Welcome to your Weekly Training Newsletters
GETTING STARTED The beginning of any training plan can be pretty daunting. Learn how to settle in and get familiar with your bike and the road
VIDEO Fundraising Ideas Making the daunting task of fundraising a little less ‘hairy’
EQUIPMENT The condition of your bike is essential for safety and training. Is yours road worthy?
@FITFAQs
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Welcome to your Sportive Training In the UK and indeed around the world, the number of people who have taken up cycling in the past decade has grown exponentially. If you are one of the newcomers to the world of cycling and / or this is the first major event you have signed up for, then first and foremost - welcome to this exclusive and exciting club, or should I say family? On the whole, cyclists are a friendly bunch so you can look forward to socialising with a wide range of riders from all backgrounds over the course of your sportive training.
Relax and don’t be intimidated If you have just taken up riding in the last few months, and are a little daunted by the prospect of your upcoming sportive then try not to be. Training for a sportive is not as difficult as you may think and provided that you follow the weekly advice in these newsletters over the course of the next few months, I can promise that you’ll not only easily reach that finish line - but make the start line brimming with confidence. With weekly advice on training, nutrition, gadgets and riding technique - as well as a selection of exclusive educational videos produced especially for these Newsletters, your training couldn’t be in better hands. I sincerely hope you enjoy receiving a new and “info packed” Newsletter at the beginning of every week to help inspire you and offer practical advice as you build towards race day. The next few months of training will of course not be without their challenges, but every mistake you make I guarantee you’ll learn from and will ultimately make you a more experienced and race confident rider. Trust me - you’ll be fine!
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Welcome to your Sportive Training Everyone’s an expert - including you! As you’ll soon realise, when you meet other cyclists who have been riding for years, they are understandably incredibly passionate about their sport and are only too happy to talk about their experiences and pass on words of advice. Although you may find that some seasoned riders may impart their passion a little too aggressively and monologue on minor topics such as tyre pressure, brake pads and saddles, the hospitality of the cycling family is incredibly welcoming, so never be afraid to chat to fellow riders and ask for advice. Of course, with so much passion and well meaning advice doing the rounds both in print, online and in person, try to remember that you are an individual and you must train like one! By all means, listen to every gem of advice offered but never feel pressured to train harder or differently if you’re not comfortable doing so or you simply don’t have the time. Any expert can give you accurate and performance enhancing training advice, but if that advice involves squeezing in an additional 5 hours of training every week that you can’t find due to other commitments, then that advice is not useful advice. YOU are the expert whether that advice can be acted upon, because ultimately it’s YOU who is doing the training! Time is a precious commodity these days, especially if you have a career and a family, so by all means listen to all the advice you are given, but never feel you have to take that advice as gospel or you’ll simply end up getting overwhelmed and confused. Navigating your way through the training, technique, nutrition and injury minefield of advice is tricky - which is precisely the reason why your Charity has signed you up to receive these Weekly Training Newsletters. Their purpose is to keep things as simple as possible, offer practical and realistic advice that you can use and help to keep you on the straight and narrow right up until race day.
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Welcome to your Sportive Training Plan your Training Schedule - NOW There’s a good chance that you’ve only recently had confirmation through that you’ve got a place in a Sportive. Your emotions are likely to be mixture of joy and fear of what lies ahead - but you have yet to think about how to schedule your training. Although you’ve got plenty of time before Race Day, I strongly suggest that sometime in the next few days, you take some time out to plan your training schedule and figure out how you can best fit it around your work and family commitments. Regardless of which training schedule you choose to follow, you’ll be expected to dedicate at least 3-4 days every week to training, with rides lasting anywhere from 1-2 hours mid week and up to a thigh busting 5 hours in the latter stages of training! The time you need to dedicate to training and preparation should not be under-estimated, so discuss your anticipated training schedule over with your wife, husband, boss and friends etc. and make sure they are happy with the times you are planning to spend training. No training schedule ever goes exactly to plan, but if you get organised early and get mutual understanding and agreement from those around you, you have a far better chance of ensuring your training is consistent and therefore of high quality.
