Advice re. training plan, please

pottssteve

Hi All,

Because I'm an idiot I have arranged a cycling trip for myself and some of my students for March next year. We are planning several day's riding in the south of France, including, weather permitting, an ascent of Mont Ventoux.

I am a man in my mid-forties and have been riding on road for about 5 years. I have done some long-distance rides but the idea of Ventoux is worrying me as I am around 79kg and have the climbing ability of a goldfish. Luckily, I have a long holiday coming up over December and January where I can get into shape, lose a bit of weight and basically give myself a fighting chance of not dying on the trip. Currently, due to work commitments I am only able to ride once a week and generally only for a couple of hours.

I would be very grateful if anyone has advice for how to put together a realistic training schedule for me to improve fitness and prepare for March. I would be especially interested in how best to balance riding and resting.

Many thanks in advance,
Steve

imposter2.0

If you only have 2 hours per week, then putting together any kind of 'training schedule' is a waste of time, I would suggest.

mamba80

with 2hrs a week, riding and resting wont be an issue.

To make the trip more enjoyable, you really do need to find some additional time, so stop watching emerdale and buy a turbo trainer and use it over winter, 30mins per night plus your 2 hr w/e ride and you ve doubled your training volume.
Otherwise all you can really do is buy some low gears for your bike, MV is a very long climb but I guess it depends what you ve done before, maybe you were an elite level mtb er with a string of national titles and have nt ridden much for 18months:)

pottssteve

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I guess I didn't make myself clear. I currently only do 2 hours per week so I am starting from a low base. However, during Dec and Jan particularly I will have a lot more time as I have a long holiday coming up. This will be almost 2 months when I am able to ride every day. This is when I need to train to get fit.
Thanks,
Steve

olake92

This may not be that useful, but I can assuage your fears a little; my dad made it up Ventoux weighing 75-80kg and had a brilliant time riding around Provence (I think he was 52 at the time). He did a 'long' ride once a week and 3 30-60 minute rides on the turbo. My advice is to ride, ride, ride! If you can ride 5 times a week you'll get plenty fit enough.

For Ventoux itself, you will need to be able to ride for at least 2hrs. However, there is the cafe at Le Chalet Reynard should you need to stop with ~6km to go to the summit. Make sure you have adequately low gearing - I'm not sure what you'd want, but a compact or triple with a 27 or 30t cassette would do.

mrwibble

As much base as possible during the week (3-4 two hour sessions, longer at weekend), use weights for conditioning especially lunges, sumo squats, thrusters (try a spartacus style workout to work upto, very tuff btw), buy a turbo for interval and when weather is poor. Eat lots of vegetable's, quinoa, salmon, buy a recovery protein powder from suppliments supplier. Sports massage when needed. 6 months is plenty of time but you must take it seriously, it's a lifestyle choice for the next 6 months.

pottssteve

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for the advice/reassurance. I already own a turbo trainer (yawn) so that will get set up for use during February when back at work but to maintain the fitness levels.
What you suggest sort of fits with my own ideas. I will aim to ride at least 4-5 times a week over my holidays. Road conditions in Hong Kong are not great but I have some routes which are reasonably safe if I go out early enough, and some others that involve dodging the kn0bheads on the cycle lanes. These run between 50-80km and I can build in some hilly options as well. My main concern is that there are no hills like Ventoux around here and the several km at around 10% are putting the willies up me.

As I will be doing my own cooking at this time the menu will certainly be protein-rich.

So there's no real need for hill repeats? There is a 1km hill nearby that averages 10% and I was planning to build up to riding up and down that a few times.

Steve

DeVlaeminck

Racing up Ventoux is hard, riding up with the right gears isn't exactly easy but can certainly be enjoyed by anyone with reasonable bike fitness. You see all sorts riding up it ot just fit racers. I'd second the advice to ride your bike, push on a bit when you feel good and take in some hills - you don't need any more of a plan than that. Keep it enjoyable you aren't earning a living from it.

MrWibbles advice would have you fit to race by the Spring so no need to take it that seriously - of course if you want to you can but it's overkill for the goals you've outlined.