Amy's Gran Fondo training advice

I've just registered for this and got some accommodation.  Very excited.  Can anyone share any training tips, especially for improving hills endurance/speed?

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Permalink Reply by Davidtcr on May 28, 2012 at 9:00

Hi Maya

I've signed up for it as well, really looking forward to it.

In order to be able to give you some more focused advice, can you give us some idea of what training/riding you are doing at the moment; and what type of goal you have set yourself for the event (i.e. are you trying to set a time, or are you just looking to finish)?

The sort of training I will be doing is building up to some longer rides (up to 160km) with a reasonable amount of climbing (2000 odd metres); I'll also do some hill intervals and a few crits to build up speed.

Permalink Reply by maya on May 28, 2012 at 18:02

Hi David,

my rides at the moment are about 50-60kms.  I tend to ride once on the weekend and do a couple of indoor sessions during the week.  I am looking to set a time as I am sure I will finish, just don't want to be last.  My major worry is the long hill as I am really weak in that department. I struggle to get up shep's hill though I did the 8km freeway and the veloway without trouble (I think shep's hill is just a mental block).  So I think I have to improve hills endurance and kph as well (generally do about 10/hr at the moment :() Have you built your own training schedule or did you find something online?

Thanks

Permalink Reply by maya on May 28, 2012 at 18:04

By the way, did you book your accommodation? I've booked a powered site at the caravan park but have been told by a friend that Lorne is incredibly windy!

Permalink Reply by James Jordan on May 28, 2012 at 21:17

I did not find it so last year.

We stayed at the caravan park last year, and are planning to stay there again, which is very convient to both the suppermarket and the bottom of the final decent.

Permalink Reply by Belinda Hoare on May 28, 2012 at 18:19

You're right about mental blocks - most hills are.  I'm assuming you're talking about Lavers Hill in the fondo?  From personal experience, I can tell you its less gradient than Norton Summit, but much longer.  The trick is to just settle into your own rhythm, at your own pace.  Once you're in that rhythm, that hill is easily doable for anyone...and believe me, it's such a stunning climb that it doesn't feel like suffering...

Permalink Reply by maya on May 28, 2012 at 20:21

Thanks Belinda,

I've not done Norton's yet, that is on the training menu.  I think I'm going to need to do some squats or something to grow some serious quads...

Permalink Reply by Belinda Hoare on May 29, 2012 at 12:37

Nope, no need to do specific weight training for hills - and you don't need to grow serious quads.  The best climbers in the pro-peloton look like twigs that could snap in a crosswind.  Use the bike as a strength-builder.  If you've never done Norton before, don't be fooled into thinking you need to climb it non-stop the first time.  Spin like a demon to build climbing endurance, and do 15 minute intervals at a gear that will have you spinning between 60-70rpm (no less) to build strength.  See how far you get in 15 minutes, recover for 15 minutes, repeat (building up from 1 interval, to no more than 3 in one session, and all up no more than a few times a week).  After a couple of weeks, you should notice that you'll get further in 15 minutes than you started.  If you're not doing specific strength-building climbing, then climb at a comfortable cadence up around 80-90 rpm.  Spinning is the key. 

Permalink Reply by Davidtcr on May 29, 2012 at 8:49

There is some great advice here, the bit I will add is that beside including as many hills as you can in training, also do some hill intervals to help with speed. So if you are only able to do the one ride per week I would recommend that you try to build this up over the next few weeks from 60km up to around 120km (remembering not to increase too quickly). Include at least one long climb in the middle of the ride, then on the last climb do as many as you can of something like 30 sec hard/30 sec easy intervals.

It is a good idea to put in one easier week 5 or 4 weeks from the event, and then taper over the last week so that you are not fatigued going into the event.

Personally I will only slightly modify my usual training routine, which is usually 350 to 400km per week - at the moment my longest ride is around 100km, so I will increase this to 140 to 160km; and maybe do a bit more speed work.

I am going down with my brother, with accomodation booked at Aireys Inlet.

Permalink Reply by James Jordan on May 28, 2012 at 21:16

I did the first addition last year and based on this experience you need to focus on a couple of key factors:

-          endurance

-          nutrition

-          pack skills

The first 40 or so km’s along the Great Ocean Road is a lot of fun, but the terrain is fairly rolling and you can waste a lot of energy if you don’t know how to hold a place within a peloton.  This is harder as you will be potentially riding with people whom you don’t know and don’t fully trust.

The KOM climb is long and steady, but no worse in gradient then Willunga Hill.  It’s the decent the other side which will test your skills as it has a couple of technical corners.

Up till the final climb the rest of the course is again fairly rolling but with some really long straight stretches where you need to keep your wits about you.  This is especially so as this is the point when the fatigue of the effort will start to distract you. 

The final climb has a bit of a kick to it, but again is not deadly.

The key to the ride, especially if you plan to ride at pace, is to keep the nutrition in.  This means you need to start thinking about what you will eat now.  You need to work out what your stomach can handle when fatigued, determine what amount you need to consume and then you need to get out there and practice your routine under race like conditions.

I had two friends on this ride who failed to calculate this properly and bonked at the 20-25 km to go mark and really suffered the rest of the day.

Discounting the two neutral parts here are the details off my Garmin (sorry this was before the power meter so you need to take some of the information with a grain of salt as they are calculated)

Section 1 – Great Ocean Road
Dist 38.04km
hr ave 150bpm
ave spd 33.19
El gain 256m
El loss 264

Section 2 – Climb

Dist  8.76km
hr ave 159bpm|
ave spd 15.74
El gain 460m
El loss 0

Section 2 – Rolling Decent

Dist  22.88
hr ave 146bpm|
ave spd 35.33
El gain 183m
El loss 488m

Section 2 – Rolling with final climb

Dist  38.64
hr ave 153bpm|
ave spd 28.99
El gain 481m
El loss 270m

Total race time of 3:46 at a ave pace of 29km/hr

 

Permalink Reply by maya on May 28, 2012 at 21:46

Thank you James, 

You've given me plenty to think about - and fear.  That is an excellent time! I have no delusions of coming anywhere near that! 

 

Permalink Reply by James Jordan on May 28, 2012 at 22:10

Which makes the nutrition part even more important.

I see to many go out on long rides and forget to eat and drink enough.  The general result is that they dont enjoy the ride or the after effects of bonking which can last for days.

A little research and preperation will ensure that its a good day.

The only disapointment that I had for the ride was if I had gotten in 4 minutes quicker I would have qualified in my age group for the World Amature Championships. 

No way I would have gone, but it would have been nice to have know I could have.

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on May 28, 2012 at 23:13

James reading through the website even though it indicates rest stops/aid stations etc I believe you have to supply your own food apart from the finish. Was that the case last year?

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