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Welcome to your Sportive Training First Things First - Check your Equipment If you have ever trained for a mass participation running race such as a marathon or half marathon, one of the first things you will (or at least should) have done is make sure your running shoes are the right fit and correct for your running “gait” and that your training kit is comfortable and suitable for the conditions. When it comes to training for a cycling event, the importance of checking your equipment is arguably even more important. Although you can literally spend hundreds of pounds having a detailed “bike fit” making sure that your bike set up matches your biomechanics down to the closest millimetre, this is a luxury service that sadly most of us can’t afford. The good news however, is that most good bike stores will not only help you to make sure your saddle and handlebars etc. are the right height for you, but they will also give your bike a service to ensure the chain, brakes, gears and wheels etc. are all in good working order and give you the green light to clock up some miles. This service usually cost no more than £40-50 and will invariably save you 5 times that amount if you were to ignore the service and break something or cause chronic damage to parts after a few hundred miles. Try to resist muttering that immortal phrase “oh, it’ll be fine” and ignore the above advice. There’s a good chance all will appear fine for a few weeks, but, in the interests of safety and the potential for larger servicing bills in the future, get yourself down to your local bike store and get your bike checked professionally.
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Welcome to your Sportive Training Let’s get Fundraising Once you received confirmation that you had been accepted to take part in your upcoming sportive, there’s a good chance that your main focus has been on the demanding training schedule that lies ahead and how you’re going to manage to find time to clock up those miles on the road. As vitally important as your training is, you’re also going to have to put a lot of time and effort into fundraising and help raise as much money for your chosen Charity as you can. Whatever Charity you are riding for, you’ll be amazed at just how far even the smallest amount of money can go - every penny you raise really does count. The good news is that there is in fact an easy way to raise a few hundred pounds - and leave a big smile on the faces of all your friends and family - especially those who are you close to you!
Throw a Leg wax Party Cyclists are famous for having hairless legs, so why not throw a party and have your legs made silky smooth, courtesy of a qualified beautician and some hot wax! Not sure what to expect? Then take a look at this video! Yes, this was me getting my pins waxed to raise money for my chosen charity for RideLondon 2014. Everyone (except me) had an incredibly fun day, and donations to watch the hair be waxed from my legs (and chest) flew in. Without exception, every donor happily handed over money to watch me suffer. For an extra £10, the beautician even offered people the chance to wax a strip themselves - under careful supervision of course. Most agreed that this was the best £10 they had ever spent! All truth be told, it wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be and the total raised certainly made the ‘mild discomfort’ all worth while. So what are you waiting For? Get that waxing party organised!
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Welcome to your Sportive Training About the Author: Graeme Hilditch is a Celebrity Personal Trainer and leading authority on running, cycling and fitness training, with nearly 20 years of experience as a leading fitness professional. A keen runner and cyclist, Graeme has competed in most of the UK’s leading endurance events such as The London Marathon, The Royal Parks Half Marathon and The Ride London 100 to name a few. Author of 5 endurance and fitness books translated into multiple languages, Graeme is a highly respected figure in the world of endurance training. As well as writing, Graeme is also a well respected presenter and holds running and cycling training days for several of the UK’s largest Charities. Graeme lives in the Cotswolds with his wife Jo and two young children.
i love this book – it’s really practical and helpful, and i’m often flicking through it.
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Sophie Raworth, newsreader and journalist, in Marie Claire (May 2014)
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he popularity of the marathon and half marathon continues unabated. Up and down the country people are signing up in their thousands, many to raise money for their favourite charity, others simply as a means of getting fit. Now in its second edition, Marathon and Half Marathon – A Training Guide is essential reading for anyone intending to enter a half or full marathon. Written by a highly experienced personal trainer who has helped hundreds of runners achieve their own personal goal, this acclaimed and best-selling book has everything you need, from advice on what to wear to staying fit during those long training sessions. This fully updated and revised edition features:
Cover design by Maggie Mellett Front and back cover photos by Dreamstime
for details of our other books visit www.crowood.com
Marathon and half Marathon a training guide
2nd edition
graeMe hilditch
n New ‘pre-hab’ and core stability exercises to help prevent injury n The latest science on how, when and why to stretch n Expert advice on how to use your time to train most effectively n A series of programmes aimed at beginner, intermediate and advanced runners n Inspirational real-life stories from runners
GRaeMe HildiTcH is a highly experienced personal trainer and endurance running expert. He has helped hundreds of first-time runners and celebrities achieve their half/full marathon goals. as well as a highly sought after presenter for charity marathon training days, he is also author of a series of running training guides for some of the UK’s largest charitable organisations. His five other books have also gone on to be well received by the international running community and translated into other languages. He lives in the cotswolds with his wife and two young children. He can be followed on twitter at @fitFaQS
Marathon and half Marathon a t r a i n i n g g u i d e
Books: “
£14.99
graeMe hilditch Crowood
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16 Weeks to go Easy does it
TRAINING
VIDEO
The beginning of any training plan can be pretty daunting.
