Group Health STP 2012 Training for One or Two-Day Riders

By Craig Undem, Dean of Cycle University www.CycleU.com

Time to get ready for the STP and this is the place to start. There are a few key things to focus on in preparing for a big ride like the STP: #1 ride your bike. #2 ride your bike and you can probably guess #3. There are people who show up and ride the STP with little training and they barely finish and have trouble walking for a week after the ride (or worse) and then there are those who prepare and have a fantastic ride, enjoy all the thrill and satisfaction of a great ride and dance the night away in Portland. The purpose of this training guide is to help you become the later and enjoy the lifetime benefits of cycling. As most of you know, to become a good cyclist you need to pay some dues! Like learning to snow ski or play tennis it takes practice, good skills and more practice. To help you train the right way Cascade offers the Cascade Training Series (CTS) space is limited so register early. The Cascade Training Series begins in March and gradually increases distance and is lead by experienced Ride Leaders for all ability levels. If CTS does not fit your schedule, Cascade Bicycle Club also offers an extensive Free Daily Rides program. You can design your own personal training program by selecting the daily rides that fit your schedule and ability. Find all the details to get you up to speed on our Daily Rides web pages. If you want a more personal training program check out www.CycleU.com for more training program options. How to prepare for the Group Health STP - If you read no further in this article, these are the three simplest ways to insure a great time on the STP: 1. Ride with others. Take a cycling skills class at Cycle University and do the Cascade Training Series to learn the language of group cycling and get comfortable riding with other people. 2. Dont ride as hard as you can on every training ride. This is the most common rookie mistake! Ride steady and aim to add more miles each week to go longer and longer. Make some days hard, but most of them steady and moderate. 3. Apply Chamois Buttr or Bodyglide (found at all good bike shops) to your shorts to reduce friction where you meet the saddle, and dont wear underwear (this is pretty basic but can make a huge difference if you dont know about it!) The most important part of any cycling training plan are the miles you will ride on a daily and weekly basis in the months leading up to a big ride like the STP. These training rides are the building blocks that will prepare your body and mind to ride long and hard on the day of the event. There are many other factors that will influence your enjoyment on the big day, such as how your bike fits you, nutrition, hydration, clothing, equipment, mental preparation, skill level, riding with other people etcThis overview covers only the riding mileage. If you havent ridden a bike in 10 years, start with a 5-mile ride to get the hang of it. Your goal may be simply to have fun and stop when you are tired. If you had a good summer of riding last year and havent ridden since October, go out for a nice flat 20-miler and get back into it. From here build up your mileage gradually and challenge yourself a bit more every few weeks. Remember why you are doing this. No one does the STP as a professional cyclist, we are all regular people having a good time on our bikes. Although there is a lot to learn when you are new to cycling, keep it fun by learning from more experienced riders, asking a couple friends to join you, or making it a challenge with some co-workers to see who will finish first (or dance the latest after the ride!). Although having fun may seem like childs play, if you arent having fun you will probably find something else to do, so find a way to make it enjoyable! Take your time and work at a level your body will allow. Depending on your conditioning and riding experience, you may need more or less miles than this program presents. Feel free to consult Cycle University to outline a custom program to fit your level of riding and athletic background, and be sure and get an OK from your doctor if you are over the age of 30 and new to cycling. Start your training with moderate to easy miles and add an occasional hard day once every week or two where you push the hills. After the first half of the training, start looking at your average speeds during your midweek and Saturday rides. Increase the midweek rides to move toward your target average miles per hour pace. (to complete the 204-mile STP in one day under 12 hours you will need to average 17.5 mph and only take one 30-minute break. Two-day riders will need to average 10 mph to finish each 103-mile day under 11 hours, with 55 minutes of breaks each day.) Aim to get your average speed near your target ride level or higher as the event approaches on shorter rides. June should be your hardest month. Plan to take good care of yourself between rides. Eat right, stay hydrated and get consistent sleep. Use Flying Wheels as your final rehearsal. Test out the energy foods, equipment and clothing you will use on the STP (be warned, Flying Wheels is a hilly challenge!) During the final two weeks you will rest more because the mileage is much less, but keep your rides at or above event speeds. Special note for One-Day Riders Most people think that they can just ride lots of miles and get fast enough to do the STP in one day, but what many find is that even though they get strong and increase their average speed they still cant meet their goal. Why? Drafting. They need the shelter of other people to help them achieve their finishing goal. The wind often blows from the south, which means that much of the ride from Seattle to Portland is into a head wind, and if you ride behind a group or even a single rider, you can save 30% or more of your energy and still go the same speed. It is something that takes practice and good coaching to do it safely. The best place to learn this is from a Cycle University Road 101 Class or another experienced rider. Drafting helps for 2-day riders too. Consult your doctor before beginning and kind of endurance training program. Ride smart and learn good safe riding habits. Make it a great ride and we hope to see you on the dance floor in Portland!

TWO - DAY RIDERS

WEEK OF:
Feb. 13 19 Feb. 20 26 Feb. 27 - March 4 March 5 11 March 12 18 March 19 25 March 26 April 1 April 2 8 April 9 15 April 16 22 April 23 29 April 30 - May 6 May 7 13 May 14 20 May 21 27 May 28 - June 3 June 4 10 June 11 17 June 18 24 June 25 July 1 July 2- July 8 July 9 July 15 Goal 40 54 80 100 80 100 120 130 90 130 140 170 110 170 180 140 180 120 140 120 100 224 MON TUE WED 10 10 20 20 20 20 20 30 20 30 20 30 30 30 20 20 45 30 30 30 20 20 THUR FRI SAT 10 10 30 40 30 40 50 50 50 50 60 70 50 70 80 60
**65 or 100

SUN 20 *34 30 40 30 40 50 50 20 50 60 70 30 70 80 60
70 or 30

Weekly Total

50 100 50 50 102

40 20 40 30 102

* Chilly Hilly ride and ** Flying Wheels Summer Century

ONE - DAY RIDERS

WEEK OF:
Feb. 13 19 Feb. 20 26 Feb. 27 - March 4 March 5 11 March 12 18 March 19 25 March 26 April 1 April 2 8 April 9 15 April 16 22 April 23 29 April 30 - May 6 May 7 13 May 14 20 May 21 27 May 28 - June 3 June 4 10 June 11 17 June 18 24 June 25 July 1 July 2- July 8 July 9 July 15 Goal 60 74 80 70 90 110 110 130 120 140 190 160 170 160 190 130 210 140 200 160 120 234 MON TUE WED 20 20 20 20 30 20 30 40 20 40 50 50 30 40 50 30 40 40 50 40 40 20 THUR FRI SAT 20 20 40 30 50 70 50 70 80 70 80 90 100 70 110 70 **100 70 100 70 60 204 SUN 20 *34 20 20 10 20 30 20 20 30 60 20 40 50 30 20 50 30 50 50 20 0 Weekly Total

10 20

10

* Chilly Hilly ride and ** Flying Wheels Summer Century Flying Wheels offers the STP rider a chance to test your equipment, skills and fitness on a fantastic course at the perfect time to peak for the STP. The hilly and scenic 25, 45, 65 and 100 mile routes begin and end in Redmond. Information on-line at: www.cascade.org or call (206) 522-BIKE. Training related question please contact Cycle University www.CycleU.com. Check out a Cycle U Training Center and bike shop at Sand Point near Magnuson Park, West Seattle on Fauntleroy or online at www.CycleU.com. 1-800-476-0681.