Training and PreparationTo help you get the best out of your ride experience please take time to view the following important information.  Is Your Bike Fit
Be Prepared Keeping Hydrated Road Rules Awareness Training Tips
Follow Brett Aitken's six week training program
Olympic Gold Medallist Brett Aitken can help beginner cyclists prepare to ride the Mt Lofty Challenge with a six-week training program in your local Messenger, starting 8 Feb. With the right preparation and determination you too can join 4,000 other riders along the S.E Freeway and over 35km of closed roads all the way to Mt Lofty, as part of Boileau VeloAdelaide on Sunday 18 March. Starting and finishing at Hindmarsh Square, you can choose to ride from 30km to 110km, and following Brett Aitken's training regime will make all the difference. "In this, the first week, the aim is to introduce riders to a structured
programme. Find out your capabilities and set a benchmark. Ensure your
bike is set up and comfortable for your body." Read your training programme for week 1
"This week is all about building on the base that you started in the first week and introducing a little more intensity to some of the sessions. Intervals are a great way to develop quick gains in aerobic fitness and teach you to push yourself and find your limits. Recovery is emphasized for this week and eating and drinking well is part of that plan. A simple strategy is to eat carbohydrates (ie. Pasta, rice, fruit, cereals etc.) on your recovery days to replenish the stores in readiness for the next hard day of training. Protein (ie. Meat, fish eggs, whey protein drink) is good at the end of a hard day of training to help rebuild the muscles. Hydration mainly through water and some electrolytes is also very important on a daily basis."
Download training program for week 2
Here's what Brett has to say about this week's program: "Any fitness program is a little bit like climbing a mountain. It progressively pushes you higher and higher and, while the hard days are aimed to bring on a level of fatigue, the easy days are there to help your body recover and adapt. In this program, you can see the theme is relatively the same, with another interval session in there to push your aerobic capacity to the edge this week." Read your training programme for week 3
"This week you'll see a noticeable step up in the distance and intensity because once this is completed there will be only a week and a half to go before you attempt the challenge and there will be alot more emphasis on recovery following this week. I've added in a simulation ride of the challenge you are about to do. This will give you some insight into how far you've come and possibly how far you have to go. Either way don't get deterred, the real challenge is what you can achieve on the actual day. Some of you could feel quite tired by the end of this week but try and stay focussed, there will be some reprieve coming."
Download your training program for week 4
"Week 5 of the build up to the challenge sees all that hard work pay off as you transition into the recovery phase. On the Saturday of this program is your last chance to simulate the conditions of the challenge ahead and instill some self confidence that you will achieve your goal. It's important to remember however that this is when you will be at your most tired and will be very different to the following week once you've had almost 7 full days of recovery. You'll also notice on the last day of this program there is an emphasis on starting a carbohydrate loading diet so now is a good time to start planning ahead". Download your training program for week 5
"Well here we are with only a few days to go before the challenge begins and even though all the hard training is behind you, what you do in these last few days can be almost just as important. This is the time to get all the small things right so you have a stress free buildup to the ride. Start by eating well focussing on a high carbohydrate and low glycaemic diet while also paying attention to drinking lots of water. Check your bike over for any possible thing that could go wrong. Do the full range of gears work properly, are the tyres worn, do you need spare tubes? etc. Plan your days around training as well. A bad day at work can drain you mentally and physically just as bad as if you went out and did a hard day of training. The key is to not stress too much, it's a challenge but it's supposed to be fun!"
Download your training program for week 6
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