To help with the transition from lockdown lethargy to Cogfest cycling fitness, our professional trainer has put together this awesome training plan for us all to follow to get ready for big event!
If you, <ahem> haven’t started yet, then dive right in to the appropriate week, but do take care of the rest days and don’t be afraid to shorten the longer rides at first if you are feeling tired.
Week one goals:
- Make sure your bike is ready to ride.
- Decide a suitable route for your rides
- Think about your cross training options
- Total ride time: 1 hour 30 mins. Total exercise time 3 hours 30 mins
Monday: Spend some time getting your bike ready. Pump up the tyres, check the brakes and gears. Make sure the saddle is at the correct height. Your bike needs to be roadworthy before you start training on it. If you need any help then contact your local bike shop and book it in for a service.
Tuesday: 30 minutes easy paced ride. Try and ride at a constant easy pace on a flat loop. You should be able to maintain a conversation during the ride.
Wednesday: Up to 60 minutes cross training. Try yoga, pilates, swimming, circuit training or strength work in the gym. These are all excellent complements for cycling.
Thursday: 30 minutes easy paced ride (same as Tuesday)
Friday: Cross training or rest.
Saturday: Rest day – enjoy your day off as you have earned it.
Sunday: 30 minutes easy paced ride. It should start to feel more comfortable now and your confidence should be building. Make sure you are using all your gears.
Week two goals:
- Sort out any issues with your bike
- Drink from a bottle while riding
- Do at least one cross training session.
- Total ride time: 2 hour 30 mins. Total exercise time 4 hours 30 mins
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 45 minutes easy paced ride.
Wednesday: Cross training or rest
Thursday: 45 minutes easy paced ride. Take a water bottle and practice drinking from it on the move.
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 60 minutes easy paced ride. Keep practicing with the water bottle. Stick to the right intensity and keep building your endurance.
Week three goals:
- Introducing some faster paced riding
- Do at least one cross training session.
- Total ride time: 3 hour 30 mins. Total exercise time 5 hours 30 mins
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 20 minutes at a faster pace – 20 minutes easy)
Wednesday: Cross training or rest
Thursday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 20 minutes at a faster pace – 20 minutes easy)
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 90 minutes easy paced ride. Keep practicing with the water bottle. Stick to the right intensity and keep building your endurance. Eat an energy bar or snack after 60 minutes of riding.
Week four goals:
- Riding for 2 hours at the weekend
- Try having a sports massage
- Do at least one cross training session.
- Total ride time: 4-6 hours
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 20 minutes at a faster pace – 20 minutes easy)
Wednesday: Cross training or rest
Thursday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 20 minutes at a faster pace – 20 minutes easy). Try increasing the pace on the 20 minute effort as your fitness improves.
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 2 hours easy paced ride. Keep practicing with the water bottle. Stick to the right intensity and keep building your endurance. Eat an energy bar or snack after 60 minutes of riding or have a cafe stop.
Week five goals:
- Rest and recovery after 4 weeks of training
- Give your bike a good clean
- Do a relaxing cross training session.
- Total ride time: 2:30 – 4:30 hours
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 20 minutes at a faster pace – 20 minutes easy)
Wednesday: Cross training or rest
Thursday: 30 minutes easy paced recovery ride.
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 60 minutes easy paced recovery ride. Keep practicing with the water bottle and gears.
Week six goals:
- Find a suitable hill for Tuesday’s session
- Try having a sports massage
- Do at least one cross training session
- Make sure you have entered Cogfest.
- Total ride time: 4:30 -6:30 hours
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 60 minutes with hill climbs. (10 minute easy warm up – 3 x 5 minutes climb up a challenging hill with a 5 minute roll down recovery – 25 minute easy ride cool down)
Wednesday: Cross training or rest if you feel tired from yesterday’s hill climbing.
Thursday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 25 minutes at a faster pace – 15 minutes easy). The tempo is slightly longer today so make sure you pace it right.
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 2:30 hours easy paced ride on a loop with a few climbs. Keep practicing with the water bottle, stick to the right intensity and keep building your endurance. Eat an energy bar or snack after 60 minutes of riding or have a cafe stop. This will be your longest ride before Cogfest.
Week seven goals:
- Starting to ease back
- Book your bike in for a service
- Think about the clothing and kit you need for Cogfest
- Do at least one cross training session.
- Total ride time: 3:30 -5 hours
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 60 minutes with hill climbs. (10 minute easy warm up – 4 x 5 minutes climb up a challenging hill with a 5 minute roll down recovery – 20 minute easy ride cool down)
Wednesday: Cross training or rest if you feel tired from yesterday’s hill climbing.
Thursday: 60 minutes easy paced ride with tempo effort. (20 minutes easy – 30 minutes at a faster pace – 10 minutes easy). This will be your longest tempo effort – well done.
Friday: Cross training or rest day.
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 1:30 hours easy paced ride on a loop with a few climbs. Keep practicing with the water bottle, stick to the right intensity and keep building your endurance. Ride in the kit you will be wearing for Cogfest and it’s a final test for fuelling the ride.
You are starting to ease off now in preparation for Cogfest.
Week eight goals:
- Complete Cogfest
- Get your kit ready
- Think about another cycling event you can enter
- Total ride time: 4:50 -5:50 hours
Monday: Rest day and recover from yesterday’s ride.
Tuesday: 30 minutes easy paced tapering ride.
Try and ride at a constant easy pace on a flat loop.
Wednesday: Up to 60 minutes easy cross training.
Thursday: 30 minutes easy paced tapering ride (same as Tuesday)
Friday: Rest day – Use the time to get your Cogfest kit organised
Saturday: Rest day – enjoy your day off as you have earned it.
Sunday:
Cogfest Day! This is the big day that you have been training for. Make sure you arrive at Cogfest HQ in plenty of time to register and get your bike ready. Enjoy the experience and have a well deserved stop at our half way feed station at the Crown Inn in Cerney Wick where you can refuel with delicious homemade cake before cycling back to Cogfest HQ.
Cotswold Cogfest 