It's all about Pace: Saddle time

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Across France in June

The following is a bit of motivation and plan that I put together for some friends that are planning to do cycling challenge to ride across France via the Pyrenean mountain passes this summer. we have varying levels of fitness but a common goal six months hence

I see us in this picture six months from now… a time and a place that we will savor in our old age.

I want for all of us to have reached this zenith under our own power… and not in a van.

Is it going to be easy? No

Could we do it today? No

Can we do it? Yes… only if we are committed

So how do we get ready? I like your enthusiasm but…

First of all let's define ready…

Ready:

Being able to ride a bike in mountainous terrain for 5 hours a day for 6 straight days

http://www.pyreneesmultisport.com/2014/pyrenean-traverse/

In other words as difficult of a bike ride as we have ever done in a single day in our lives six days in a row? Like riding the Beach Blvd bridge for 5 hours non-stop (hey that sounds like fun! J) every day for a week

Are you getting scared yet? Good.

Hopefully you are asking yourself this question:

Okay asshole how do we get there? How do I get started? What do I do? How much? When?

Well it just so happens that I have a plan! (surprised?)

Month 1:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1671

Month 2:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1696

Month 3:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1720

basically we will be going from 3.5 hours per week to start to almost 6 hours per week by March…. And "up" from there…

and I mean up as in hills and saddle time…. By may we should be logging 12+ hours of saddle time a week