worth looking into them as even a half-decent massage after the day's riding might help you get through the next day.

You may also run the risk of overtraining if you panic about your preparation. Just remember that you're training for two reasons:
1. So that you can complete the thing
2. So that you won't need medical attention at the end

You're not training so that you can do it in record time and run a marathon after. So gear your training towards just completing it, not towards hammering it.
On the week in question, you're on holidays, so eat like it's going out of fashion, but drink very moderately, no more than a glass or two of wine. You might get away with it on the first night or two, but alcohol consumption will leave you less hydrated, resulting in much pain and suffering towards the end of the week.

Thanks Seamus, input greatly appreciated. I already foam roll and will definitely be increasing the amount of rolling I do to help with any knots I'll end up getting. Another user Mark.Heneghan has kindly given me contact details for a massage guy so I'll be taking advantage of an excuse to get a rub down every week or so!

cdaly_

petethedrummer wrote: »

If you start commuting again 5 days a week you'll be right as rain. Once you're comfortable doing 30km 5 days a week, you could increase the home commute by taking some detours. Throw in the odd long spin at the weekend.

You won't need any special training plans or much self discipline once it becomes part of your daily routine. Also learning to commute in all weather conditions will prepare you for whatever the irish 'summer' throws at you. You will also have bought all the right clothing by the time the holiday comes round.

+2 on this. This is all 'free' training as you'd be spending that time on the commute anyhow. You'll end up with a 150k per week base before you spend any 'training' time.

Colonialboy

feck sake lads wrote: »

120k a day thats 60 miles i'm old school
60 miles a day every day is no big deal first of all get this into your head this is a holiday on a bike . you wont be getting on your bike and riding 60 miles flat out , start early ish get in 20 miles take a hour break then go for another 20 and so on, smell the roses.

120k a day is 75 miles a day...
but the rest is still valid points.

Get your base fitness up, you dont have to peak until May and you dont need any speed work, so long cycles , good diet, lose the pounds.
Work your way up from 1 to 2 to 3 hours spins, without getting your heart rate too into the red zone in the first 2 months.
And learn to do the same effort on a hill up as the hill down in your training, as in dont do the ride up a hill at such a pace you caan only free wheel down the hill.
Your trip sounds all about pacing and riding a tempo.

Do the commuting thing daily. Travel light. Try to develop a home based stretching or free weights pgm you do in the evening, 20-30 mins.
If your doing this as a leisure cycle Id be more worried about getting a saddle sore (so get adjusted propery on bike) than not being fit enough for it.
If the weather is right and your not carrying loads on the bike than this is a cycling holiday so enjoy. Its not a race. You need to be more super healthy for this rather than super fit.. my 2 cents.
keep us posted interesting challenge. you will be grand

chakattack

Your training plan is mad!

You've got 5 weeks at over 20 hrs and some as high as 30 hrs. That's elite/pro training commitment. Unless you're not working there's no way you'll have time for that and will you really have time for 4 hr+ spins mon, wed and fri? I'd use those days for 1-2 hrs specific hill/speed work to help you keep with the group if/when the pace or road goes up.

The plan starts well but then goes into overdrive. A few 60k spins midweek should be plenty. Use the weekends to get up to the distances for the event. A mix of group cycles and solo slogs would be best.

As a rule of thumb if you can manage 60% of the total distance in your big weeks you'll be fine.

I'd take most Fridays off or easier and train Thursday instead so you're fresher for logging miles at the weekend but then as you get fitter add longish spins on the Friday to get used to 3 hard days in a row.

Now is your preparation...get your bike fitted or your position looked at by someone in the know, get good shorts and a saddle that suits you (trial saddles available from most good shops). You'll have minor niggles but your knees/arse shouldn't be killing you after every spin.

For the event itself recovery is key...stretching, protein shake, big dinner, rest and sleep and you'll be amazed what you can do and how deep you can dig after working towards it for so long.

You'll suffer bad on every little hill at 120kg unless you have the strength to match so try to lose some weight early if you can as this will be the best way to up your speed over long distances.

LightningBolt

chakattack wrote: »

Your training plan is mad!

You've got 5 weeks at over 20 hrs and some as high as 30 hrs. That's elite/pro training commitment. Unless you're not working there's no way you'll have time for that and will you really have time for 4 hr+ spins mon, wed and fri? I'd use those days for 1-2 hrs specific hill/speed work to help you keep with the group if/when the pace or road goes up.

The plan starts well but then goes into overdrive. A few 60k spins midweek should be plenty. Use the weekends to get up to the distances for the event. A mix of group cycles and solo slogs would be best.

As a rule of thumb if you can manage 60% of the total distance in your big weeks you'll be fine.

I'd take most Fridays off or easier and train Thursday instead so you're fresher for logging miles at the weekend but then as you get fitter add longish spins on the Friday to get used to 3 hard days in a row.

Now is your preparation...get your bike fitted or your position looked at by someone in the know, get good shorts and a saddle that suits you (trial saddles available from most good shops). You'll have minor niggles but your knees/arse shouldn't be killing you after every spin.

For the event itself recovery is key...stretching, protein shake, big dinner, rest and sleep and you'll be amazed what you can do and how deep you can dig after working towards it for so long.

You'll suffer bad on every little hill at 120kg unless you have the strength to match so try to lose some weight early if you can as this will be the best way to up your speed over long distances.

All very fair points. The spreadsheet I did up was just a simple linear progression of 10% extra per week and then half the third week as a recovery. I'll take on board your point regarding hill work - will look to see if there'll be anywhere near that I can get out and do an hour even midweek to help.

When you talk about strength I presume you mean leg strength? I've played rugby at a decent level previously so would have a solid enough base compared to most people in my position. Weight loss a definite priority as I'll obviously struggle when compared to lads doing it at 85-90kg.

In terms of training time, maybe look to spend about 20hrs a week on the bike maximum once I'm fully fit come late March? Two five hour spins on the weekend and then commutes/hill work in the evenings?