On this edition of the Ask Coach Parry Cycling podcast we get the best advice from our cycling coach Devlin Eyden on how to train yourself and follow structured programmes in the build up to the 94.7 Cycle Challenge.  Although we are still quite a way from long, hard training rides, you have sufficient time to structure your cycling training to achieve that sub-3 on race day.

Transcript

Brad Brown:         Welcome back onto yet another edition of the Ask Coach Parry podcast, this is the cycling edition and we’ve got another great question in with regards to cycling the 94.7.

Devlin, we had a question about it at the end of last week, but this one, someone has got a bit of ambition and it comes in from Johan. He’s saying he wants to dip under 3 hours for the first time this year.

What advice could you give him and when should he start focusing his training specifically to that race? You mentioned building up the long endurance stuff the other day, should he be doing the same sort of stuff now?

How would his training differ from, I think it was Siphiso we spoke about in the last edition?

Should you focus on endurance training long before cycle race day?

Devlin Eyden:      Yes, look, it’s always good to have a goal and a very attainable goal. Dipping under 3 hours, it’s a nice, hard ride that you’re aiming on doing.

The key first is, how far off are you? If this is not your first 94.7, how far are you from getting under that 3 hours is the first question that needs to be asked.

Secondly my suggestion then would be, you’re going to need a little bit more structure to be on track. What tends to happen is, training for a fair amount of time, I’m obviously not 100% sure of what sort of program you’re on, or if you are particularly following a program, my suggestion would be to actually get some sort of baseline assessment done.

The reason I say that is, it allows us to then determine accurate training zones and to see where you currently are and how we can improve on that and find where your weaknesses are and aim at targeting those weaknesses.

That’s typically what will happen at any of your sports institutions where you can get geared to assessment, for instance. Or a functional threshold power test done, but to get a good baseline to start off would be key.

Have a good cycle training foundation in the build up to race day

Secondly from there, again, is knowing and planning your training correctly. Making sure you’ve got a good foundation and as you mentioned Brad from last week, we were discussing getting the base in and being as far out as we are on the 94.7, it is still key. You’re obviously going to be riding a couple of other races throughout the year, you are currently training, I assume. So at this point, that’s building on the foundation anyway.

When it comes to focusing a little bit more on 94.7 itself, my suggestion there would be a good solid 12 weeks of really hard building and focus on speed endurance and on the power work that you are doing. And then obviously getting a large amount of hill climbs and that sort of thing as well.

I think it just comes down to getting a little bit more structure in the current training that you are doing and getting an idea of where to work from and what we’re working towards.

BB:         Awesome, Johan, best of luck and yes, that’s an awesome goal. Devlin, I’ve done a couple of sub three 94.7’s, it does take a bit of work, but definitely achievable.

The truth of the matter is, if I can do a sub three 94.7, anyone can! That’s my opinion.

So Johan, if you need any help, please reach out, go check out the coaching packages that we do have on coachparry.com, it’s at the top of the website, on the navigation bar. Just click on ‘coaching’ and you can check out the cycling packages there.

Also check out our online seminar that’s coming up pretty soon, it is coachparry.com/947, that’s where you can register, absolutely free. We’re going to be doing a whole series of them, one every single month in the build up to race day, to Cycle Challenge Sunday and we look forward to having you on board and hopefully we can help you achieve that goal.

We’d love to hear how it does go, so stay in touch.

Until next time, from myself, Brad Brown and our cycling coach, Devlin Eyden, take care.