TRAINING TIPS

Southern Lakes Tour de Femme- training programme

The training programme is a guideline only. It will work for some people very well but others it may not quite be what they need. There is a lot of information around on the internet these days. If you try this or any programme with commitment, you should experience improvement and gain in your riding. You should also finish the race not feeling shattered.

This programme is written for a recreational rider that may be working full time or has young children at home. So time is at a premium. It is only 10 weeks long. You can start training before this. You will build on your base fitness. But for those who are skiing or did not make the decision to do the race until September it isn’t too late.

The programme is written with three blocks with a week of taper in the last week. The first block is base fitness just getting out on the bike. The second block is longer rides with endurance being the focus. The third block is about speed. Just putting it together and going faster.

OTHER ELEMENTS

Many people think that getting fit on their bike will bring desired result. Sadly, it’s not that simple. Getting the body fit requires work and dedication but sometimes there can be fundamental things that will limit this. Some limiting factors can be poor nutrition, lack of rest or poor alignment on the bike. Nearly all this can be managed with help of doctor physios, massage, nutritionist and a good bike set up.

A lot of people seem to lose perspective on why it is they are participating in an event. People put immense pressure on themselves and crack under the pressure. Be clear with yourself why you are doing an event, the benefits you are gaining and the positive things happening around you. Keep it real. If you get sick or something comes up take a break from training without guilt. You will still finish the race.

It is not necessarily the case the more time you spend on the bike the better your race will be. Keep balance in your life and enjoy the ride.

RECREATIONAL RIDER 10 WEEK PROGRAMME

Riding 3 days a week with an optional 4^th day. You can also include other cardio exercise for the same duration in the base period. Additional strength training and stretching will also help you improve and recover from your efforts.

Thanks very much to Jodi Voyce for putting together this training plan for us.

BASE BLOCK	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Tuesday	10 minute warm up 3x 10 minutes	10 minutes warm up 2x 12 minutes	10 minutes warm up 2 x 15 minutes
	steady with 10 minutes easy in between	steady with 12 minutes easy in between	steady with 15 minutes easy in between
Thursday	1 hour easy ride rolling hills	1 hour easy ride with rolling hills	1 hour 15 easy ride with rolling hills
Saturday	Optional 1 hour easy ride	Optional 1 hour easy ride	Optional 1 hour easy
Sunday	1hour 15 minutes easy to steady	1 hour 30 minutes easy to steady	1 hour plus ride to how you feel
ENDURANCE BLOCK	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
Tuesday	10 minutes warm up 3x 10 minutes	10 minutes warm up 2x 15 minutes	10 minutes warm up 2x 17 minutes
	steady with 10 minutes easy in between	steady with 15 minutes easy in between	steady with 17 minutes easy in between
Thursday	1 hour easy	1 hour easy	1 hour easy
Saturday	Optional Group ride*	Optional group ride*	Optional group ride*
Sunday	1 hour 30 steady to easy	1 hour 45 steady to easy	2 hours steady easy
	* Group rides are with 3 or more people
	Learn to follow the wheel in front of you and draft. Only take a short time in the front.
SPEED BLOCK	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9
Tuesday	15 minutes warm up 15 hard as you can	15 min. warm up 15 minutes hard as you can	15 min. warm up 20 minutes hard as you can
	15 minutes easy 15 minutes steady	10 minutes easy 15 minutes steady	15 minutes easy 20 minutes steady
Thursday	1 hour 15 minutes easy ride	1 hour 15 minutes easy ride	1 hour 30 minutes easy ride
Saturday	Optional Group ride*	Optional group ride*	Optional group ride*
Sunday	1 hour 30 staedy to easy ride	1 hour 45 steady easy ride	2 hour steady easy ride
TAPER	Week 10- 3 easy rides just turning your legs over with at least 2 days off before race day. Rest and eat well.
	GOOD LUCK!