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How to Train
If this is your first longer cycling event, you may be a bit nervous about what you’ve committed to. Don’t worry – that’s completely normal! No matter what our skill level, training for the TDP Track is a must. Being on your bike for long rides takes practice.
Joy McCulloch from Big Wheel Coaching created the detailed training guide below to help you get ready to ride at the YSC Wellness Summit TDP Track.
You can also print a shortened summary:
Training For Heat
This year in Austin is bringing the heat, so it’s important to be prepared for it.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated in the heat is perhaps the most important consideration. Don’t underestimate the amount of fluid your body needs.
Be sure to bring plenty of liquids and take small, frequent sips, which helps your body more efficiently absorb water. If your bike only holds one bottle cage, consider adding another. Even if you think you have enough water, refill when the opportunity arises.
While water is always a good option to cool your body temperature down and help rehydrate you, sometimes water alone is not enough. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes through perspiration and risk feeling the symptoms of dehydration if you don’t replenish these lost nutrients. To properly hydrate, your body needs a mix of balanced electrolytes and minerals that allows your body to quickly absorb the electrolytes and water, hydrating you faster.
Keep an eye out for some of the signs of dehydration—headaches, thirst, dizziness, irritable mood, or mental fog.
There will be plenty of water and electrolyte tablets and drinks at the rest stops and in the SAG vehicles.
Exposure
Some people go with the less is more approach and opt for sleeveless tops, while others might prefer to wear long sleeves made of a cooling fabric to avoid sun exposure. What you decide to wear is largely a personal preference although opt for fabrics that provide sun protection and wick moisture away from your body.
Be sure to liberally apply sunscreen and have a good pair of sunglasses. On really hot days a wearing a cap or bandana under your helmet can keep sweat out of your eyes. A bandana soaked in cool water and thrown over your face can be particularly refreshing when you stop for a break.
Post Ride Cool Down
Allow time for a post ride cool down. In addition to stretching, continue drinking water and energy drink to replenish your body. Avoid drinking alcohol, coffee, or sugary drinks that can dehydrate you further.
Detailed Training Guide
Week 01: Ride Time 4:45
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Get out and ride! Congratulations on starting your journey to complete a ride event. |
| Wednesday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Thursday | Easy Ride | Time - 1:15 | Second day this week on the bike. Great job getting into the routine and creating a habit. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | 1:30 | Longest assigned ride this week. Pick a fun route and take some friends along! |
| Sunday | Easy Ride | 1:00 | Back-to-back rides are tough. Challenge yourself to get out and make it happen. |
Week 02: Ride Time 5:15
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:15 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid working too hard. Go farther and longer than you did last Monday. You’re adding volume to training! |
| Wednesday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Thursday | Easy Ride | Time - 1:15 | Ride at a pace that you could talk to a partner, but you don’t necessarily want to. 🙂 Sustain this pace throughout the ride ‐ not easy, but not too hard. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | 1:30 | Longest ride this week. Pick a route you like and grab some friends for company. |
| Sunday | Easy Ride | 1:15 | It might feel a little harder to get on your bike this day, but consistency in your training is key! |
Week 03: Ride Time 5:45
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:15 | Ride at a pace that you could talk to a partner, but you don’t necessarily want to. 🙂 Sustain this pace throughout the ride ‐ not easy, but not too hard. |
| Wednesday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Thursday | Interval Ride | 1:15 | Add in some structure today. On a moderate ride, do the following: pick a city block, a distance between power lines, or up a short hill. Go HARD for 45‐60 seconds in a safe manner. Allow 3‐5 minutes of easy spinning between these efforts to allow the heart rate to drop back down. Do 4‐6 of these “attacks” throughout the ride. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | 1:45 | Add some time, distance and volume to today’s ride but ride at a pace that you can sustain for the whole ride. |
| Sunday | Easy Ride | 1:15 | Day two of adding time to your weekend rides. The first 15‐20 minutes you may feel sluggish - totally normal! Pedal through it and keep a steady pace the rest of the ride. |
Week 04: Ride Time 5:00 | Recovery Week
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Wednesday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Thursday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Get out and ride! Goal is to ride longer and farther today at a moderate pace that you can sustain the whole time. |
| Sunday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
Week 05: Ride Time 6:45
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | asy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | Interval Ride | Time ‐ 1:15 | Add in some structure today! On a moderate ride, do the following: Pick a city block, distance between power lines, or up a short hill. Go HARD for 60‐90 seconds in a safe manner. Allow 3‐5 minutes easy spin between these efforts to allow the heart rate to drop back down. Do 4‐6 of these “attacks” throughout the ride. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Get out and ride! Goal is to ride longer and farther today at a moderate pace that you can sustain the whole time. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 1:30 | Select a challenging route with some hills to climb. Keep a steady effort throughout the ride to ensure you can finish the ride strong. |
Week 06: Ride Time 8:00
