training plan

[cyclenic]

I've got the dartmoor classic in 13 weeks, and after not doing aby cycling for months i fonally got back in the saddle last week, doing 3 5-7mile rides. realising how unfit i've become i'm hoping i can pull this off.
with my unfitness in mind, what does everyone think of my timetable?



14 14-20[sup]th[/sup] march 5 – 8
13 21-27[sup]th[/sup] 10 - 16
12 28-3[sup]rd[/sup] april 10 – 16
11 4-10[sup]th[/sup] 15 – 24
10 11-17[sup]th [/sup]20 - 32
9 18 – 24[sup]th [/sup]20 - 32
8 25-1[sup]st[/sup] may 25 - 40
7 2-8[sup]th [/sup]25 - 40
6 9-15[sup]th [/sup]30 – 48
5 16-22[sup]nd [/sup]30 – 48
4 23-29[sup]th [/sup]35 – 56
3 30-5[sup]th[/sup] june 35 – 56
2 6-12[sup]th[/sup] 40 - 64
1 13-19[sup]th [/sup]40 - 64
0 last week -

 

[cyclenic]

it still looks rubbish after editing it, i hope it's clear to understand

 

[Crackle]

Does that dash mean 'to' i.e. 40 to 64 miles or does it mean 40 miles with a 64 mile long ride? And are those figures weekly figures.

I'm thinking it's slightly cautious after your 4th week and towards the end you could probably throw in a bigger week and taper down but don't taper to zero in your last week (I may be reading that wrong).

As a plan though it's pretty good, consistency and regularity is key, don't miss your targets (he says with a hollow laugh) and make sure you build in some reward targets in there i.e. a favourite ride or a special ride and be prepared to change it on feel. Building a short week in the middle of your build up is sometimes helpful too. And remember no plan ever survives contact with the road and your muscles so be prepared to re-evaluate it as you go.

 

[cyclenic]

Does that dash mean 'to' i.e. 40 to 64 miles or does it mean 40 miles with a 64 mile long ride? And are those figures weekly figures.

I'm thinking it's slightly cautious after your 4th week and towards the end you could probably throw in a bigger week and taper down but don't taper to zero in your last week (I may be reading that wrong).

As a plan though it's pretty good, consistency and regularity is key, don't miss your targets (he says with a hollow laugh) and make sure you build in some reward targets in there i.e. a favourite ride or a special ride and be prepared to change it on feel. Building a short week in the middle of your build up is sometimes helpful too. And remember no plan ever survives contact with the road and your muscles so be prepared to re-evaluate it as you go.

sorry it's a rubbish post, with rubbish spelling (does rubbish have 2 b's??)

anyway 40-60 was ment to mean 40 miles which is 60km, as the classic is 100k

week 2 went well btw

 

[Crackle]

Yes it does have two b's.

All good so far then. How many rides a week are you doing for the mileage? Because if you're spreading it over 3 or 4 then none of the mileages are taking you close to the 100k you'll need to do in one go and if you're only doing one ride a week at some point you'll hit a wall. Normally you hit a wall anyhow and go backwards for a few rides before things start improving again.

Personally I'd work it backwards from 100k using the 10% rule or from 75k, 75% of the 100, which is the figure normally mentioned for preparing for a longer ride, the longest ride of the week being no more than your previous total rides for the week i.e. if you do 4 rides, 3x10 then the 4th is 30.

So week 0 is your 100k just a few wind down rides early in the week
week 1 is 90k say 3x15 and 45 or 3x35's
week 2 is 80k 3x15 and a 35
etc..

You can jiggle it so that you do more longer rides towards the end or however you think suits you, I'm far from an expert on this. If it was me I'd want to have done the distance or near the distance before I did the event. 75% of it is what I think is recommended. Not that I'm saying your own plan won't get you there but if you have a bad day or it's windy and grim you might struggle without a bit more of a base behind you.

 

[pepecat]

I'm doing the same event (100k) and worried about my training too.... am up to 15-20 miles at the mo, but only going out once a week..... it's not the distance that bothers me so much as i did 30 miles last oct with relative ease and not all that much training, it's the hills!!! Have examined the route and it scares me. Various long grinders.... Was planning on doing a couple of short rides a week and trying to make them hill work type things (i'm thinking 8-10 miles) and then doing the usual long ride a week, increasing the distances as i go. Not sure it'll work though......

 

[cyclenic]

ok, let me explain. in the past 2 weeks, i have been going out for 3 rides each week.
Week one, the rides were all about 5 miles each.
Week 2 was 3 rides all around 10 miles. week 3 will be the same, week 4 will be 3 rides all about 15 miles, and so on. with my shifts and childcare i can only fit in 3-4 rides if i'm lucky. so hoping to reach my weekly milage targets for the rides, doing 3 rides a week or more, and just build up.

Pepecat (why the name?) do you live down this way? i live pretty much liveontop of the route for the classic, and last years traning consisted of, an almost everyride, 20 mile first stretch practice. Aiming to do the same this year, trying the hills and building up. lucky i suppose, or not as the case may be

 

[Crackle]

Ah! In that case the plan looks a whole lot different and should be plenty.

 

[pepecat]

Hi cyclenic...

I live in Brum, but hail from yonder hills down there - other side of the estuary in exmouth actually. So i'm familiar with the terrain, but have never cycled it - hence the terror!! I hear the climb up out of Doccombe is an absolute killer.....

The name is cos i like cats (we have three), and when i'm being a bit daft, we call it a 'pepe' moment, like a hapless french spy / resistance worker who gets a good idea and then in carrying it out, realises there is a flaw in the plan. It's a stereotype, and yes, pepe isn't a particularly french name, but there you go!

 

[cyclenic]

pepecat, i've lived this way all my life, and previously (as a teen) cycled parts of those roads before. the harder parts of the classic i'd say are from holne to dartmeet, and out of moreton to doccombe. Not looking forward to those again. so unfit right now

 

[pepecat]

Hmmm, looking at the map i think i meant the hill UP to Doccombe, not out of it! Though the fact that the last 15 miles are pretty much all downhill is good......

On mapmyride, someone's put the dartmoor classic route in and you can examine the gradients / hill lengths... i wish i hadn't done that!!

 

[cyclenic]

My trraining plan has totally gone out of the window. i haven't cycles in the last 2 weeks, due to family terminal illness and the step daughter at ours for the easter holiday. I have serious doubts i can do the dartmoor classic, as i'm not fit enough and dont have the seat hours for it. Thinking about dropping out, to let someone else have my space. what do you think?

 

[Jerry Atrik]

Hey Cyclenic stick at it . For the last 3 Sunday's ive done half the course , ie start at Kingsteignton to Bovey up to Manaton and Houndtor then drop down to Morten then climb back up to Docombe and back along the Teign valley which is roughly 35 miles with a couple of Jail Ales thrown in at the Teign House . That is more training than i done for the whole event last year and it has got easier . Holne was hell last year but planning to tackle the whole course this Sunday but as a day out rather than at pace just to get the miles in . Good luck !

 

[pepecat]

Looking at the map of the route, the last 10 miles or so are all downhill back towards ashburton way....therefore i figure the ride is only about 55 miles......

 

[Jerry Atrik]

The last 10 miles from steps bridge is indeed downhill along the valley with 1 little surprise that catches alot of people out about 5 miles from base .