This training guide has been created for those that work full time. By following this guide you will be able to complete each stage of a three-day stage race relatively comfortably and actually enjoy the entire event. This guide will also work for stage races longer than three days.
If you are more serious, or prefer to train more scientifically, then obtain the services of a professional coach or coaching system. This guide is uncomplicated and aimed at gradually building your endurance and mountain bike-specific conditioning. The more closely you follow this guide, the better you will perform at the event.
Unless stated, each day’s workout is a bicycle ride.
12 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 hours
- Sunday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total time = 9 hours
11 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 hours
- Sunday: 2 hours
- Total time = 10 hours
10 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Sunday: 3 hours
- Total time = 11 hours 30 minutes
9 weeks out (recovery week)
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Sunday: 3 hours
- Total time = 10 hours
8 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 4 hours
- Sunday: 3 hours
- Total time = 12 hours
7 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 2 hours
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 4 hours
- Sunday: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total time = 13 hours
6 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 2 hours
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 4 hours
- Sunday: 4 hours
- Total time = 13 hours 30 minutes
5 weeks out (recovery week)
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Sunday: 3 hours
- Total time = 10 hours
4 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: 2 hours
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 5 hours
- Sunday: 4 hours
- Total time = 14 hours 30 minutes
3 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 2 hours
- Saturday: 5 hours
- Sunday: 5 hours
- Total time = 15 hours 30 minutes
2 weeks out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: 2 hours
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 2 hours
- Saturday: 4 hours
- Sunday: 3 hours
- Total time = 13 hours
1 week out
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 2 hours
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 2 hours
- Saturday: 3 hours
- Sunday: Rest
- Total time = 7 hours
Race Week (for Friday start)
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Thursday: 1 hour
- Friday: Stage 1
- Saturday: Stage 2
- Sunday: Stage 3
IMPORTANT
- Do as much of your riding as you can on a mountain bike (even if it means riding your mountain bike on tar).
- Always do your longer weekend rides on a mountain bike – off-road
- You can swap a 1 hour 30 minute ride for a Spinning class or a 1-hour indoor trainer session.
- If you miss a session for any reason, DON’T try make it up. Simply move on with the programme and focus forward, don’t let something that’s happened bother you – you can’t change it.
- If possible, add in 3 x core strength sessions a week of 15-20 minutes each. This is abdominal strength improvement, which you can do at home and which will help condition you for the race.
- We recommend that you spend at least two of your training sessions a month working on improving your skills on a more technically challenging ride.
- If you’re unsure of your skills, do a skills clinic to gain confidence and control.
- If you are ill or injured, don’t train, rather see your doctor and get his/her advice.
Disclaimer: This training plan was created by the editors of TREAD Media. None of us are professional coaches, but we have all followed professional training plans at various times and have successfully completed more than 50 South African stage races between us. Some of them quite fast!
