Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

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khendar
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Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Fri Feb 17, 2017 10:39 am

As mentioned in another thread, I've decided to sign up for Coast2Coast this year. I've only just gotten back on the bike, so I'm starting essentially from scratch. I've never ridden 100+ km before; my longest ride to date is 60km. I have 6 weeks to get ready. The distance doesn't scare me; the hills scare me.

I figure if I know I can do Tollgate to Bollards (The hardest climb in the ride) with fuel left in the tank, then I can handle the rest of it.

Week 1 - Sunday 60km - 12km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 2 - Sunday 70km - 20km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 3 - Sunday 80km - 30km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 4 - Sunday Hill Repeats - 30km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 5 - Sunday 56km Incl. Tollgate > Bollards- 30km commute repeats every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 6 - Sunday Hill Repeats - 30km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest
Week 7 - Sunday 90km - 12km commute every weekday - Saturday Rest

Last couple of weeks of the plan are a bit fluid. I don't want to overdo it before the ride but then I want to get as much saddle time as possible. Feedback on my training plan is appreciated though not required. The thread is mainly for tracking progress and accountability :)
Last edited by khendar on Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Abby
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby Abby » Fri Feb 17, 2017 11:13 am

It looks like you've given yourself a two-week taper at the end. I reckon that's too long. Just one week will be fine.

Also, the weekend two weeks out from the evnt (end of week 5/start of week6) - I would consider making that weekend a really big one. Long ride one day, hill repeats the next, or both days a long ride. Give yourself a day off on teh Friday & Monday as prep/recovery.

Cheers & good luck!! :-)
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khendar
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:42 pm

Abby wrote:It looks like you've given yourself a two-week taper at the end. I reckon that's too long. Just one week will be fine.

Also, the weekend two weeks out from the evnt (end of week 5/start of week6) - I would consider making that weekend a really big one. Long ride one day, hill repeats the next, or both days a long ride. Give yourself a day off on teh Friday & Monday as prep/recovery.

Cheers & good luck!! :-)
The two week taper was recommended to me but you're right its probably excessive.

I was planning on throwing a few intervals sessions in the trainer in here and there as well.

Cheers for the feedback :)

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby Abby » Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:32 pm

Might also add - given that you are 'coming back' & starting from scartch, around Weeks 3-4-5 somewhere in there it is likely you'll feel your self get very tired/fatigued at some point.

Really imoprtant when this happens that you listen to your body!! You will gain much more by giving yourself a relatively easy week as 'recovery' than trying to push through it... :-)
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby Derny Driver » Sat Feb 18, 2017 12:49 am

khendar wrote:.... Feedback on my training plan is appreciated though not required.
Who wrote the plan?

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khendar
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Sat Feb 18, 2017 3:45 pm

I developed it along with my team of trainers, my fitness coach, my physiotherapist, my astrologer and my high school physics teacher.

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khendar
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Sat Feb 18, 2017 7:01 pm

Week 1 down. 200k this week. Moved this weekends long ride to Saturday due to logistics. Taking tomorrow off.

Next week I'm adding an extra loop to my commute home.

Does anybody think I need to add anything to my training ? Core exercises or weights ? Basically all I'm doing is getting as much time in the saddle as I can, ramping up week to week, and throwing some hills in here and there.

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby you cannot be sirrus » Fri Mar 03, 2017 5:56 pm

I haven't done C2C for years but from memory after the Freeway climb there isn't much to worry about until the run into Victor. Two week taper sounds too long for me. Do you ride in groups regularly, some group riding experience will help you and make sure you are well fed and hydrated. It's a great ride, especially if you get a tailwind after Meadows which is usually the case. :).

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby g-boaf » Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:34 pm

khendar wrote:Week 1 down. 200k this week. Moved this weekends long ride to Saturday due to logistics. Taking tomorrow off.

Next week I'm adding an extra loop to my commute home.

Does anybody think I need to add anything to my training ? Core exercises or weights ? Basically all I'm doing is getting as much time in the saddle as I can, ramping up week to week, and throwing some hills in here and there.
That's all you need at the start, just do more riding, throw in hills. The more you ride, the easier it gets. Just take it simple at the moment.

But then I'm no astrologer... So do consult with your astrologer!

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khendar
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Mon Mar 06, 2017 11:22 am

Only got 3 days commuting in last week, and I had to cut one of those rides short due to an appointment.

I did manage to put my first century in on Sunday so I'm pretty happy with that.

This week I hope to introduce hill intervals on my rides home and then tackle a big climb on the weekend.

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby Abby » Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:04 pm

All sounds good khendar! 3-4 days commuting is fine, so long as you manage to squeeze in that long ride on the weekend.

