Hey there. Are you getting nervous because you registered for the MN Ironman and it’s now only a few weeks away? It comes up quickly, doesn’t it? You may have trained a bit over the winter, or you may not have. Regardless of your fitness level right now, RAMP IT UP!
Let’s face it, in 3 weeks you’re not going to go from a couch potato to a world class cyclist. Even if you’re fit, 3 weeks isn’t alot of time to sharpen your skills and fitness. Having said that, what can be cone to maximize your training time leading up to the event?
- Don’t overtrain! The MOST IMPORTANT consideration is to stay healthy. And trying to do too much, too soon is a sure-fire way to get sick or injured. You’re always better off going into this (or any) event slightly undertrained than overtrained. Your body had the ability to dig deep and utilize energy stores that you didn’t know existed if you need to call upon them. On the other hand, if you’re sick, injured or excessively fatigued, you’re stuck. So do less rather than more!
- Get time in the saddle! The #1 key ride each week is your long ride. More than anything, you simply need time in the saddle leading up to the ride. Your connective tissue needs time to adapt to the repetitive motion of cycling, and the only way to gain this is to ride. In addition, your rear end needs extended saddle time to prepare for the event. But you know that.
Ride time in the elements is important to acclimate to wind, hills and to sharpen your bike handling skills. - Endurance should be your priority! If you haven’t done any interval training over the winter, now is now the time to start. Wait until AFTER the event. Increasing both intensity AND duration (ride time) at the same time without adequate time in the saddle increases your chances of illness, injury and excessive fatigue.
- At least 1 ride per week should be “long.” The definition of “long” in different for every rider. For someone who hasn’t ridden all winter it might be 1 hour. On the other hand, 4+ hours might be just right for the highly trained, experienced rider. A good rule of thumb for your initial long ride is that it should be about 50% longer than your typical ride, and then can be increased 10-20% per week.
- Your last long ride should be the weekend before the event. Allow yourself to recover going into the ride. Again, avoid trying to cram months worth of cycling into 3 short weeks.
Have a specific question? Email me. Leave your general questions/comments below, then GET OUT AND RIDE!
ps……who’s up for a training ride? “Raise your hand” in the comment section if you’re interested.
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