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Training for a long bike ride

svetter Posts: 2 Joined: 2005/01/23	2005/01/23, 08:26 AM I am in poor shape, but am thinking about riding in a 150 mile bike ride in July. What is the best way to train for this? I have access to a health club, so the skies the limit on equipment!
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/01/23, 08:48 AM If you don't do any training at the moment, start off doing maybe 3 or 4 short (20minute) steady paced cardio sessions a week. Most of your cardio should be on a bike, as that is what you are training for, but you could do 1 or 2 sessions using alternative equipment (e.g. treadmill). When you are managing this comfortably, you can begin to introduce 1 longer session a week, and it's probably best to use a road bike for this. Build up the length of time you spend training by 10% a week maximum. At this stage you can also think about doing 1 session of interval training a week (you can search for this using fitbuddy) For your strength training I would just use one of the FT programs to start with. How hilly will the ride be?
dbv10 Posts: 52 Joined: 2005/01/11	2005/01/24, 11:09 AM svetter I don't know where you live ... asssuming you can't get outside right now I agree with princesslodgey. I used to train inside during the winter months on a variety of cardio equipment for a couple of 150 mile trips plus a week long ride (usually 500-600 miles) in July and that was sufficient. I live in Minnesota and was never able to get outside until May at best (cuz I'm a cold weather wimp!) Regardless of how you train, make sure you get plenty of training miles in on the actual bike you'll be riding as nothing else can prepare you for the soreness or the weather elements! :) Remember your strength training ... you'll be surprised at how much upper body strength you use ~ especially on the hills!
svetter Posts: 2 Joined: 2005/01/23	2005/01/27, 09:24 PM Thanks princesslodgey & dbv10! I am currently getting in 3 1 hour sessions of cardio on the elliptical trainer. I live in the Chicago area so outdoor training isn't possible. Next week I will switch to a bike for some of the cardio work out. I will be hitting some pretty big hills. I will be adding some weight training in next week. Do you think that spin classes are helpful in training for a long ride? Thanks!
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/01/28, 06:43 AM I definitely think that spin classes are good, especially for for hills.
dbv10 Posts: 52 Joined: 2005/01/11	2005/01/28, 09:35 AM Spin classes are great. I thought I'd be able to do them easily because of my cycling experienc. WRONG! They kick your butt!
princesslodgey Posts: 1,748 Joined: 2004/02/21	2005/01/29, 07:59 AM ============ Quoting from dbv10: Spin classes are great. I thought I'd be able to do them easily because of my cycling experienc. WRONG! They kick your butt! ============= Very true! I once wore my heart rate monitor in a spin class to see what happened, and at the end I checked what my top heart rate had been - 192! - I'd hit my max heart rate! Don't be put off, svetter, you are in control of how hard you work, but they really motivate you.
Pritchard Posts: 1,212 Joined: 2004/03/02	2005/01/29, 10:53 AM ivan must be trapped down a well. the word bike is on freetrainers.com and he hasnt commented. -------------- wax on, wax off