Preparation
You should be really getting into it now and feeling the legs improving on the spins. It’s a good time to check over the bike as you’ve done a decent mileage on it now and it’s the right time to make sure the bike is still running smoothly.
Nutrition
As the training is increasing a bit more at this stage, be sure to keep eating healthy to fuel the body. Remember to keep a good balance of carbs in the diet.
Equipment
As I said you’ve done a good bit of mileage now and you need to check over the bike. Look closely at the tyres to make sure there are no big cuts in them. It is much easier to replace tyres at home than out on the side of the road in the rain.
Check the break pads too for wear. If they are wearing you’ll notice the leaver is coming right into the handlebars when you pull it. There are small adjusters on the cables you can use to tighten them again a little to balance out the wear that’s occurred and keep the leavers from getting closer to the bars.
Your breaks and tyres get the most wear so always keep an eye on these to avoid any problems.
Training
Increase the mid week spins a bit up to 40-45kms for next week and keep these at a good pace. It would also be good to add a hill or two into these at this stage. It will really help to build up some strength.
The hills are always tough but the secret is to keep the cadence at a nice manageable pace for the length of the climb. Use the gears to do this. And just settle into a rhythm and keep with it all the way. Climbing is a struggle no matter how good you get. The only thing that changes is the speed.
For the weekend aim to do a long spin of 70-80km spin. Still keeping the spin continuous with as little stops as possible. And maybe one hill thrown into the mix as well would be good. IT doesn’t matter if it’s a short one, just add it in for a bit of extra strength work.
You’re well on track now if you’ve been sticking to the programme so keep with it over these next 3 weeks and you’ll be fine.