Training Plan
The reason I have a training plan is because I’m not 25 years old any longer. I’m pushing three times that age. One can’t be too careful when taking on an endeavor like this at my age so being prepared physically is critical. I don’t have a lot of experience putting together training plans, in fact, this is the first one I have ever built. My two previous trans con tours I just got on the bike and went for it. That said, this plan is a bit off the top of my head. If it works great, if I find it’s not working, I’ll adjust as I go. The jury won’t return its verdict until sometime after June 1st… probably when I reach the first mountain passes on the route, Rainy Pass and Washington Pass in the North Cascade Mountain Range.
| Week | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Training | No Training | 5 miles |
| 2 | 5 miles | 2 x 1 | 10 miles |
| 3 | 7 miles | 2 x 1 | 15 miles |
| 4 | 7 miles | 2 x 1 | 20 miles |
| 5 | 9 miles | 2 x 2 | 25 miles |
| 6 | 9 miles | 2 x 2 | 30 miles |
| 7 | 11 miles | 2 x 2 | 35 miles |
| 8 | 11 miles | 2 x 3 | 40 miles |
| 9 | 13 miles | 2 x 3 | 45 miles |
| 10 | 13 miles | 2 x 3 | 50 miles |
| 11 | 15 miles | 2 x 4 | 55 miles |
| 12 | 15 miles | 2 x 4 | 60 miles |
| 13 | 20 miles | No Training | No Training |
Week 1 is bike tune-up week and first ride. I return from camping on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on Tuesday and take the bike in to my bike shop the next day.
Week 2 the training begins in earnest. Mondays will be the week’s warm-up ride. Wednesdays will consist of endurance work. I’ll find a hill and climb 2 miles for the indicated number of reps. Friday will be distance work. I’ll be riding my fully kitted bike starting with empty panniers and gradually adding weight to the kit until they are fully loaded.
This schedule will allow for other activities on Tuesday, Thursday and the Weekends. Hopefully that will include skiing on Mt. Bachelor in March and early April. It has been a bad snow winter so that prospect remains an open question. I would also like to do some weekend camping. Which would include some short mountain bike rides. My local bike shop also hosts weekend and Wednesday evening rides so those are an option, and always fun too.
I will record each week’s training adventure on pages here, just for fun.