# Couch Potato to Gran Fondo is 6 months **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [December 12, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734 "2019-12-12T19:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tri3tim](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/tri3tim/32/12895_2.png) [@tri3tim](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/tri3tim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/1 "2019-12-12T19:40:08Z")
I’m considering doing Gran Fondo New York. My training over the last year has been limited. Is 6 months of training (now to mid-May) sufficient time to train for a gran Fondo and enjoy it ( I.e. ride hard not just finish)? ---
**Author:** ![howlintj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/howlintj/32/7725_2.png) [@howlintj](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/howlintj)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/2 "2019-12-12T20:28:23Z")
Perfect amount of time! You can near complete the Base, build and speciality plans in that time. I’d recommend you start on SSB LV I and start going. Need any help starting out? ---
**Author:** ![Pipipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/pipipi/32/157705_2.png) [@Pipipi](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Pipipi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/3 "2019-12-12T20:29:18Z")
Definitely enough time, and it’s great to have a target like that to keep in mind when you’re training. go for it! ---
**Author:** ![robcumine](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/robcumine/32/17412_2.png) [@robcumine](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/robcumine)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/4 "2019-12-12T20:39:16Z")
All of the above is correct You have time and it’s perfect for a Build to your event. Get into it and have fun. ---
**Author:** ![brunogfm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/brunogfm/32/25866_2.png) [@brunogfm](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/brunogfm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/5 "2019-12-12T21:16:09Z")
Perfect amount of time! And a perfect use case for trying the TR new Plan Builder feature. Just check the Plan Builder and add your goal A as Gran Fondo New York and see the plan generated and if it works for you. I really think you should try. ; ) > [@tadatadatada Introducing Plan Builder! tadatadatada](https://www.trainerroad.com/forumt/introducing-plan-builder/25201): > > You now have the ability to build a custom plan leading up to your goal event with Plan Builder. This has been added to Early Access and is ready for beta testing! Why Plan Builder? Cyclists rarely have a single event they are working towards, and the amount of time to their goal event varies widely from person to person. Training plans exist for just about every cycling discipline, but only account for the ideal scenario in which a single goal event is targeted in the future. Until now, pl… ---
**Author:** ![critpig](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/critpig/32/93499_2.png) [@critpig](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/critpig)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/6 "2019-12-12T23:23:25Z")
Yeah did exactly this for 170km road race. One thing i will say is just follow the plan, i got pretty smoked from adding in intensity over recovery time to replace the lack of cycling history i had. Lots of lessons learned along the way ---
**Author:** ![vbx2010](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/vbx2010/32/10387_2.png) [@vbx2010](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/vbx2010)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/7 "2019-12-12T23:36:20Z")
6 months is plenty of time. I’m in NJ, you want to ride the course with someone else let me know ---
**Author:** ![Pipipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/pipipi/32/157705_2.png) [@Pipipi](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Pipipi)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/8 "2019-12-13T20:45:39Z")
In fact, if you stick to the plan then I could imagine that you could make ideal advertising material for TrainerRoad @Nate_Pearson @mcneese.chad Best of luck (have you started yet? Stay consistent) ---
**Author:** ![stevious](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/stevious/32/3159_2.png) [@stevious](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/stevious)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/9 "2019-12-13T21:40:25Z")
Excellent typo in the thread title - please keep it there! ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/b/7/b7654d6db5866ffdb74796940c8eb80197f83fcf.png) In answer to your question, almost certainly! As others have said above, stick to the plan and don’t get too excited at first or you may pay for it down the line. ---
**Author:** ![Xingchen\_Xu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/xingchen_xu/32/22989_2.png) [@Xingchen\_Xu](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Xingchen_Xu)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 7:43am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/couch-potato-to-gran-fondo-is-6-months/25734/10 "2019-12-14T07:43:44Z")
Perfect time and I would say it’s plenty of time actually. I did it this season and will do it 2020. I just started from zero last winter, just ride a lot with 7-10hr/week and did 2 month’s High intensity workout for the only structure and this already let me finish within 6hr for GFNY NYC. I’ve targeted it as the A race next year and currently one month into the base/build/speciality circle. Planed to reduce my time to 5:00-5:30 to get qualified for the racer group. With TR and start your base now you’ll hit the event with perfect timing of the season and for sure you will enjoy it and doing better than me. By the way they have group ride every Sunday started last week as part of the event.