- Riding or racing on back to back days
can be so rewarding.
It's certainly a challenge for just about
any cyclist.
So if you have just signed up to the event of a lifetime,
like a Haute Route or, indeed,
you're about to do your first stage race,
then coming up are some very relevant tips
on just how you train and prepare for multi-day events.
(smooth electronic music)
Firstly, we think that as important as getting used
to training and racing on back-to-back days is,
you shouldn't let it get in the way
of trying to be as fit as you possibly can be.
It might sound counterintuitive (breathing hard),
but actually training to be good
at riding on successive days
might not actually get you as fit and as fast
as you would otherwise would be (breathing harder).
But the fitter you are,
the less taxing your stage race or ride is gonna be.
So take for example this,
is the Passo Campolongo in Alta Badia (breathing harder).
It's exactly the kind of climb you'd find in an event
like the Haute Route (breathing harder),
and it is, as you can probably hear, a tough one.
But, if through training,
(breathing hard)
we manage to improve our FTP by 50 watts,
it's gonna be an awful lot easier
and an awful lot less taxing
than if you're simply better able to cope
with soaking up (breathing harder) hard work.
So the point is, is that you shouldn't get overwhelmed
and fixate on the challenge of back-to-back days.
Your priority should be getting as fit as possible,
and then try adding the following ideas (breathing hard)
into your training.
Now most of us are probably quite familiar
with the idea of training on successive days.
When done in a controlled way,
it is a fantastic way of getting fit,
because you put your body and just that little bit
more load.
(breathing harder)
And so when training for multi-day events,
we can keep using the same principle,
but you have to add in an extra day or two.
So (breathing harder), if you normally do
a two day block and then an easier third recovery day,
why not build it up to three days or four?
Maybe even ending up at five (breathing harder).
As long as you get enough recovery afterwards,
it should do wonders for you.
But as we've just been talking about,
don't do it too much
because you still need to prioritise getting fitter
and getting faster.
So, that's a five day block every three or four weeks
is what you should be looking at.
And then, you're definitely gonna see
the benefits of that extra hard work.
Now another great way of getting really fit,
particularly if you're short on time,
is to use split days.
So that's where you train in the morning
and then in the afternoon or the evening.
And the idea is that you get to stress your body
loads more (breathing harder)
and therefore get more stimulating
training effects than if you're just to do one ride a day.
And, if you're preparing for an event
with four to five hour days back-to-back,
you don't need to worry
'cause split days will still do the job.
They will very quickly get you used to riding
with the sensation of fatigue in your legs,
which is very important for stage races (breathing harder).
And then, it also mentally toughen you up.
I certainly have always found them really demanding
in that respect.
What you gotta do is make sure you plan correctly,
so that two sessions in a day that complement
each other.
So perhaps you do sub threshold work in the morning,
like sweetspot intervals,
and then save your harder intervals
(breathing hard) for in the evening.
This next one is a great little tip
and is, in fact, straight out of the book
of Matt Stephens's training packs.
So we're probably all conditioned to the idea
of having one or two easy days after a race
or a big sportive.
I certainly am.
In fact, even now Monday is a day of rest for me
from a cycling perspective,
for no reason other than habit.
However, training the day after an event
is a fantastic way of getting your body
used to coping with that fatigue that you get,
and then also, trying to condition yourself
to recovering faster as well,
So, why not get even more bang for your buck, in fact,
(breathing harder) by riding the day before
the event as well.
So you could ride Saturday,
do your event Sunday,
and then Monday, you could do a split day
either side of a day's work.
Now admittedly, you probably won't be much use
in the office that day,
so you can apologise to your boss, from us,
and just explain that you will unfortunately
need to be making some sacrifices.
For the focus on training really hard
and getting more tired,
you're also gonna need a keep a really close eye
on our fatigue levels.
Because although we wanna dig really deep
for specific blocks,
we also wanna make sure that we're fully recovered
before starting the next one.
So as well as asking yourself
some searching questions every day
about how you're feeling (breathing harder),
you also wanna make the most
of the technology available to you.
So if you've got a powermeter, use that
in conjunction with a heart rate monitor.
Or, you should just invest in a heart rate monitor.
And then, the main secret to recovery
is simply to get adequate rest.
(breathing harder)
But then, in addition to that,
you also need to bear in mind your nutrition,
because the harder you train,
the more important that becomes.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly,
Don't Worry(!)
Because as daunting as your first stage race or ride
might be, you will get through it.
I remember being super nervous before mine,
but the thrill of the event masked any pain in my legs.
And I did, indeed, survive it okay.
'Cause as great as a multi-day event challenge is,
the most important thing to bring with you
is a positive attitude.
(breathing harder)
Now, one man who is facing his first multi-day event
this summer is John Chocolate Voice Beavan,
who is indeed doing a Haute Route.
And if you wanna keep track of his progress,
first you need to make sure to subscribe to GCN.
To do that, just click on the globe.
And then if you want to see John's intro video,
that is just there.
Or, to see the latest GCN show
where John gives us an update,
click just over there.