‘ Upping the training’

THIS week and next week can give great improvement in fitness with some focused training ahead of the Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo, which is taking place on April 29th and 30th. 60K Lough Gill Circuit

Increase the distance of one cycle to 90 minutes. This could be split into 2 x 45 minute cycles by having a coffee stop after 45 minutes then cycle home 45 minutes.

On the other 1- 2 days that you cycle, maintain cycles of a maximum of one hour and include 4 or 5 faster ( slightly faster than talking pace) sections of 4 minutes in the middle of the shorter cycles.

In between the efforts just cycle at talking pace. Practice changing your gears according to the speed and conditions .

See tips and tasks below 100KM Innisfree Tour

During the next two weeks you can boost fitness by increasing the distance of one or two hilly cycles by ten percent.

Also in the shorter midweek cycle, increase the time of the shorter efforts from 4 minutes to 5 minutes. 160K the Ox Mountain Challenge Increase the distance of one or two hilly cycles by ten percent. Also in the shorter midweek cycle, increase the time of the 4 minute efforts to 5 minutes. TIPS AND TASKS

Safe descending: Practise. At the top of each hill before beginning the descent, remind yourself of the main goal being to get down the hill safely. Use both brakes to slow down when required. Approach and negotiate corners at a safe speed. Boost your climbing Boost your climbing by cycling on moderate gradients on a slightly higher gear / smaller sprocket ( pushing harder) and if you have any knee injuries keep the gears moderate. Cadence gears Change gears according to the speed / terrain and wind conditions. Keep it simple. If you think you are pedalling too fast change gear to give slower cadence… if you feel that you are pushing too much change gear to give slightly faster cadence. 80 to 100 revs per minute is the norm for experienced cyclists.

If you pedal too quickly it’s demanding on your breathing. If you are pushing too much it’s demanding on the muscles. If you practise changing gear according to the conditions you can constantly achieve the sweet spot in between both extremes and move along very efficiently.

Think of it like driving a car and selecting the right gears. There’s usually a sweet spot where the car hums along and uses less petrol. Enjoy your cycling. Paddy Doran cycling coach www. peakendurancecoaching. ie