Training for 3 tough days

steoroc
steoroc Posts: 37
edited May 2016 in Training, fitness and health
I'm heading off on a cycling trip in Northern Spain at the end of September. I hope to cover around 130-150 km a day and average around 3500m per day. Some of the climbing will be fairly brutal, plenty of 10-15%.
I won't be looking to set any records. I just want to be comfortable.
Currently, I get a weekend spin of around 100km/1500m and 2 midweek short spins or turbo sessions of 90 mins.
I'll be trying to increase my distances a little bit week by week till September and then taper back.
Am I going the right way or should I be looking at more turbo/ high intensity or am I missing something altogether.

Comments

  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,481
    Whats your body fat percentage? Carrying any excess will be amplified over the intended three days of climbing?

    Are you using zones to train in as its a open to interpretation the intensity your riding at for the turbo work and weekend ride?
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • steoroc
    steoroc Posts: 37
    173cm, 70kg so not carrying too much. I work in construction so it's more muscle than fat. As regards the zones, I've been mostly doing threshold and U/O intervals.
    I have a turbo with power meter and took a FTP recently. Threshold is around 3.5 w/kg at the moment. I hope to push that up a bit closer to 4 by the time I'm heading off.
  • 06dhewett
    06dhewett Posts: 79
    A combination of endurance rides (~70% FTP average power), sweetspot intervals (~90% FTP for 15-45mins per interval) and sub-threshold intervals (~95% FTP for 10-30mins per interval) in sensible proportions should put you in a good position. On the 3 days themselves, you're unlikely to be going over threshold for any significant time (in fact, I'd suggest actively avoiding this if a sustainable, comfortable experience is your priority), so higher intensity training is fairly unnecessary, although you could supplement your sub-threshold work with some supra-threshold intervals (~108% FTP for 3-8mins). I'd suggest you aim to tackle the climbs at no more than your sweetspot power.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    As above, sounds like your fitness will be fine as long as you are use to doing back-to-back hard rides, eat and recover well.

    Make sure you have the correct gearing.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • steoroc
    steoroc Posts: 37
    Thanks for the responses guys. I'll be running 11-32 so gearing won't be an issue until I try and go lower and realise I'm already in the 32 ;)
    I think my biggest worry will be staying below threshold. I find that once the gradient kicks up over 10% it's hard for me to stay out of the red. Any tips for building leg strength without gaining much weight?

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