Challenge Cancer. The training guide. Your guide to getting fit & ready for your challenge!

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1 Challenge Cancer The training guide Your guide to getting fit & ready for your challenge!

2 Twilight on the challenge. Completing a 100 KM bike ride is to cyclists what finishing a marathon is to runners. It's a major accomplishment that takes careful preparation. Not only do you have to train your body to handle the physical demands of riding 100 KM in one day, but you also have to pay special attention to your equipment, diet and mental preparation. The main principle of training for a 100 KM cycle, is to increase your mileage gradually over a number of weeks. By doing it that way, you help avoid injury, burnout and over-fatigue. Plus you will also be able to detect any issues with your body or your bike before the big day. This step by step guide will help you avoid the main pit falls and help you build your strength and stamina. Ready to go. If you can visit a local bike shop before you begin training, have the experts there make sure your bike is properly fitted to you. The seat has to be at the right height for proper leg extension and the handlebars may have to be adjusted to ensure a comfortable body position. The cleats on your cycling shoes may have to be adjusted to prevent future knee problems. Generic Training Plans should always be taken as a guide, every person is different and comes from a different fitness level. Supporters in the wings Here are 3 outline plans that should allow people to build themselves up over a 3 month period to cycle 50 or 100 km in one day. Please note if you are using a hilly course, the distances will need to be reduced. 2

3 If you are new to cycling and have a base level of fitness, you should be able to ride for 20 km without stopping between 10 and 12mph. You should use this plan to help build up your stamina and muscular strength, whilst cycling. Novice Training Guide (all distances in km) Week Length of long Ride Total km per Week very light rides the week before the event For cyclists who are new to cycling and have a base level of fitness, the goal is to achieve 35 km without stopping between 10 and 12mph. For those who would consider themselves a strong cyclist you can adapt the intermediate programme. Starting further down the programme and increasing the speed and gradient to increase the difficulty of the training. Intermediate Training Guide (all distances in km) Week Length of Long Ride Total km per Week (increase speed) very light rides the week before the event 3

4 Core Training Plan As well as the training on your bike, we recommend some simple drills to help you build stamina and improve the strength of your core. This will make you more stable on the bike and more efficient. Exercises such as Press ups, sit ups, squats and lunges will all help strengthen your core, as well as exercise classes like Pilates or Yoga. If you are in doubt about what exercises you should be doing, ask at your local gym or fitness centre. Fix any equipment shortcomings. If you find that your seat is uncomfortable, find a better one before the big event. If your shoulders are aching before the end of a long training ride, ask the staff at the bike shop if your handlebars should be adjusted. Consider getting better gloves or shoe inserts if you're having trouble with your hands and feet. Taper your training the week before the big ride, but maintain your calorie intake. This will ensure your muscles are rested and have stored up adequate energy to handle the full distance. Get specific. As you enter the final two months of training, make sure your weekly long ride simulates your target century ride as much as possible. Ride at the same time of day as your target ride and in the same kind of conditions that you expect to face during your challenge. Ride over the same kind of terrain. Pace yourself on those long rides so that you finish feeling tired but capable of doing more if you had to. Experiment with eating and drinking on your long rides. Try different foods and sports drinks, and decide which ones work best for you. Do energy gels work better than energy bars or do they make you ill and you need proper food? As your training increases, eat more complex carbohydrates to keep up with the increasing demands for energy, and ensure you stay hydrated, before, during and after the training rides. Always stretch after a training ride, key areas are all of the leg muscles but especially the hamstrings, your back, neck and shoulders. Learn how much you sweat on training rides by weighing yourself before and after a long training ride. Each pound represents 2 cups of water. Add the amount you drank on the ride to what you lost, then divide the total by the number of hours you rode. This should tell you how much you need to drink during your ride. On the day of the big ride, you'll need to drink before you get thirsty. The best way to learn training, hydration and eating tips is to ride with people who have done it before, but you can certainly do it on your own. Find your local club via the British Cycling Website s Club Finder Don't try anything new on the day of your 100 km ride. Don't try any foods you're not used to. Use the same equipment you've been training on. 5

5 On the challenge you will be cycling in a peloton, which will be led by experienced pace cyclists who will set a pace for the overall group and will be monitoring that safe cycling is being practiced by all out on the road. When cycling, you will be expected to abide by the event rules as briefed on the challenge. In order to prepare for the experience of cycling in a peloton and to maximise the enjoyment for all of the group, we recommend that you include the below into your training plan: Cycling in traffic we cannot avoid all built-up areas on the ride, practice cycling in busy traffic to build your confidence. You should always cycle defensively working on the principle of the driver has not seen me, and don t try and predict what any vehicle is going to do. Please see the Guide to Riding in Traffic in the participants area which has been published by British Cycling for more information on this topic. ( Cycling downhill many accidents occur when cyclists are speeding downhill - practice this and you will know your own limits and do not get drawn into a downhill race! Cycling uphill by practicing this skill you will become better at it, you need to practice the use of your gears, and you will soon notice that the hills become less of a challenge, requiring less energy to complete the tough climbs. The easier you find hill climbs, the more you will enjoy the challenge we promise! Cycling in groups is a different experience to cycling alone and requires concentration and awareness of the other cyclists around you. Join a cycling club or take part in an organised ride to build up your confidence in groups and to develop your awareness of other cyclists on the road. Don t fall into bad habits! - on the challenge you will not be allowed to cycle more than two abreast at any time, or to draft (cycle closely behind another cyclist to make use of their slipstream), so make sure that you don't fall into cycling habits which are practised by some cyclists to gain speed or race, and will not be safe cycling practices for group cycling. Bicycle Helmet Cycling shoes Cycling shorts and jersey Finally.. The Training Guide is designed to be your base guide for preparing for the Challenge Cancer Cycle. However if you have any questions in relation to this guide or anything to do with the challenge, please feel free to us at info@cyclecancer.com or call The Challenge Cancer Team, 6