Coach Steve’s Spring Training Tips for the BFC Charity Ride
It’s pouring rain and a cool 48° as I write this, which makes June 17th’s Bikes Fight Cancer Charity Ride feel pretty far away in my mind! But, with just over 7 weeks to the event, it’s time to really start focusing on your approach leading up to this year’s ride.
Whether you’re just getting started with your preparation (some tips here if so), or have been riding for a couple of months already, here are some of my recommendations to consider as you train for the BFC Charity Ride.
Make the most of the training time you have before the BFC ride by scheduling your training rides in your calendar in advance. Invite your riding buddies along with you for those scheduled rides to help take advantage of some shared social accountability!
If you’re crunched for training time, make it a goal to complete at least one ride of ~75% of your chosen 25- or 50-mile distance. Aim to achieve that goal at least one week before the event, so you have time to recover. Riders with more available training time should build up to at least the distance of their chosen route.
Spend time training your weaknesses on the bike. Suffer on hills? Be sure to ride some hilly routes, or do hill repeats. Nervous riding around others? Find an experienced cyclist in your team or group and ask them to give you some pointers and tips, or join them on an appropriate group ride and follow their lead.
Don’t neglect your off-the-bike work! Remember to regularly incorporate core work, foam rolling, yoga and other modalities into your training. These activities can help improve measures of recovery and can help keep your whole body feeling good and functioning well, on and off the bike.
May 1st is right around the corner, with June fast on its heels. I recommend that you spend a few minutes this week scheduling out your progressively longer rides. Rope some friends in for a hard & hilly ride here and there: you can make some great fitness gains pushing yourself against others. Consider hitting a weekly yoga class to improve your mobility, or using Zoom to coordinate a team core work and stretching session. A little advanced planning can help you maximize your training rides and set you up well for a great experience at the BFC Charity Ride!
