Triathlon Training Part II: Cycling

By Megan Michelson

1)Ride, Ride, Ride: The best way to get ready for the bike portion of a triathlon is to log hours on the road. Find friends who ride at a similar pace, but keep in mind that drafting isn’t allowed, so practice away from the wind block of your riding partners as well. Work on cornering, and if there’s a turnaround in the race route, practice around a traffi c cone. If you’re new to clipless pedals, spend time in a parking lot clipping in and out. Also, practice drinking or eating an energy bar, since you can digest the easiest during the bike leg.

2)Build your wind: Aerobic training should start at least 16 weeks before your race. Each week , complete one long ride (at least 90 minutes at low intensity) and one short, speed ride (45 to 60 minutes with fourminute sets at 80% max effort, with two-minute recovery between sets). Also, spinning classes or stationary bikes can be great for cyclespecifi c strength and power development.

3)Get strong legs: To build lower body strength, do 2 sets of 8 to 10 squats and 2 sets of 5 to 8 deadlifts at the gym once a week. Also, work out your core weekly for power delivery while in the saddle.