getting my arse in gear

Bippa

i've signed up to do the fred whitton challenge on the 10th may

i've not been on my bike yet this year, and barely at all since august last year, have put on a good stone and a half, and any fitness i had has left me

it's 10 weeks tomorrow till the event

help!!!

in the next 10 weeks i'd like to :
lose 20lbs
regain enough endurance so that i can get round without crying
strengthen up so the hills don't scare me
enjoy the work i'm going to have to put in to reach the previous goals

i'm not kidding myself, it's going to be hard

any advice appreciated

cheers
chris

nmcgann

How many hours a week can you spend training?

Neil

Bippa

i can ride most weekends, though some i'll be on call for work, and probably working. i'm mtbing most sundays at the mo, but it's slower, shorter rides, and more about fun than fitness.

i can start to commute by bike again, which is 11k each way

i'm a gym member

and every night is free for training, though sometimes i don't get in till late (was 9ish on friday), i start work at 8 so there's not really time before work, other than the commute.

Simon Notley

I'd suggest riding both days on the weekend - do long ride both days, one at a brisk pace (as fast as you can reasonably manage for 3-4 hours without really struggling) and the second at a slower pace for a similar length of time. The first ride is to build up your ability to cope with long periods of riding, the second is largely just to burn some more calories to help shift the weight.

During the week, try to fit in two shorter higher intensity workouts, for example 2x20s or just an hour at a fast pace or some hills. These should improve your lactate threshold which will help you deal with the hills.

This is just a suggestion, feel free to ignore or adapt. Make sure you ease off in the last week or so before the big day or you'll be too tired to do anything.

Bippa

cheers si, that's much appreciated

i'm not expecting to set the world alight with my pace, but it'd be nice to get round and not feel like i'm going to collapse at the finish

teagar

Bippa wrote:

cheers si, that's much appreciated

i'm not expecting to set the world alight with my pace, but it'd be nice to get round and not feel like i'm going to collapse at the finish

Isn't that the point...?