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Short Efforts | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. On a flat route, do 3 sets of the following: 3 x 60 seconds HARD and FAST followed by 60 seconds of easy spinning. Ride 5 minutes very easy between each of the sets. Steady pace for the rest of the ride. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | Hill Ride | Time ‐ 1:30 | Find a fun and challenging route where you can test your abilities on some climbs. Enjoy the process! |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Select a route similar to the TDP Track Saturday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish strong. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Select a route similar to the Sunday TDP Track route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
Week 07: Ride Time 8:30
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Short Efforts | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. On a flat route, do 3 sets of the following: 3 x 60 seconds HARD and FAST followed by 60 seconds of easy spinning. Ride 5 minutes very easy between each of the sets. Steady pace for the rest of the ride. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | Interval Ride | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. Select a route with either a short climb or a flat road without interruptions. 3 x 4 minutes zone 4 (going hard). Zone 4 can also be referred to as RPE 8 (Rate of Perceived Exertion), a pace where you cannot talk to a partner. 5‐10 very easy minutes spinning between the efforts Easy ride rest of the time |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:30 | Add more volume and distance today! Select a route similar to the Saturday TDP Track route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish strong. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Select a route similar to the Sunday TDP Track route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
Week 08: Ride Time 5:00 | Recovery Week
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Wednesday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Thursday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Get out and ride! Goal is to ride longer and farther today at a moderate pace that you can sustain the whole time. |
| Sunday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
Week 09: Ride Time 8:45
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Steady Ride+ | Time ‐ 1:15 | 75‐90 minute ride today. Select a route with rolling terrain and some hills. On the hills, push the effort and go hard up them. Recover well before you go hard again. Push your efforts on the climbs 4‐6 times throughout the ride. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | Interval Ride | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. Select a route with either a short climb or a flat road without interruptions. 3 x 5 minutes in zone 4 (hardest, or RPE 8, a pace where you cannot talk to a partner) and then 5‐10 very easy minutes spinning between efforts. Easy ride rest of the time |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 3:00 | Add more volume and distance today! Plan your nutrition and hydration ahead so that you are prepared. Select a route similar to the TDP Track. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:00 | Back-to-back long rides in preparation for the event! The first 15‐20 minutes you will feel fatigued so hydrate well and push through. Select a route similar to the TDP Track Sunday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
Week 10: Ride Time 10:00
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Steady Ride + | Time ‐ 1:30 | 90‐115 minute ride today. Select a route with rolling terrain and some hills. On the hills, push the effort and go hard up them. Recover well before you go hard again. Push the efforts on the climbs 4‐6 times throughout the ride. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | Interval Ride | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. Select a route with either a short climb or a flat road without interruptions. 4 x 5 minutes zone 4 (hardest, or RPE 8, a pace where you cannot talk to a partner) and then 5‐10 very easy minutes spinning between the efforts. Easy ride rest of the time. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 3:30 | Add more volume and distance today. Plan your nutrition and hydration ahead so that you are prepared. Select a route similar to the TDP Saturday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 2:30 | Back-to-back long rides in preparation for the event! The first 15‐20 minutes you will feel fatigued so hydrate well and push through. Select a route similar to the TDP Track Sunday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
Week 11: Ride Time 11:00
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Short Efforts | Time ‐ 1:30 | Warm up well. On a flat route, do 3 sets of the following intervals: 3 x 60 seconds HARD and FAST followed by 60 seconds very easy between each effort. Take 5 minutes of easy spinning between each of these sets. Ride easy the rest of the ride. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride | Time ‐ 1:00 | Low effort ride on a flat route. Focus on smooth pedal strokes and avoid going hard. |
| Thursday | “Race” Efforts | Time ‐ 1:30 | While TDP isn’t a race, this workout will help you push your limits. Warm up well. On a slight hill, complete the following: 4 x 90 seconds all out in a safe manner. 5 minutes very easy spin between each of the 90 second efforts. Easy ride rest of the time. |
| Friday | Rest Day | Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! Sure, we say this a lot, but it’s really important as you build toward longer rides. |
| Saturday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 4:00 | Add more volume and distance today. Plan your nutrition and hydration ahead so that you are prepared. Select a route similar to the TDP Track Saturday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
| Sunday | Endurance Ride | Time ‐ 3:00 | Back-to-back long rides in preparation for the event. The first 15‐20 minutes you will feel fatigued so hydrate well and push through. Select a route similar to the TDP Track Sunday route. Focus on good hydration and nutrition throughout the ride and pace yourself so that you can finish the last part strong. |
Week 12: Tour de pink Week!!!
| Week Day | Time | Training Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Rest Day | Rest Day! Focus on stretching, hydration and proper recovery! |
| Tuesday | Steady Ride | Time ‐ 1:15 | Keep efforts steady and smooth throughout the ride, avoiding going too easy or too hard. |
| Wednesday | Easy Ride + | Time ‐ 1:00 | Easy ride on a flat route at a comfortable pace. Add in 2‐3 short (15‐20 second) efforts to get the legs opened up. Easy spin between efforts. |
| Thursday | Rest Day & Travel Day | Get ready for the great event! |