Training for Bike Touring
Goals:
-
To be able to bike for a full day.
-
To be able to bike for several consecutive days.
Training Priciples:
-
Building up 'the long ride' over several weeks.
-
Getting your weekly mileage up to three-to-four times your expected daily
mileage (including two to three rides of medium length).
-
Including light days and rest days.
-
Including light weeks and rest weeks.
-
Including some 'hills' workouts.
-
Adjusting your daily routine to be as similar to your target routine as
possible (including sleep-wake times, exercise times, diet, fluid intake,
etc.).
A Sample Training Plan:
| Week No. |
Mon. |
Tues. |
Wed. |
Thurs. |
Fri. |
Sat. |
Sun. |
Total |
| 1. |
6 |
10 |
12 |
rest |
10 |
30 |
9 |
77 |
| 2. |
7 |
11 |
13 |
rest |
11 |
34 |
10 |
86 |
| 3. |
8 |
13 |
15 |
rest |
13 |
38 |
11 |
98 |
| 4. |
8 |
14 |
17 |
rest |
14 |
42 |
13 |
108 |
| 5. |
9 |
15 |
19 |
rest |
15 |
47 |
14 |
119 |
| 6. |
11 |
15 |
21 |
rest |
15 |
53 |
16 |
131 |
| 7. |
12 |
15 |
24 |
rest |
15 |
59 |
18 |
143 |
| 8. |
13 |
15 |
25 |
rest |
15 |
65 |
20 |
153 |
Fluid Replacement:
-
Your body loses 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid per hour in moderate temperature.
-
Drink before you are thirsty! Also eat before you are hungry!
How to Recognize Overtraining:
-
A significant increase in resting heart rate (e.g., 10 beats per minute)
or decrease in weight (e.g., 2-3 pounds) from one day to the next.
-
A lack of energy and desire. Frequently seen in procrastination before
leaving for training or a desire to 'quit'.