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Mallorca 312 training

A simple guide to start cycle training in 2022!

Whether you have had a few weeks off for Christmas or are new to training then getting started with a structured plan can seem hard and daunting. To help you I have put together a few tips to make sure you complete those 2022 goals!

Consistency 

This is the most important factor and one that is often overlooked by many athletes whether new or experienced. People get too obsessed about the small stuff before they have nailed the basics and for me, until you have consistency with your training then you are wasting precious training time. Don’t worry about what training plan to follow or whether the intervals should be 4 or 5 minutes long but just get regular training in first to build the “habit” and thus become the norm.

Plan

As with being successful in work and life, planning is crucial. Log your training sessions in your calendar just like you would an appointment and don’t give your brain any doubt as to whether or not you will complete the session. This will help you build consistency and hence training momentum.

Have a goal or event to train for?

It is amazing how having a goal or event that slightly scares you forces you to train! We all know what happened when COVID struck and events got cancelled. People just fell off the wagon and gave up. Book something and get it in the diary. You can then work back with how many weeks you have got until it. This will keep you on track!

Why not enter the Mallorca 312? Check out the challenge here!

Be realistic

No matter how much time you have, you can still get a quality session in but be realistic with the time you have available to commit to training. So many people fail due to saying they are going to train x number of hours per week and then when they cannot make the total they just give up. Remember anything is better than nothing!

Train at different intensities

Once you have consistency then make sure you train at a variety of intensities so don’t just do the same thing every session, mix it up. Make sure each session has a purpose and goal so have a mix of easy rides, long hard sessions, max effort intervals etc. Again don’t worry initially about exact heart rate or power but just make sure there is a clear distinguished intensity between sessions and intervals. Even just thinking “hard” and “easy” then this will start to create some structure and stop training in the so-called “grey” zone.

Still, sound daunting?

Don’t worry Ride Harder is here to make all of the above easy for you, some would say we can reduce your decision making fatigue. We have a range of cycle training plans which will fit your own personal needs.

What about completing the Ride Harder Plan which has been UPDATED FOR 2022! Check it out here! 

James Walsgrove

My cycling career started in 2005 when I purchased my first road bike and I was immediately hooked. Since then I have completed numerous cycling challenges including Ironman, Lands’ End to John O Groats, Mt Ventoux (all 3 ascents), London to Paris, the BBAR challenge which included a 12hour TimeTrial and more recently the Mallorca 312.

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