300km, 16 y/o, 6 months training plan?
300kover3days
Posts: 5
Hi,
I'm a 16 y/o who signed up to do a 300km cycling event next June. It's going to be around 100km a day (for three days), at a speed of about 25-30km/h. It's going to be rather fun! But here's the problem: I have no experience cycling for long periods of time. :shock: I've never done an athletic event...
I've only ever biked during the summer. Currently, I go to the gym sometimes. I practice martial arts twice a week for an hour and a half, and I do cross-country ski for a couple hours once a week.
The gym has weights, treadmills, stationary bikes and such. I need to start training and my goal is to build muscle and endurance so that I won't die :!: during the event. There's already a foot of snow on the ground. I was thinking of going to the gym 3-4 times a week, lifting weights for about an hour and then doing some spinning for a half-hour or so. However, I don't want to ruin my knees by going on the bike at the gym too much and I have no idea how to keep track of my progress, how to properly raise the amount of resistance every once in a while, etc. Also, there's a walking path near me that I could probably bike on with my mountain bike.
Please help, I don't know what I'm doing!
I'm a 16 y/o who signed up to do a 300km cycling event next June. It's going to be around 100km a day (for three days), at a speed of about 25-30km/h. It's going to be rather fun! But here's the problem: I have no experience cycling for long periods of time. :shock: I've never done an athletic event...
I've only ever biked during the summer. Currently, I go to the gym sometimes. I practice martial arts twice a week for an hour and a half, and I do cross-country ski for a couple hours once a week.
The gym has weights, treadmills, stationary bikes and such. I need to start training and my goal is to build muscle and endurance so that I won't die :!: during the event. There's already a foot of snow on the ground. I was thinking of going to the gym 3-4 times a week, lifting weights for about an hour and then doing some spinning for a half-hour or so. However, I don't want to ruin my knees by going on the bike at the gym too much and I have no idea how to keep track of my progress, how to properly raise the amount of resistance every once in a while, etc. Also, there's a walking path near me that I could probably bike on with my mountain bike.
Please help, I don't know what I'm doing!
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Comments
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Firstly for endurance cycling, which 100k/day for 3 days is. Spin isn't really your friend. You need to be teaching your body to maintain a reasonable pace for long periods of time, rather than high tempo bursts.
If you do martial arts and cross country skiing regularly you're probably not in any need of building muscle either.. Just train it to the job at hand. Endurance is about fitness/body conditioning not mega muscles, just look at marathon runners.
Most important is just doing as many miles as possible on the bike you intend to ride, so maybe invest in a turbo trainer to use? If always found that riding your own bike gives way more benefit as opposed to an exercise bike.0 -
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So for example, going for a run or even running on a treadmill would be more beneficial than going on a stationary bike? Should I even integrate spinning into my schedule?StinkinHippy wrote:Spin isn't really your friend. You need to be teaching your body to maintain a reasonable pace for long periods of time, rather than high tempo bursts.
Once the snow melts (after my endurance improves) I could bike to and from school (40km each way). I do however think that'll be pretty hard. So I'll bike to school one day and then bike back the next. I have no idea how many times I should do that though? Or how many days before the event I should start resting. Do you have any suggestions?StinkinHippy wrote:If you do martial arts and cross country skiing regularly you're probably not in any need of building muscle either.. Just train it to the job at hand.
I'll look into it. Thank youStinkinHippy wrote:invest in a turbo trainer0 -
Icyd190468 wrote:You need to get to the point where you can ride for a couple of hours without too much discomfort.never considered discomfort :shock: I'll be sure to clock in the hours.
Given that you are young & fit, a sore rs, neck & shoulders is likely to be your biggest challenge. I went from daily total commute of 24km to a 160km ride with almost no other training at 3x your age. It wasn't the legs that hurt. The one way rides to school you mention would be perfect. A few weeks of this in the month before the event would do the trick, I'd say. I'd try to get at least one 60 - 80 km ride in too, to build your confidence. Otherwise use a turbo trainer or an exercise bike with a proper bike saddle & geometry if the road is impossible, to get used to sitting for extended periods.
25-30km/h could be brisk on rolling terrain on your own, but much easier in a group. A few practices riding in a bunch would hep too.0 -
So for example, going for a run or even running on a treadmill would be more beneficial than going on a stationary bike? Should I even integrate spinning into my schedule?StinkinHippy wrote:Spin isn't really your friend. You need to be teaching your body to maintain a reasonable pace for long periods of time, rather than high tempo bursts.
Once the snow melts (after my endurance improves) I could bike to and from school (40km each way). I do however think that'll be pretty hard. So I'll bike to school one day and then bike back the next. I have no idea how many times I should do that though? Or how many days before the event I should start resting. Do you have any suggestions?StinkinHippy wrote:If you do martial arts and cross country skiing regularly you're probably not in any need of building muscle either.. Just train it to the job at hand.
I'll look into it. Thank youStinkinHippy wrote:invest in a turbo trainer
The main problem here is you appear to want to train your body to ride a bike for long distances( on consecutive days) without riding a bike for long distances at all and if you attempt that you will come up short. your fitness may get you through the first and possibly the second day, but then you will be running on empty.
if someone said to you Im going to run 3 marathons in three days but Im not going to do any long distance running first, you may think them insane. But thats more or less your proposal
Get on the bike and simultaneously increase the distance you can do at the required speed, whilst reducing the amount of recovery time, you need between the rides.0 -
I wouldn't rule out spin so quickly. Its a good way to get some fun cycle training in, but I just wouldn't do it at the expense of the endurance training.
I'd say as above you just want to throw in some 60k group rides wherever possible and you'd be good.Specialized Allez Sport 20130 -
If I was strarting this, I would get somesort of bench mark on cycling fitness
Say, get your dad to drop you and the bike off 30 miles from home on a Sunday morning and ride it home. and see how that feels, how long it takes and just as importantly how long it takes you to recover so you feel you could do it again. That will tell you how much work you need to put into this and build a training program around that
Such as ...A week later increase the distance and again monitor you recovery time until you can do the 60 miles with relative ease. Then look to do it twice a week, then 3 times etc0 -
I think we may be talking crossed purposes here to be honest.
When I say spin I mean the instructor led high intensity classes, it looks as though you're just talking about using an exercise bike under your own motivation and pace.
The second would be more use than the first. Though still not as good as actually riding your own bike.0 -
Thanks everyone, I appreciate your advice. I see that the most important thing is getting used to biking long distances, so in a week or so I'll test myself out and I'll see how long I can ride around town at a steady pace (I bought a bike meter).0
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When training for an event with such a clear goal you need to train specifically for that.
A popular way to train is to increase your training ride distance from say 40km week 1 to 50km week 2 and so on, until a few weeks before hand where you reduce the distance to recover ready for the event.
100km a day is managable with a good training plan.
All the best with the ride!For professional MTB & BMX coaching, training & guiding!
www.pedaltoprogression.com0 -
Is this off-road or on-road? What is the climb of the event. 300km could be a killer or a peace of pee depending on the climb and type of riding. I'm assuming this is road cycling based on the speed claims. You really need to look at the route and get a view on the total climb.
- Spinning and weights will help very early on in your training. Weights will give you good growth (accelerates your growth hormone, which at your age wont do any harm) and short cuts (muscle development), spinning will develop your cardio and pedal stroke.
- you must stretch (whole body) and specifically develop strength/flexibility in your neck, traps shoulders - its vital
- yes as others have said leather up the Rs.
Long periods of zone 2 and zone 3 training preferably out on the road.0
