New rider doing London to Paris in 6 weeks time - help!
Southgate
Posts: 246
This is actually for a new guy who has just joined my club, and I offered to help with advice and training. He has only been cycling for a few months and currently commutes around 20 miles a day, which he says leaves him pretty tired by the Thursday of each week. On the plus side, he's 32, doesn't drink / smoke, isn't overweight, and in general terms is pretty fit. He's also determined to succeed and has a good attitude to training. On the downside, he's completely new to long rides and so obviously has very limited endurance. He's also got a young family so is time constrained.
He managed to complete the 60 mile Sunday social /recreational club run yesterday (15mph with a 20 minute cafe stop, over a somewhat lumpy but not really testing route), but was really struggling from about halfway. Partly that was caused by ignorance of nutrition and hydration and lack of drafting experience (which I've gone through with him, so these issues are hopefully sorted), but the more serious issue is endurance capacity.
He's got 6 weeks left to train before London to Paris, and 3 x 100 miles in three days is not a stroll in the park even for an experienced cyclist. Whatever he does between now and then, it's going to hurt on the day. I'm tempted to advise him to call it off, but it's for charity and he's determined to go through with it and finish.
I've offered to draw up a training schedule, but I'm no expert and so would like some advice / tips. The guy hasn't got too much free time, so what I've suggested is this:
Weeks 1 & 2
Mon - rest day.
Tues - 20 mile commute.
Wed - 20 mile commute. 25 mile evening ride at fast / threshold pace. I'll accompany him.
Thurs - 20 mile commute.
Fri - 20 mile commute.
Sat - 25 miles at fast / threshold pace. I'll do this with him very early before my usual training ride.
Sun - 60 mile club ride at around 15mph.
Weeks 3 & 4
As above, but increasing the Sunday rides to 80 miles.
Week 5
As above but with a 50 mile slow ride on Saturday, and a 100 mile slow ride on Saturday.
Week 6
Taper. As above but with no Sunday ride.
Week 7
London to Paris (3 x 100 miles)
He managed to complete the 60 mile Sunday social /recreational club run yesterday (15mph with a 20 minute cafe stop, over a somewhat lumpy but not really testing route), but was really struggling from about halfway. Partly that was caused by ignorance of nutrition and hydration and lack of drafting experience (which I've gone through with him, so these issues are hopefully sorted), but the more serious issue is endurance capacity.
He's got 6 weeks left to train before London to Paris, and 3 x 100 miles in three days is not a stroll in the park even for an experienced cyclist. Whatever he does between now and then, it's going to hurt on the day. I'm tempted to advise him to call it off, but it's for charity and he's determined to go through with it and finish.
I've offered to draw up a training schedule, but I'm no expert and so would like some advice / tips. The guy hasn't got too much free time, so what I've suggested is this:
Weeks 1 & 2
Mon - rest day.
Tues - 20 mile commute.
Wed - 20 mile commute. 25 mile evening ride at fast / threshold pace. I'll accompany him.
Thurs - 20 mile commute.
Fri - 20 mile commute.
Sat - 25 miles at fast / threshold pace. I'll do this with him very early before my usual training ride.
Sun - 60 mile club ride at around 15mph.
Weeks 3 & 4
As above, but increasing the Sunday rides to 80 miles.
Week 5
As above but with a 50 mile slow ride on Saturday, and a 100 mile slow ride on Saturday.
Week 6
Taper. As above but with no Sunday ride.
Week 7
London to Paris (3 x 100 miles)
Superstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.
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Comments
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Sorry if this is a stupid question but his 20 mile commute is that 10 miles there and 10 miles back? Or 40 miles a day?
Mx0 -
Not a stupid question at all - I should have been clearer. Its 10 + 10, so he has a moutain to climb, as it were. I can't see how he'll be fit in time, so it's all about damage limitation and completing the challenge in one piece. A training regime that achieves that without causing injury is what I'm trying to put together for him.Superstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.0
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I have done the L2P twice, the first year 300 miles in 3 days and the second year 400 miles in 4 days as we did it the long way road.
My training consisted briefly of: -
January - March 100 - 150 miles a week, when the weather was bad then this included turbo/roller miles
April 150-175 miles a week, with at least 2 60 mile rides in per week (we actually did a 105 mile ride in this month)
May 200-300 Miles a week with at least one 90-100 miles ride in per week.
June similar to May but at least 2 x 90 mile rides back to back a week.
Then two weeks before the ride, I wound it back down to just taper my fitness.
If he hasn't any more than 6 weeks, then I would get him to start at my mid April distance and hope that he can get a few 90/100 mile rides beforehand.
Hope this helps?0 -
I'd get him sitting in the bike longer. Perhaps loading his mileage so he has to do most of it at the start of the week - he'll have to get used to getting on the bike when he's in pain, and being able to peddal through it - then perhaps concentrait on building speed and bike skills at the weekend. In order to give him confidence though the days of the event he has to know he can keep peddaling regardless - if he's got any sense that's what he'll be concerned about cos that is what would hang over me.
Mx0
