Last week i was in the French Alps coaching a group cycling week.The week consisted of mixed ability cyclists all gathered together to take on some of the best Tour De France climbs on offer. The weeks programme included the Col de Iseran, Col de La Madeline and Cormet Roseland. Preparing for such a week can be a physical challenge especially if you are not in a geographical area that matches that of the hills. This Summer i have been training in the relatively flat centre of France and as such have not been able to recreate some of these monstrous climbs. To counteract this i have been working on a programme that included strength training intervals performed on the bike in a hard gear over a set distance on flat terrain. The theory behind this was to condition my joints, tendons and muscles to the prolonged periods of slow full contractions required of me in the mountains. I found this a great way to build a strength session into my programme and provided my muscle tissue with the adaptation changes that it needed to prevent soreness. A sample session may include 3 x 10 km intervals in a hard gear with a cadence of around 75-85 there would be a 5 min recovery break inbetween the idea is to remain seated throughout but trying to keep the cadence within that range. If you find yourself in a similar situation then try a similar session to condition your legs to climbing.

Happy Training!