Chris is an endurance athlete with over 20 years experience as a runner and triathlete. In 2006 and 2007 he completed the Etape Du Tour. He is a sports scientist and can be contacted at the Leinster sports clinic for further help and advice. www.leinstersportsclinic.ie (086) 2118537 or email info@leinstersportsclinic.ie

If you’re a novice or first-timer to this type of event, and looking at the event as a personal challenge rather than your position on the winners rostrum a few tips and a little advice from someone who’s been there and made most of the mistakes!
The following sections are all I believe equally important and interlinked.

The Equipment
The bike…… Its always tempting to go and spend as much of your hard earned cash as possible on the latest titanium or carbon speed machine because its 100grams lighter than last years model. Always bare in mind the greatest reduction in weight and resistance can be made in the riders weight and riding position. Even Lance reduced his body fat by 2-6kgs in the months prior to each Tour. Most bikes from the big manufactures today are reasonably lightweight and good quality. The golden rule when considering your bike is It must be properly fitted to ensure your riding position is correct. Failure to do this will result in biomechanical inefficiency (wasted energy) and/or injury.

Pedals……Its well worth using one of the many cleated pedal systems that are available. These do need some practice to get used to, but they do save energy and make a big difference especially when climbing. The “big boys” will tell you that the system they use is the best. There is no great difference in terms of efficiency, it usually comes down to the degree of movement (float) you want, how much you want to spend and personal choice.

Heart rate monitor…….I would say that this is a must not just for training but also for the event. To get the best from this tool I would recommend having a maximal exercise test. This will produce an individual physiological profile that can form the foundation for all your training and racing as well as gauge the improvements in fitness levels. Methods such as 220-your age can be used to calculate your max heart rate, however you must remember these are only ball park figures .As with all sports equipment you can spend a fortune on HR monitors from a host of manufactures, however there are plenty of entry level models at good prices that will do the job. It just depends how many whistles and bells you want.

Clothes and shoes……This type of event is the best excuse in the world to wear lycra, don’t be ashamed enjoy the experience! As with all cycling equipment the temptation is to get the latest sexiest kit you can. A word of warning make sure the kit you use fits properly not too loose or tight, look out for any seams that might rub and its worth paying a little extra for a good quality pair of bib shorts. The same applies to your choice of cycling shoes, make sure they fit properly and offer the correct support. Above all make sure you have ridden in your cycling kit for a good length of time prior to the event. The last thing you need on the day is to discover that your sexy new shorts rub a delicate area of skin.

Training
A massive subject area about which volumes are written each year. Therefore I will outline the basic principals I followed in my preparation for the Etape Du Tour. My aim was to finish the event as well as I could, I would consider myself a very average cyclist.

Principal 1.…….Long steady distance. This is the key I believe to completing this type of endurance event. I started from a point where the longest cycle ride I had completed in training or racing was 3 hours. So from January my weekly long ride would gradually build from this point until I was riding continuously for 6 hours. Rather than focusing on distance I paid more attention to ride time and heart rate. HR should be kept around the 70% of max during these rides, this ensures the body will improve its fat metabolism, the most sustainable energy supply. It is also worth practicing maintaining a high pedal cadence during these rides, 95-100 rpm, this helps with fat metabolism and develops muscular efficiency and the development of the slow twitch muscle fibres.

Principal 2.………The tempo session. Conducted on the road or the turbo trainer and consists of riding at or around the lactate threshold up to approx 80% of HR max. This is the point that lactic acid starts to accumulate in the blood and breathing patterns become harder. Following a warm-up try holding this pace for 20 or 30 mins and gradually increase over the weeks. This helps the body to adapt and become more efficient at clearing the lactate. It also helps to build speed endurance and power output.

Principal 3.……..The turbo or interval session. I always conducted this on the turbo trainer because I like being in the heat with the music on! But it could be done out on the roads. My session consisted of a warm-up followed by 5 min intervals the intervals would be 5 mins easy spinning (70% max) followed by 5 mins at threshold (80%) and then 5 mins high resistance out of the saddle riding. At the start of training I would do 3 repetitions building to 7 in the final weeks before the race. This session combines the other 2 training adaptations and stimulates some of the real event conditions.

A typical weeks training at the beginning of training for me would include 1 endurance ride, 1 tempo ride, and 2 turbo sessions.
As training progressed the above sessions would be extended and an extra endurance ride added each week.
As a triathlete I also tried to maintain a couple of swim sessions each week. These acted as a cardio vascular work out and helped with some of the muscle soreness from cycling.

Hydration and Nutrition.
Another huge subject area. The golden rule here is practice your feeding and drinking strategy during training and don’t introduce anything new on the day of the event.
A rule of thumb says a 2% drop in hydration can result in a 20% decrease in performance.
Obviously in an event like the Wicklow 200 this could result in not finishing at all.
As a guide I try to ensure that I drink at least 1 x 750mls bottle per hour of riding.

In terms of nutrition as an indicator of energy expenditure, during last years Etape I burned over 9200kcals. In order to meet this demand I developed a strategy of eating solid foods during the first 4-5 hours of the ride. This mainly consisted of bananas, energy bars and flapjack. From that point on I found I had no appetite so I switched to supplementing the energy drink I was using with energy gels. These are easy to get down and usually contain a high energy content in a low volume.
The body can absorb a max of approx 60grams of carbohydrate per hour. So I found that by using the above foods combined with a 6% carbohydrate/electrolyte drink I was able to keep on top of my energy requirements. I would recommend using a product containing electrolytes as these are the salts that the body requires to be able to absorb fluids and nutrients. If you become depleted of these you will probably suffer from muscle cramps and stomach problems.
Above all make sure that during the days leading up to the event you are well hydrated and take onboard lots of carbohydrate.
Get used to eating and drinking small amounts almost continuously from the start of the event.
Don’t introduce anything new on the day of the event.
Practice the strategy on your long training rides.

Psychology
This is the bit that almost everybody except the very best disregard or neglect. During an event of this duration you spend an awful lot of time with your own thoughts. Again during 9 hours of riding last years Etape I spoke no more than 3 sentences to other riders from the start to the finish.
I experienced the most intense highs and the absolute lowest lows of my sporting life during these rides. If you fail to prepare for this the mind can defeat the body. One friend told me after last years event “I didn’t expect it to be such an emotional roller coaster”.
A few things I have developed to help cope are, Do some of your long training rides on your own, get used to how you feel at certain points and how you personally deal with them.
When you get the real highs enjoy them, there really is nothing like it, but don’t be tempted to go chasing after Lance. Remember this is a long event.
When you hit the lows, remember the things that motivated you to undertake this event in the first place. Keep in mind your goals. Think about what this will mean to you when you complete it.
Don’t worry or be intimidated by other riders, despite outward appearances they are probably as nervous as you.
Enjoy the nerves and anxiety before the event, this shows that it represents something important to you and will ensure that you push yourself to get the best you can from yourself.
Ride at your own pace, you can’t influence what another rider is doing so don’t worry about it.
Above all else enjoy the experience, bask in the glory when you finish and remember you are undertaking a challenge that a lot of people talk about, but few actually toe the start line.

Good Luck, see you on the start line.
Chris Simpson.