long distance training for inexperienced rider
 

Last november, i decided that it was about time i tried to get fit, and so started spending some time on an exercise bike. so far, in the 6 months since i started, i've made a lot of progress, but i am the sort of person who needs goals and targets in order to stay focused so have set myself the target of a 1500km ride in 14 days (roughly the distance of LEJog).

Prior to starting on the exercise bike, i had a fairly inactive lifestyle, except for a couple of karate classes each week, and could only manage a short time on the exercise bike (around 25-30 minutes at around 25km/h) but have since progressed to be able to ride for 60km in one go, averaging over 30km/h.

Although i'm making good progress, i would appreciate any advice/tips on how to schedule a training programme to get me ready for the 1500km ride. I have read in a number of places that a training programme should include a long ride at least once per week. how long should i be looking to make this ride? in order to achieve my goals, i would need to ride for over 100km per day, so should i be looking to make this 'long ride' 100km, or is that unnecessarily long (i plan to ride twice a day during the 14 days, approximately 50-60km per ride). Also, what should i do during the rest of the training week?

Unfortunately, due to poor sight, i'm not able to get out on the roads on a bike, so the exercise bike is my only choice, so if anyone has any tips on how to counteract the boredom factor of spending potentially in excess of 3.5 hours a day on an exercise bike in the same room then that would also be appreciated.

Lastly for now, (if there's anything else you need to know in order to help me, then just let me know and i'll try to give as much information as i can), the exercise bike i have is a fairly basic model that shows speed, RPM, distance, resistance level, watts, calories and heart rate. I know that not all of this information is particularly accurate, but if any of this can be used to add some variety to my training week, such as a training session based on watts etc, then any ideas are welcome.

i have many more questions, but i think there is plenty here to discuss for now.

That's a toughie. Stoke a tandem? Buy a cheap road bike and a set of rollers, so you can watch TV or videos while have to balance? But if you can't see, you can't watch TV anyway. Buddhist meditation CDs?

You'll have to do long rides two days in a row. The other days ride but less distance, 5-6 days/week. On your not long days, ride one or two much harder, one or two easy. Saddle might be a bigger problem than your legs.

There is a Tips for riding a Century thread in the Long Distance forum. That might give you a place to start.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ding-a-Century


Are you planning to do the 1500 km on the exercise bike?

As a rough outline, would something like the following be a starting point?
monday - 30km
tuesday - 30km
wednesday - 30km
thursday - rest
friday - 60km
saturday - 60km
sunday - rest

thanks for the link, i'll take a look through that later. and the plan is to do the distance on the exercise bike (i don't have room for other fitness equipment at home, and the gym isn't particularly accessible for me).

Tell you a funny story -

Long ago, before I had my rollers, I went to the gym and rode an exercise bike there. I'd ride for an hour, get off and lift weights, then ride for another hour, and I'd ride hard. Once during my second hour, when I had a pretty good puddle on the floor, a boy came over to me and asked, "Are you all right, Mister?" Well, I was most certainly not "all right," not at least by any sane measure, but I said, "Yes, I'm fine."

IMHO... too boring.

I suggest cross training.

That's where you do one thing one day, and something else on the next exercise day.

You could consider laps in a pool, spinning classes, aerobics classes, basically anything.
My favorite indoor exercise toy is a Concept 2 rower that I bought used.

Yoga is good for you even if it isn't aerobic.

Your goal is to get in shape.

There's lots of ways to do that.


A walk of an hour or two is one the most underrated exercise there is.

Bottom line, the best exercise is the one you will actually do.

Find some things you enjoy doing.