Always expect the unexpected.
Learn how to settle in and get familiar with your bike and the road
Cars and their drivers can be very (un)predictable
Suggested Total weekly mileage: 50-60 miles
NUTRITION Key tips on how to hydrate safely whilst riding.
Suggested Long Ride Distance: 20 miles
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Training tip of the week - Relax and Explore Welcome the first of your Weekly Training Newsletters. For the next 16 weeks, you’ll be receiving a Weekly Newsletter containing vital training information on how to prepare for your Sportive. If you have just started training, there is still plenty of time left to get you into race shape, so even if you know of people who have been training for weeks, relax and don’t panic that you’re behind schedule! This week, ease into your training plan by riding a few easy, flat routes and getting familiar with your bike. Make sure your saddle height is correct, you’re comfortable with gear changes and that your brakes are responsive and working well. Now is also a good time to explore the local area to find a variety of safe routes you can use for training rides. As simple as it may appear to plan a circular route from your house using mapping software, in reality, this is not the best way to map out your routes. What mapping software isn’t able to do is give you details of the road conditions and tell you if certain routes are of poor quality or dangerous. The three key things to make a note of to determine if a route is one you should consider riding or avoiding are:
Road Quality - Don’t assume that a flat, quiet and seemingly perfect stretch of road going
to be an ideal surface to ride on. All too often, you’ll find that what looks like an ideal route is pitted with pot holes! Roads peppered with potholes are best avoided, especially if you are new to cycling and a little nervous about your safety. Pot holes can cause serious injury to you and your bike, so try to find an alternative route if you can. I’ll talk more about pot holes in the next few weeks.
Traffic Density
- Although you’ll never be able to find a route which is 100% traffic free, it’s best to avoid routes which will see you spending a lot of time on busy main roads. When you combine the density and speed of fast moving cars - particularly lorries - riding on major A roads, especially during rush hour, is a risk that you should avoid if at all possible.
Too Hilly - Riding up hills is a fantastic form of training and something you will be spending a
fair share of your time doing over the course of your training. However, there are times and places to include big hills in your training rides and sometimes too many hills can actually be detrimental to your training. So, make a note of routes which are hilly and which are flat, so you can choose which route to take depending on what your training plan advises.
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Video of the week - Expect the Unexpected
I think it’s fair to say that relations between cyclist and motorist can at times be a little strained. Motorists have a go at cyclists for being “selfish, irresponsible and dangerous” then cyclists have a go back and accuse motorists of having exactly the same inconsiderate qualities. Whether you drive a car or ride a bike, the fact is that if a person is “selfish, irresponsible and dangerous” then it’s the person behind the wheel or handlebars that is to blame - not the mode of transport that they choose to travel by. In other words - an irresponsible road user is an irresponsible road user, whether they drive an articulated lorry or ride a scooter! Whenever you go out riding, it’s essential that you obey all the traffic laws and be considerate to all motorists. As the more vulnerable road user, it’s within your interests in terms of your safety, to ride defensively and always expect the unexpected! If you are new to cycling, there is nothing to fear when out riding, but until your instincts improve by clocking up hundreds of riding miles among traffic, it’s essential that you keep your concentration high at all times. The video above gives you a perfect example of what can happen out of the blue when you’re out riding and why you should always expect the unexpected. This was filmed when out training for a sportive in the beautiful Cotswolds. I expected the unexpected…….and the unexpected happened!
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Nutrition tip of the week - Hydrating on the move Learning to take a drink on the move is a skill which you will have to perfect, so learning how to do it safely is best done sooner rather than later. In a couple of months time and during the race itself, you’re going to be riding for several hours non-stop, so hydrating regularly is essential to keep your fluids topped up and your legs moving efficiently. By the time of the race, you should have two water bottle slots on your bike frame, so you’ll need to practice reaching for both slots safely without needing to look down. The actual principal of reaching for your bottle, taking a swig and then placing it back in the holder is not that difficult, but it’s one of those skills that simply requires practice.
