Historian,
As I recall from your other posts, your tour should be a relatively flat one. Do you know what mileage you'll be putting in a day between camping/hotel spots? If so, I'd say to be on the safe side, while you could get by on little or no specific training for the tour, to see if you can do that distance loaded over similar terrain (if nothing else, a shakedown ride, pre-tour, carrying the approximate load that you'll be riding with).
I've found in the past that the first day or two would have me a bit sore by the end of the day, but after that I quickly got used to the daily distance and climbing on the tours I've taken down the California coast. I did train for them simply by riding lots in the hills in the san francisco area, but there's no substitute for day in day out riding. In any event, I survived to tell my tales, and I expect you will too.
Don't forget the ibuprofen, and take plenty of pictures on the way!
Have a great tour, Neils!
