Training for 400mile ride over 4 days ?

supernotts

Hello All,

I am doing a 400 mile ride over 4 days next May for charity and need some help with a training plan.

I started riding in March after no virtually no exercise for 15 years (I am 37 years old), and have covered 1900 miles so far at an average of about 85 miles per week.

Most of my riding is commuting at 11 miles each way and rides of 30 -40 miles when I fit them in. (Time is tight as a single parent). I do have a turbo trainer to use over the winter.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Matt

http://www.happyfc.co.uk/Castle_Doningt ... /Home.html

tlw1

It's all about time on the bike!

Extend your commute if possible and try to get some big rides in. If that is too much re time issue, then put the hours in via the turbo - boring but fits in with kids

supernotts

Thanks for your reply, I have done rides of up to 80 miles when time allows, but 30 -40 is more normal. The turbo trainer is certainly very useful.

After advice on distances per week required to achieve 400 in 4 days really, and if anyone has any turbo trainer routines they would like to share that would be brilliant.

Herbsman

No need for turbo training. Just get out for as long as possible and make sure you do at least two long days in a row per week.

However long you expect 100 miles to take you, try to spend the same amount of time on your bike during one of your training rides, even if you only do 70 miles in that time

supernotts

Cheers for the tip. There are 4 of us doing the ride, so that will help speed. 2 of the riders are experienced cyclists.

We are hoping to cover 100 miles in about 5h45 to 6h each day.

bigpikle

I just did 450 miles across the Pyrenees in 4.5 days, and my training consisted of the following:

1. lots of 50 mile rides at a fairly hard tempo pace eg finished feeling fairly toasted
2. lots of 90 min rides at threshold pace eg harder than above
3. lots of back to back days in the saddle
4. long rides of 50-100 miles when I could eg every so often
5. total mileage was 5000 miles in the 9 months before the event

I found lots of 50 milers quickly built a really solid endurance base and doing back to back days got me used to building up fatigue. The tempo and threshold work massively improved my power so I was able to ride for longer at endurance pace with less effort. As we climbed >12,000m in those 450 miles it was key for me to be able to climb at a reasonable pace without getting knackered, so the focus on threshold was hugely important to me.

The key though is pace on your event. Go conservatively on days 1-2 in particular. If you push too hard on days 1-2 you just wont recover for the next days and will pay for it! You have plenty of time as long as you ride regularly over winter so will be fine.

supernotts

Thanks Bigpikle, that's fantastic advice. I will try and follow that sort of plan as best as time allows me.

12,000m climb, OUCH !

Herbsman

12km climb? The highest mountain on this earth is only 8.85km high.

bigpikle

12,000m of climbing in 450 miles - it was across the Pyrenees......