0 - 40 in 10 weeks

Just ride. The rest pretty much takes care of itself. Add time and distance as you get more fit to the point that you know that you can do a 40 miler when your ride date arrives. Then sit back, do your thing and enjoy it! 😉

ermintrude123 said:

Hello,
I live in a particularly hilly area in the uk, and am about to begin training for a charity ride which takes place in September. Does anyone have any tips or training programmes that would be of use. Although i am an experienced cyclist, i havent cycled for the past 6 months due to an injury, therefore have to begin training from the beginning and need to be fit enough to attempt 40 miles of hills in ten weeks time. help!

Something tells me that if you were truly an experienced cyclist you would already know how to tackle 40 miles of hills in 10 weeks.

Start slowly
Add miles gradually
Don't reinjure yourself
Reassess your progress

Sorry, I didnt realise that by saying I was an experienced cyclist that it meant to forum members i was lance armstrong. Please could you send me the link where it has the cycling forum definitions. I must have missed it. When i say experienced it meant I have cycled regularly, for fairly long distances and for many years on various terrain. However I have done this for pleasure and not for an organised and particularly hilly and arduous ride before, and therefore was hoping for constructive advice rather than a smart ass comment. However, as your location is 'the adult video section' I shouldnt be too suprised at your response.

Doctor Morbius said:

Something tells me that if you were truly an experienced cyclist you would already know how to tackle 40 miles of hills in 10 weeks.

Start slowly
Add miles gradually
Don't reinjure yourself
Reassess your progress

It really depends on your target pace and whether the course has any long climbs (e.g., >1 mile). You should be able to get your distance up to 40 miles in just a few weeks at a comfortable pace (e.g., 75% of your max HR). I wasn't on my bike at all for years and was riding 40 miles at 75% MHR in about 2 weeks. Long climbs are another matter, because there's no chance to rest. You have a high intensity workload for a long time. There's hardly any good way to simulate this sustained intensity other than make long climbs frequently (e.g., every week). I suppose the next best thing is to use a trainer and a high resistance/low cadence for, say, 1/2 hour at a time.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

RapDaddyo said:

It really depends on your target pace and whether the course has any long climbs (e.g., >1 mile). You should be able to get your distance up to 40 miles in just a few weeks at a comfortable pace (e.g., 75% of your max HR). I wasn't on my bike at all for years and was riding 40 miles at 75% MHR in about 2 weeks. Long climbs are another matter, because there's no chance to rest. You have a high intensity workload for a long time. There's hardly any good way to simulate this sustained intensity other than make long climbs frequently (e.g., every week). I suppose the next best thing is to use a trainer and a high resistance/low cadence for, say, 1/2 hour at a time.

First make sure that you have a seat that you want to spend 40 miles on. Then start riding for an hour to one and half hours a day on the flats for 6 days a week. Use small gears for 4 of the 6 days to build up cadence work and give your kness a break. On the tail end of the 2nd week or beginning of the 3rd week, add some hill work. It doesn't need to be a lot, but at least 10 minutes total. You should be able to get through 40 miles. Actually it should be easy. Take a day off before the ride...

Good luck

Earlier this year (end of April) I cycled up Halealeka in Maui. Sea level to 10,000 in 35 miles. My "training" didn't really start until the first of April. I had no trouble putting on enough miles to make it. Through march I only had about 330 miles on my legs. I more than doubled that in April. 40 miles in 10 weeks shouldn't be any trouble if you just don't bite off too much too soon....

L

ermintrude123 said:

Sorry, I didnt realise that by saying I was an experienced cyclist that it meant to forum members i was lance armstrong. Please could you send me the link where it has the cycling forum definitions. I must have missed it. When i say experienced it meant I have cycled regularly, for fairly long distances and for many years on various terrain. However I have done this for pleasure and not for an organised and particularly hilly and arduous ride before, and therefore was hoping for constructive advice rather than a smart ass comment. However, as your location is 'the adult video section' I shouldnt be too suprised at your response.

Yeah, right. You didn't even state the nature or severity of your injury. Head trauma I suppose?

You don't have to be anybody special to ride a bike 40 miles at a charity ride pace. Nobody is going to organize "the 3nd annual ride for doofuses" or any other charity ride up Alp D'Huez or people wouldn't sign up. Basically you can start at 1 mile and add 1 mile per ride 4 times a week for 10 weeks. You won't need any intervals or any elaborate training rituals to pull it off.

Wear a helmet!