Suggestions for a training programme please

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laertes

Senior Member
I have been cycling for a few months, with the hope of losing some weight, but time constraints have meant that I have not made much progress. I am going to have a 2 week window (while my wife and son go off to France on hols) when I will be able to cycle as much as I like - once I get home from work and on the weekend.

So I would like some tips on realistic / stretching targets for the 12 days available.

I am currently 93 KG (about 14 stone 5 in old money) but 6' 4 so not very overweight, but ideally looking to be 85Kg (13 st 7) by the end of the year. I am 40, and ride a hybrid Trek 7300.

To date I have been getting out on the bike 1-2 times a week, occasionally thrice, and doing 60-90 mins, occasionally 2 hours. I am doing about 14-15 miles in my hour, the longest I have done is 20-22 miles in about 2 hours (on a busy cycle path so could not go as fast as I would like).

I am going to have Mon-Fri to do 2-3 hours of cycling per night. Should I be out every night or give my self a rest? If I can easily do 20 miles now (in about 90 mins) what should I start with and what should I aim to achieve by Friday? 30? 35? Less?

I would then like to do at least one long ride over the weekend. Should I target 40? 50?

I appreciate this will all be individual and up to me as to what I can bear, but I would like advice on the plan

Thanks in advance
Laertes
 

skwerl

New Member
Location
London
thing is, if it's just for 2 weeks then it's not really going to make much difference in the long run. You can't just rapidly ramp up the amount of riding your doing. It needs to be done slowly or you'll be knackered. What happens after the wife gets home? Back to the old routine?
 
OP
OP
L

laertes

Senior Member
Fair point, I am trying to get a couple of hours cycling fixed into my routine 3 times a week, I just need to be more disciplined about taking the time for myself.
 

Blonde

New Member
Location
Bury, Lancashire
Upping mileage must be done very gradually and with at least one day off between each session. You need rest for your heart to recover and repair. When you cycle you are creating tiny tears in the muscles you're using, and they also need rest in order to repair the damage. This is when they actually get larger. I would aim to increase mileage by increasing the amount of time on the bike, in small increments of say, ten to fifteen minutes each ride, rather than worrying too much about the actual miles covered. You'll increase the mileage naturally, but you need to be able to ride aerobically (at a lower effort, ie. slow-er) in order to be able to go further more easily, so it may take a little longer to do those miles.

If you can ride for 2 hours, perhaps aim for 2 hours 10 or 15, then 2 hours 20 or 25, etc. until you are riding for 4 hours. Then, if you're still doing 10-15 miles an hour you'll find you are doing about 40-50 miles anyway. That's when it starts getting really exciting and you'll be wanting to do a century next....

BTW, If you're riding for over 2 hours, do remember to take something to eat. I know you said you want to lose weight but it's counter-productive not eating whilst riding, as you'll only get the 'bonk' from low blood sugar, feel awful, cut short your ride and then be more likely to eat too much when you get home. Take some food with you - even if it's just a couple of bananas or a sandwhich. Good luck and enjoy it!
 
What Blonde said.

Plus, don't hammer it when you are riding. If you're riding for weight loss, go slowly so that your body metabolises fat as fuel and not glycogen.

Other things to try - walking up and down the stairs at work instead of taking the lift, having fruit instead of biscuits on your desk, keeping a set of weights handy when you are watching TV, getting off the bus one stop earlier, walking back from the shops with the shopping, going for a walk at lunch hour instead of reading the paper, you get the picture.
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
Interesting article Gunner, although I haven't seen it before I do something similar, except on the easy days when someone goes past me the plan goes out the window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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