2022 CT CHALLENGE TRAINING PLAN POWERED BY
WELCOME EPIC Training for an EPIC Ride! Ready to get ready? This 12-Week CT Challenge Training Plan will guide you to success in July. Before starting this plan you should have 2 to 3 weeks of "base" training, totaling at least 250 miles of riding to ensure you are ready. You should be capable of riding four days per week for a minimum of 45 minutes at moderate intensity, and you should be able to set aside 4 to 14 hours per week to train, though most weeks are less than 10 hours in duration. The workouts are simple yet challenging and they will certainly make sure you are ready for the CT Challenge!
Expectations A common mistake that many people make when preparing for a big cycling trip is they focus on the bike weekend rides too much. These are important for sure, but keeping consistant with your training throughout the work-week, is more important. Don’t miss those workouts!
Types of Training Days ENDURANCE RIDES The main focus is to increase your body's reliance on fats as fuel. This should be LOW INTENSITY (aka. easy!) Find a flat route and keep your heartrate in your endurance zone while doing your best to keep the cadence at 80-90 rpm. Eat and drink 150-200 calories per hour. Endurance rides provide a great time to focus on your form. Think about maintaining a flat back, a high and relaxed cadence, a relaxed upper body and neutral head position on the bike. AEROBIC STIM These sets of “tempo” intervals are steady-state efforts where your goal is to focus on maintaining your tempo zone and a cadence of at least 80rpm. The key to doing these intervals well is to make sure you DO NOT go too hard, and you don’t go above your target heart rate (or power range). If in doubt, err on the side of going easier, not harder! HILL CLIMBS Find a climb that is at least 3-6 min long. Select a gear that allows you to spin at 80 rpm while going up the hill (look at your cadence monitor!) Make sure that your HR stays in your Lactate Threshold Zone while on the climb. If your HR gets too high, then you need to find a more gradual climb! Maintain good form for the intervals; No bobbing the upper body back and forth. After each interval is over, shift into an easy
gear and go back down to the bottom of the hill. Make sure you spin the legs out at 85+ rpm while resting between intervals. THRESHOLD, OR “LT” Intervals These are harder than tempo intensity, but they are still done at a steady pace. Use care! It can take a few minutes to get your HR up to the target intensity, but that doesn’t mean you are not working in your “zone”. These feel like an 8 out of 10. GROUP RIDES You must do them! Group riding skills will play a major role in your ability to complete and enjoy the CT Challenge for two main reasons. One, you will need to be comfortable riding in close proximity to other riders. Two, your ability to ride in a pace-line will help you share the work load with your fellow riders in order to make it to the finish line. ACTIVE RECOVERY RIDES Keep the cadence high (80 to 90), stay relaxed and in your Active Recovery heartrate zone. The idea is to increase the blood flow through the legs to promote recovery. If time is tight 30 minutes will be well worth it.