How to ride the Etape April training tips
It's April already and that means part four of Rob's tips for the Etape du Tour, which he's writing for sports travel site, Sports Tours International.
This month, it's going to be tough again, because while March was building up the miles, April is about the speed and avoiding that rather scary sag wagon - believe us, you don't want that coach ride after all this training.
So, let's look forward, there are 3 and a half months to go, so we want to maintain and build the distances, while at the same time hitting the allotted times.
In essence, April is near enough the hardest month of training because you are still building on your base and still building on your ability to cope with distance, at the same time adding the increase into the speed work. May and June will build on this but you will be more used to it.
So work hard during April, this is the month where you can set yourself right up for the more fun events that make training more interesting through May and June, building towards enjoying that Etape in July.
As you work hard, and April will be a hard month, stay true to all your building blocks such as cadence, nutrition, bike maintenance, warm clothing and logistical concerns but as that Etape looms on the horizon April is the month to be scared and fear is the trigger to commence training now in earnest.
In May we will talk more about Sportives, more about sharpening up and just how you start preparing through those final months looking forward to completing this year’s Etape du Tour.
To read the full article, including tips on splitting the weekends up to build speed and fitness as well as nutrition tips and mid-week rides, check out the full article by clicking the link below.