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If you
missed out on last years Bicyclemania Challenge what bad luck.
Here's some great news, we're going to stage another Challenge
event.
This time it's on:
 
Some of you
mountain bikers may be new to this sort of event & some not.
The following hints & tips should give you a good idea of what
to do to enjoy the event you are undertaking. As the subject
of training is very extensive we at Bicyclemania.co.uk
are just going to give you a taster of some of the ground
rules, which will help you. (Hopefully survive the epic
trip)
Don't skip this bit ...' Today I will mostly be training '
It's not as terrifying as it sounds ! even if you are just
venturing out into the world of MTB marathons, looking only to
complete your chosen distance, you will find that the fitter
you are on the day, the more enjoyable the riding will be!. So
let's dispel some of the myths associated with training. |
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~ Training is just for professionals ~
No not at all in fact training principles can be used by
anyone wanting to improve their general levels of fitness
regardless of the point at which you start.
~
Training sounds all to
serious ~
Well O.K. some riders do take it seriously but riding should
still be fun ..." isn't that what it's all about ? The
good news is that a ride with your mates down to the pub or
cafe at the weekend still counts as a training session.
~
Training sounds too
much like hard work
~
Yes, there will be times that riding your bike is hard, but
following a training programme does not mean that you have to
bust a gut on every ride you do. In fact this is not a good
way to go training. Easy low effort rides are excellent at
building up your fitness. |
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New Riders
You have probably just started in this new and exciting sport
and with every new sport you want to do everything in one day
but probably find out very quickly that it requires strength,
stamina and technique. Or maybe it's one of the many things
you do but you would like to dedicate more time to it. So far
long distance rides are not in your plans but by looking at
the MTB marathons you will be in right event as you will be
one amongst many who will purely see it as a personal
challenge.
Trust us at
Bicyclemania.co.uk
the feeling after completing the course is well worth it. To
have a regular pattern to your exercise is probably something
very new to you and might be difficult to stick to but in any
case you can benefit from the tips given in this planner. |
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Regular Riders
As a regular mountain bike rider heading out onto the big
trail you are used to riding your bike for a few hours at a
time and have done some longer weekend trails. Some of you may
not have undertaken a 75km or 100km non-stop marathon before
or perhaps you compete in short distance cross-country events.
Even if you have entered a marathon before you maybe wanting
to improve your efforts.
Are you someone who feels
pretty fit by the end of summer but at lets it all go by the
wayside at the back end of the year. Having a realistic
training plan for the next few months will help you to prepare
in advance for the summer season of marathon endurance rides,
sharpen your speed and shock your mates!. |
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Experienced Riders
As a relatively experienced rider used to marathon endurance
riding and with a few races under your tyres, you may already
have some knowledge of different ways to train up. You may
have experimented with cycling at different intensities and
used interval training sessions before.
This training planner will
help you to structure your cycling over the next few months so
that you progressively introduce harder sessions that will
ensure that you are fully fit and well prepared for the event. |
Keep things in perspective:
Remember that the
emphasis should be on enjoyment, satisfaction and last but not
leased Fun ! training should not be a chore.
Listen to your
body:
If you are
feeling unwell, don't train on regardless. As a general rule
of thumb, if you have symptoms below the neck (Sore throat
/ Cough / Body aching ... ect) then rest and do not train.
If you are injured see a doctor who will give you advice on
how to avoid further damage.
Vary the speed:
That means the
speed your ride at, although you have entered a mountain bike
marathon, your training rides should not be all long distance
runs! if you train slowly, you'll ride slowly in the event. On
the other hand, if all your work-outs are done at break neck
pace, you run the risk of over training and possible injury.
Varying the intensity that you ride at has the best results.
Warm up:
With at least 15
minutes of steady riding before each training ride to prevent
injury and prepare the muscles for exercise. Also, try not to
end the training run at full pelt! cooling down with easy
pedalling for 15 minutes helps in the bodies recovery.
Progress slowly:
Avoid getting
too carried away early on! to much to soon can cause injury
and prolong fatigue. If you are new to biking your training
plan will include lots of easy workouts initially and plenty
of rest days to ensure full recovery. Even as a regular
mtber's and experienced MTB rides, training should start out
gently, particularly if you've had a bit of a lay-off.
Recovery:
If you do not
allow your body sufficient recovery time between training
sessions your performance will be affected considerably.
Recovery means having plenty of sleep and incorporating rest
days into your training plans. Experienced mountain bike
riders may manage to train on a daily basis but need to build
in " easy days ". New and regular riders should have several
rest days each week of the training programme. All groups have
a recovery week every 4 weeks to allow the body to adapt.
Technique:
Once you can
physically ride a bike, you tend not to think about your
technique! however a good pedalling stroke will make you more
efficient. Poor technique will cause muscles to fatigue and
can lead to injury and decreased performance. Concentrate on a
smooth pedalling technique and make sure you are not pushing
in too high a gear. When cycling on the flat aim to " spin "
the pedals at approximately 80-90 rev's a minute rather than
muscling it in the biggest ring! as you change down the gears
on hills, try to keep the rev's ..(cadence) as high as
possible. Ask more experienced bikers to give you tips.
Cross-training:
This means
including other sports into your cycling programme, for
example swimming, running, football, an aerobics class or gym
work. Cross training has lots of benefits, it rests the
cycling muscles whilst still training the heart and lungs and
it introduces variety to your training so prevents you been
brain dead.
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~ Frequency ~
How often you are
able to train will vary hugely from person to person. It will
be dependent on work and family commitments and also on the
level of fitness that you have to start with. The idea of a
training plan is that you go for quality and not just
quantity, (More is not necessarily better) So even with
a limited amount of free time for training, if you use your
time wisely the benefits will be greater. This avoids just
miles for miles sake!.
As a new mountain bike rider
used to just
occasional rides, you will find that your performance will
improve with 2-3 workouts a week. Cross training is
particularly useful to minimise injury, so the training plan
also incorporates other sports.
Regular mountain bike riders
will have a
higher basic level of fitness to start with and should aim for
between 3-5 workouts each week, work and family commitments
allowing. Again these can be varied with other cross training
sessions.
Experienced mountain bike riders
will often manage
8 workouts each week with 2 training sessions done on some
days. However as we are not professional mountain bikers and
still have to fit in full time work and have a social life we
will leave it to the pro's to do there thing.
~ Frequency ~
The duration of
each ride will vary depending on what you are trying to
achieve in the training session. Some rides may be short but
hard, others will be long and slow at an easy pace. Long rides
in the winter are always a bit of an effort due to the
depressing weather. So break them up with a cafe stop, take
plenty of warm gear and get your mates to join you!. The
length of your long easy paced ride should gradually be
increased as the weeks go by.
As a new mountain bike rider
start with rides
of about 30-60 minutes but increase so that at least one month
before your first event you have completed a ride of nearly 4
hours.
Regular mountain bike riders
will progress in
the same way so that at least one month before your first
event you have completed a ride of nearly 5 hours.
Experienced mountain bike riders
will complete a
ride of over 5 hours that should be almost equivalent to a
full marathon Enduro distance.
~ Intensity ~
The intensity
part of your training will prepare your body to provide.
Endurance:
To enable you to
keep going the entire distance.
Burst-Speed/Power:
This is the
ability to be able to produce bursts of power for short sharp
climbs and that sprint for the finish line and the end.
Sustainable Speed:
That is the
ability to keep pedalling as strongly in the last 50km as you
did in the first 50km for the marathon event. |
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