Helping others train for the 94.7

I have a good friend who was entered for the 94.7 by the company he works for, together with his fiancé and his colleagues.  They aren’t experienced cyclists. When I asked him how the training was going, he replied that they had started training, mostly thirty or forty kilometres over a weekend.  His fiancé said that to train on the road was too monotonous and they found a mountain bike much more exciting.

I could not believe my ears when I heard this.  In my opinion it is two different sports and can’t be compared, although both involve a bike.  One of the most important differences is that on a mountain bike you cycle while standing up most of the time, whereas on a road bike you sit ninety-nine per cent of the time.  On the other hand, another friend told me that mountain biking can give you extra strength for road cycling.

I gave my friend a few tips why they should train on the road and would like to share them here. Please note that these are my own experiences and may differ from others. For argument’s sake, I’ll use hundred kilometres as an example.

• You need to be sure that you can sit on a bike saddle for at least a hundred kilometers – that’s about six hours.  The only way you can train for this is to spend hours on the road.
• You need to know your bike.  Know which gear you are comfortable with.  Know what gear combination is the best to climb a hill.
• It is also important to know your body limits.  You need to know when or where to put in all you have or where to slow down because you need to use your body strength wisely.
• Endurance is the key word for a race like this!  Ask yourself: will I be able to endure a hundred kilometers on my bike and still pass the cut off times in time?  Based on your answer, you will have a good idea of how hard you should train.
• Finally, not only in this race but in all races, be serious about it.  Train for it.  It’s not a good feeling when you have to stop halfway because you don’t have any strength left.  Remember, what you put in is what you’ll get out!

By Deon Labuschagne
Vista Happiness HELPS Ambassador