In terms of extras - core strength work is never wasted. There's a plethora of web resources out there on specific core strength stuff for cyclists (tip: sit-ups isn't one of them!). So certainly add that a couple fo times a week if you have time... :-)
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:04 pm

I've been hill climbing this week. Started out trying to get up the top of Glynburn Road. Saturday I clocked Norton Summit for the first time and did it again today.

I feel like Norton was a bit of a psychological barrier for me. It's the first "real" climb I've done and it feels like a switch has been flipped.

I get why cyclist climb hills now :)

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby tcdev » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:18 pm

khendar wrote:I developed it along with my team of trainers, my fitness coach, my physiotherapist, my astrologer and my high school physics teacher.
Your parole officer had no say in it? :lol:
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g-boaf
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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby g-boaf » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:57 pm

Abby wrote:All sounds good khendar! 3-4 days commuting is fine, so long as you manage to squeeze in that long ride on the weekend.

In terms of extras - core strength work is never wasted. There's a plethora of web resources out there on specific core strength stuff for cyclists (tip: sit-ups isn't one of them!). So certainly add that a couple fo times a week if you have time... :-)
The workouts that really work are the ones that force your core to work also to keep you stable too. There are all sorts of different ones you can do. Alison Westfahl has a lot of good ones that are great for cyclists. But a scan through some of the bodybuilding websites should find some that are also good.

Balance balls can also be good, combine the idea of the simple plank, but rest your arms on a balance ball instead of the floor and roll backwards and forwards on it. You should feel that.
khendar wrote:I've been hill climbing this week. Started out trying to get up the top of Glynburn Road. Saturday I clocked Norton Summit for the first time and did it again today.

I feel like Norton was a bit of a psychological barrier for me. It's the first "real" climb I've done and it feels like a switch has been flipped.

I get why cyclist climb hills now :)
It's like doing very long intervals on a trainer. It's unpleasant, and it hurts quite a bit. You get used to it.

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:52 pm

Yesterday I tackled the Tollgate to Bollards segment, which is the big climb that the Coast2Coast starts with. I wanted to make sure that I could do the climb with enough juice in the tank for another 100km. Feeling pretty confident that I can survive the ride now.

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby foo on patrol » Fri Mar 24, 2017 9:20 am

Be consistent with ya training and you should be okay. You do need to be doing at least 250-300klms a week though, otherwise by the time you get towards the halfway point, you could end up struggling too maintain good momentum :idea:

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:36 am

Well I survived. 5 hours 15 minutes riding time. I didn't ride as much in the last week as perhaps I should have due to knee pain, and aside form being tired my knees are the only thing that hurts today. The surprise hill at the 70km mark was not fun but most of the rest of the ride was relatively easy going.

Thanks for everybody's advice. I think I know how to tackle the next one now :)

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby g-boaf » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:57 am

Don't forget to thank your teachers and especially your astrologer. ;)

Just use a foam roller on your legs, do the quads, ITB, hamstrings, calves, glutes and the adductor. The knee pain can come from tight muscles elsewhere.

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby Dodgy-Knee » Mon Apr 03, 2017 10:33 pm

khendar wrote:I developed it along with my team of trainers, my fitness coach, my physiotherapist, my astrologer and my high school physics teacher.
I hope that your astrologer told you that you'll probably have a bit of pain in Uranus after 120km... 8-/

Seriously though... I did a 145km gran fondo on the weekend (my first) ... it went well but I will train for it differently next year... I would recommend long rides that incorporate the type of hills you'll ride in the grand fondo... riding hill reps with fresh legs might build leg strength but the same hill 90km into the ride might suddenly feel 10 times steeper as you ride up it on tired legs (speaking from experience here!!)

Above all - don't over-exert yourself during the ride and go into the red... you'll never really get a chance to recover properly so no matter how strong you feel at the start, remember to ride within your ability and pace yourself... go for distance - not speed (this applies to your training too).

Lots of luck!! ... let us all know how you went.

cheers

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Re: Newbie tackling 120k Grande Coast2Coast - Training Log

Postby khendar » Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:56 am

Dodgy-Knee wrote:
Lots of luck!! ... let us all know how you went.

cheers
See above for a quick run down of how it went :)

Overall I think I prepared pretty well. The couple of 100km rides I did leading up to it prepared me for 5 hours in the saddle, and the hill climbing practice prepared me for the climbs. I think what I didn't expect was the hills in the second half of the ride, as my long rides were mostly flat and my hills rides were short; I hadn't combined the two elements into one ride before. Lesson learned for next time.

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