Long story short,
- I will be targeting Amstel Gold Race 150km “tour version” mid April this year.
- However I will be on holidays in the Asia, without my bike, for 3 weeks between end of Feb and beginning of March.
- I’m planning on increasing my plan for Low Volume to Mid Volume and I have some questions.
What’s the best way to keep fit when you don’t have access to a bike? I got some running shoes so I’m kinda planning of going for some runs, any other ideas?
Should I change directly to a Mid Volume plan or first start with a Mid Volume Masters and see later if I’m able to be consistent and the switch to normal mid volume?
I did AGR last year, and it sucked, I learned loads but I want a bit of redemption this year. So I want to also add “long days” to the plan. What’s the best way of doing this?
I really want to train for more then the usual inside workout session of 1-2H so I can get used to spending so many hours on the saddle, to make me work on nutrition and what not.
Also, calendar is public so feel free to check it.
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Doing a little running could be a decent idea for 3 weeks without the bike. It would be worth easing into it ahead of time if possible if you don’t already run, though. Jumping straight into it without any prior running leading in could be an injury risk if you overdo things.
If you don’t have enough time to build up some running mileage before your trip, though, make sure to start out running short and slow. Even walking if necessary to avoid too much stress on your body. If you could find access to something like a stationary bike, that would be a great alternative.
If you’re on a standard Low Volume plan right now, you could try jumping straight up to Mid Volume when you feel ready – if not, Masters wouldn’t hurt! We’d usually advise sticking with a slower ramp up of your training to avoid digging yourself into a hole.
Longer rides are a solid addition to your plan as well here. For most athletes, those rides usually happen on the weekends when they have more time available to train. For the most part, those longer rides will be Z2 – just nice, long, steady-paced rides to get the extra time in. If your typical rides are 1-2hrs, try aiming for 2.5-3hrs to start, and gradually increase the duration of those rides.
Remember, though, you don’t need to do your full race distance to be prepped for the event! Most of your fitness will come from consistency and sticking with your plan. As you said, though, using those longer rides as a way to test out your bike fit, equipment, and nutrition is a smart idea.
Hopefully this info helps out – feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions!
Yeah, I’m still wondering how to make it a slow ramp up so I don’t dig myself into a whole, specially because I have a lot of stuff happening at the same time.
Got it – with a lot going on at the same time as your training, it sounds like it would be a good idea to start with the Masters Mid Volume plan first. It’s better to play it more conservatively rather than pushing too hard!