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Training | Preparing for the Event | Cycling Resources | HIV+ Participants
Strategies | Rules of the Road | Training Rides | Calendar
Get a physical. If
it’s been awhile since you
exercised regularly or you have a physical condition
that limits the amount or type of exertion you can
undertake, consider getting a physical before starting
your training in earnest. On top of the 330 miles you’ll
ride during the NCAC, you’ll probably log well
over 1000 training miles getting ready for it. So it’s
important to know that your body can withstand that
amount of wear and tear before you begin.
Get your bike tuned up. If
you already own a bike but it’s been awhile since you rode it or had
it checked out, consider taking it to your local cycle
shop for a tune up. These usually cost $30-$50 and
include a general lube and safety check of all the
important parts. The staff at your local cycle shop
can also advise you about whether the bicycle you have
would be suitable for completing the NCAC.
Start slow and stay consistent – In case you
haven’t gotten the picture yet, let me repeat
that you will be doing a lot of riding between now
and the NCAC. While it’s important to train properly
for the NCAC, it’s also important not to overtrain
for it and risk injury or bicycling burn out before
mid-May. In case you don’t already have one,
here’s a very general training plan to follow.
We’ll flesh it out and get more detailed as the
NCAC draws nearer:
- October – January: Foundation building. The
emphasis here is getting your body used to riding
your bike for extended periods of time, hydrating
and eating
while riding (see below), and just convincing yourself
and your body that you can do this. On top of what
you normally do for exercise, try to get in 2-3 rides
per week, between 30 minutes and two hours at a time,
at low to moderate intensity. Your goal for this time period should be to attend at least one of the monthly NCAC training rides and, for new cyclists, at least one of each of the different novice workshops offered during this time period. Toward the end of January we will start offering weekly training rides which will gradually increase in duration and difficulty.
- February and March: Conditioning.
In these two months you’ll work
on building your strength and speed on the bike and
increasing your mileage. Try to ride
3-4 times per week, between 1 and 4 hours at a stretch,
ranging from low to very high intensity. In mid-February, we’ll offer the first of 3 NCAC Benchmark Rides. You can use these timed rides to make sure your training is on track. The first one, scheduled for Saturday Feb 16th, will be a hilly 40-mile ride starting in Winters, just to the west of Sacramento. The next Benchmark weekend will be mid-March, when we’ll offer back-to-back Saturday-Sunday rides. If you can complete both in the time allotted you’ll know you’re making great progress.
- April: Endurance.
In April you’ll really start
building up the miles, culminating in one or more century (100-mile)
rides. The emphasis here will be on finding your steady,
all-day pace and being able to eat and drink enough
to keep you going and going and going and…Try
to get in 3-5 rides per week, between 2 and 6+ hours
at a time, from low to moderately high intensity. Check your calendar now to make sure you can make the 3rd and final NCAC Benchmark weekend rides on April 19 and 20. These will be a 100-miler followed by a 55-miler. Don’t panic if that sounds impossible
right now; it won’t in May!
- May: Taper.
In the two weeks before the ride, you won’t
be able to increase your fitness level appreciably,
so the
best thing to do is to just take
it easy, go for short, easy spins, and count the
days until Orientation Eve on the 13th of May.
Try to get
in 3-5 rides per week, but keep them short and easy
at 1-3 hours at a time, from low to moderately high
intensity.
Crosstraining. Although
it’s hard to find a
cyclist who’ll admit it, just bicycling all the
time can get boring. And it’s not much of a workout
for your upper body. And it’s not the greatest
thing in the world for keeping your whole body limber
and supple. So if you already participate in other
forms of exercise, it’s a good idea to try to
keep at those while you’re putting in the miles
for the NCAC. Any exercise that emphasizes flexibility,
upper body and/or core strength, and aerobic conditioning
makes a good complement with cycling.
Core Knowledge. In
addition to the personal training, nutrition, and
fitness knowledge you’ll gain
from preparing for the NCAC, there’s some technical
knowledge and rules of the road you must be familiar
with before the event. These include basic bicycle
maintenance and repair skills as well as safety rules
and traffic laws all riders will have to follow. |
