Welcome back Tracy from All Things Fashionating! Last month she shared the swim portion of this 8 week sprint triathlon training plan. She’s back with part two of the three part training series. Get those bikes out and get ready to ride!

Now that we covered swim training, it is time to put pedals to the medal with cycling. I wasn’t too worried about this event in my training since I am an avid spinner. However, I soon learned that cycling in a spin class is vastly different than road riding. But cycling does offer some pretty rad health benefits such as firming up your core and derrière; improved cardiovascular fitness. Plus, riding faster burns more calories and fine tunes coordination skills.

Before you get started on your bike training:

• First and foremost – confirm your bike is in good condition. Get a basic tune-up and adjust the seat and handlebars to fit your body to avoid glitches and injuries.
• It is important to review the course map in advance so you know your terrain. If it’s hilly make sure to train accordingly, and then you will be ready to roll.

8-Week Training: Bike Portion

Week 1: Tuesday –Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 45 min.
Week 2: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 50 min.
Week 3: Tuesday –Bike 35 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour
Week 4: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 45 min.
Week 5: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 50 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour, 10 min.
Week 6: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 45 min. and Saturday – Bike 1 hour, 15 min.
Week 7: Tuesday –Bike 40 min., Thursday – Bike 40 min. and Saturday – Bike 50 min.
Week 8: Tuesday –Bike 30 min., Thursday – Bike 30 min. and Saturday – Bike 10 min

Essential Gear for Biking

• A bike; an uncomplicated road or mountain bike will suffice.
• A helmet is mandatory due to USAT regulations and must include a Consumer Product Safety Commission sticker.
• Sunglasses will keep your eyes protected from the wind and safe from any flying debris.

Strategize for Efficient Transitions

Another important aspect to triathlons is the transitions. That’s the period between the swim to bike to run events, where where you change clothes and equipment. Each racer is assigned a small “setup” space within the transition area to prep for each event. Transition times count toward your overall race time so it is important to be organized for efficiency.

To avoid wasting time, follow these tips:

• Mark your territory: use sidewalk chalk to tag the setup location within the transition area. It is easy to get disoriented when returning from the swim and bike, so a little personalized writings can lead the way.
• Organize setup so clothing and equipment are laid out in the order that it will be used.
• Wear water-resistant tri clothing for the whole race so you don’t have to change during transitions.
• Clip cycling shoes onto pedals so you just slip your feet in and away you go.

The most important thing while training for the bike portion of a sprint triathlon: make sure to feel the road beneath you and enjoy the ride!

Tracy Mausser, Journalist & Triathlete

www.allthingsfashionating.com

Tracy Mausser, a former Los Angeles Metro reporter and editor, is a Jersey Girl turned Angeleno whose obsession with health and exercise has put her on the clean living journey. In her spare time, Tracy competes as an amateur triathlete. She lives at the beach in the Los Angeles area with her husband and son.