Training

Training Program

How to Begin

It is a good idea for everyone to get checked out by their doctor before embarking on a serious training program to address any current or potential physical problems.

To determine how to begin, you will need to answer some questions about your own cycling ability and physical endurance.

Each person is different. Very few people have ever ridden almost 600 miles in 7 days. No matter what your cycling ability, you need to plan your training in incremental stages. AIDS/LifeCycle is not a race, but rather an endurance event. Your goal in training should be focused on gaining the strength and endurance to ride 7 days consecutively.

You will enjoy the ride in June if you pace yourself and listen to your body. "Injury Prevention" should become part of your daily mantra while training. Pushing yourself too hard might make you susceptible to injury and will only take the enjoyment out of your experience.

Once you have determined what your cycling ability is, you will need to map out a training program to make you as strong as possible. If you have not been on a bike for years, regardless of your physical shape, you need to start by riding mostly flat terrain and very few miles. With each subsequent ride you should increase your mileage in small increments. You need to get your body accustomed to this type of exercise.

Planning Your Training Program

Your goal is to train on a regular basis, increasing your mileage each week. Riding your bike is the best way to prepare your body. However, we all have demanding schedules and the weather is not always conducive to riding outside. A full training program should include cross training. Remember the goal is to gain strength and endurance. Your training should be geared towards this end. Also, you should try to enjoy your exercise program. You are more likely to participate regularly if you like the cross training that you have chosen. Swimming is wonderful for endurance training but if you don't like swimming, you most likely won't do it that often. So choose what sounds and feels good to you.

Cross Training

• Swimming
• Running
• Walking
• Hiking
• Spin classes
• Stairmasters
• Treadmills
• Weight training (use less weight and higher reps to achieve the muscle tone for cycling).
• Skiing/snowboarding
• Aerobic classes, such as Tybo, step classes
• Dancing
• Kayaking

Any sport that increases your lung capacity and keeps your muscles toned and limber is a great exercise when supplementing your weekly cycling.

Remember, there is no better way to train your body for this event then spending time in the saddle, on the road. But to alternate and enhance your training, you should add one or more of the above exercises to your program.

The graph below will give you a basis to work from. It is designed with the beginner in mind. You will need to adjust this plan to your own level of physical endurance and cycling ability. Of course not everyone will be able to devote 8 months to training. In that case you will need to adjust your training to bring you to your own optimum performance based on the time you have available to train.

The Plan

Month	Total weekly miles	Longest ride in miles	Days a week	Total training hours / week
October	10-15	5-10	1-2	2-3
November	15-25	10-15	1-2	3-4
December	25-50	15-20	2-3	4-6
January	50-75	20-25	3-4	6-8
February	75-100	25-40	3-4	8-10
March	100-125	45-55	4-5	10-12
April	125-150	55-75	4-5	12-14
May	125-175	75-90	5	14-16

Graph, courtesy of Curtis Cramblett PT, CSCS, Cycling Coach

These times include cross training which is vital to prevent overuse injures, burnout, muscle flexibility, and strength imbalances. The mileages should include one long ride per week in the beginning. Your second longest ride should be to the distance of your current longest ride.

We recommend two to three rides a week, including your long ride(s), at your "pace" speed. This is the approximate speed that you will be riding. These rides will build your base endurance. One to two rides per week should be at a "brisk" pace or on hills. These rides should be 45 to 60 minutes in length. Ideally, these rides will increase your speed and ability to climb hills. And we will have many hills to conquer in June.

In simple terms, increase your mileage incrementally for 3 weeks, cut back your training by almost half during your rest week (#4), and on your 5th week increase your mileage using your 3rd week as the base.

Here is a very simplistic formula based on your first 5 weeks of your training program.

• Week one: 15 miles total
• Week two: 20 miles total
• Week three: 30 miles total
• Week four: 17 miles total - Rest Week
• Week five: 35 miles total

It is important that most of your riding occur on the bike that you will ride in June. However, taking a spin class or purchasing an indoor trainer will go a long way in improving your endurance. If this is not possible, a brisk aerobic walk outside or on a treadmill will have significant benefits. These aerobic activities count, and as mentioned above are very important in other ways! You can exchange an hour of ride time for an hour of cross training. This is good for 1-2 workouts a week through April.

Don't forget to take some rest days. While it is important that you invest a good amount of time in training, it is equally important that you give your body a chance to recover between workouts. If you Don't take a minimum of one or two days off per week you risk burning yourself out, overtraining and injury. You will probably find that by taking a day or two off per week, you come back to your bike feeling refreshed and energized.

Your last big weekend of training should be a full week before ALC begins. You should rest the last week prior to the ride. This means no strenuous exercise! Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and make sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet. Your body needs this down time to gear up for the big week ahead!

These recommendations are meant to be VERY general. Each person will do their best with a tailored individual plan. Please use your best judgment! Your Cycle Buddy will help you develop a plan that takes your goals, health issues, riding endurance, strengths and weaknesses into consideration.

Your participant manual contains a 4 week training diary template. This tool will help you layout your plan of attack and track your progress.

We are constantly being asked how fast you should ride to be able to finish the event in June. We design the route in terms of terrain, mileage and total hours per day so that anyone who has trained on a regular basis, following the guidelines above, will be able to finish each day. AIDS/LifeCycle is NOT a Race, it is an experience that will challenge you physically, mentally, and emotionally. For most, riding in AIDS/LifeCycle means riding every mile. We understand and appreciate that dedication and support you in your goal. But your health and well being are also important to us. As you measure your own success and set your own goals, remember, your success is not necessarily about riding every mile, it is about riding every mile you can while remaining healthy and injury-free.

Start today and train slowly and deliberately.

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