The best place to practice this skill is on a turbo (see video below) but if you don’t own one, start by practicing on a very quiet road whilst riding at a gentle speed. As you get better and more proficient at grasping, drinking and then replacing the bottle, speed up a little until eventually you have the confidence to try it on a busier road.
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Gadget of the week - Cycling Computer
Since the rise in popularity of cycling, the sport has gained somewhat of a reputation for seducing riders (particularly gadget-loving men) into buying an array of expensive cycling kit and gadgets. This reputation I’m afraid to say is well and truly justified - especially when it comes to Cycling Computers. The question many new riders want to know is whether Cycling Computers are worth the money and do they actually help you with your training? As a fitness professional and cyclist, I can honestly say that if you are only going to buy one “gadget” it should be a Cycling Computer / GPS device. Falsely regarded by many novice cyclists as a gadget reserved for the more serious / competitive rider, a Cycling Computer is an excellent tool to give you feedback on a range of vital riding information. If used properly, a cycling computer can not only serve as an incredibly useful navigation tool, but more importantly help you to pace your rides and ensure you stick to a sustainable speed and cadence that you can maintain for the duration of your training ride.
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Gadget of the week - Cycling Computer Cont.... Benefits of a Cycling Computer Garmin are market leaders in cycling computers and in my experience, the functionality of their products fully justify their market dominance. Like all gadgets, the more money you spend, the more feedback your computer will give you, but even the most basic of models will provide you with the following information during a ride: • • • • • • •
Heart Rate Speed Average Speed Distance travelled Cadence Incline % Computer link-up functionality
The benefit of being able to see a wide range of data from your heart rate to your cadence, to the % incline of the hill that you are climbing will help you massively, as you are then able to regulate your effort and ensure you are training at the right intensity. In addition, all of the information your Cycling Computer gathers from your ride, is then easily downloadable to your home computer and viewed on your choice of (free) software such as Strava. (I’ll talk about Strava next week) So, not only is the in-ride information on your computer incredibly useful for you to glance at as you tear up the tarmac, but the post-ride information is also automatically analysed and tells you if you are getting fitter and better able to tolerate those thigh burning hills. The cost of cycling computers can be understandably off putting, but if you can spare upwards of £200, you’ll be investing in an incredibly useful gadget that will keep you company on your rides for many years to come. If you want to have a look at which model suits you and your budget, click this link
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15 Weeks to go Learn good Habits
TRAINING
BIKE CARE
RIDING KIT
Cycling Cadence
Punctures happen!
Are you wearing the right clothes?
What’s the optimum cycling cadence?
Learn how to change to a puncture with confidence
Suggested Total weekly mileage: 55-60 miles
Tips on making your rides more comfortable
Suggested Long Ride Distance: 20-25 miles 1
Training tip of the week - Cycling Cadence
The importance of cycling cadence (RPM), ie. the number of times per minute your turn the pedal a full 360 degrees, is often under-estimated by riders taking on their first Sportive. Although you can get away with riding at a low cadence for leisurely weekend rides, when your training rides start lasting longer than 2 hours or so, your legs will benefit from cycling at a higher cadence. A higher cadence doesn’t suit everyone, but if you can get used to it, then it’ll be to your advantage. Although some riders can tolerate riding for long periods(even a full Sportive) at a low cadence, science has proven that riding at cadence of 80rpm or less, fatigues your muscles far too quickly. This is because in order to generate the power you are asking of them to ride at a certain speed, your leg muscles are working harder than they should be. The muscle fibres that are recruited when riding at a low cadence, although capable of producing a lot of power, fatigue quite quickly which results in the legs tiring far sooner than they should. By cycling at a higher cadence of 90-95 rpm, you will recruit a more “endurance suited” type of muscle fibre, meaning your legs will be far more efficient, use less energy during long rides and be far more resistant to fatigue. To see the difference between a low and high cadence, check out the video above and see for yourself how slow a 70-80rpm looks compared to 90-95rpm. Note though, just because you are riding at a high cadence, it doesn’t mean that you need to ride at a break neck speed. Use your gears to find a suitable one so that you can spin at 90-95rpm, but remain at a comfortable pace. It might take a while, but after just a little bit of training and practice you’ll soon be comfortable riding at a cadence of 90-95rpm - and in a great place for a great race.
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