| This is the second in a series of Tour for Kids tips to help you prepare for your participation in the upcoming Tour for Kids Ontario event. At the end of each of these emails, we will provide you with links to previous communications that we hope you will find useful and inspiring. In this tip we discuss Training.
Don’t just exercise your legs. Do a little training for upper body strength. This will help avoid fatigue or stiffness in the arms and shoulders.
Mix up your training – add variety – distance, routes, speed, who you ride with……
Pedal circles – i.e. not just push on down stroke. This achieves a smoother action and reduces overall fatigue. It will require practice. Use toe clips or “clipless” pedals to optimize each rotation of the crank.
Take a break when you need to. Don’t overdo it – especially in the early part of your training. Even a short break of five minutes will revitalize you.
Use a mirror to see behind. This helps know what is coming up behind you and hence adds to your safety. Mirrors can be attached to the helmet or handlebars. Get into the habit of looking in your mirror &/or over your shoulder regularly and especially when changing direction or position on the road.
Be sure your bike is the correct size and that it is adjusted to fit your body. This is especially important for longer rides – you can get away with a not so good fit for just and hour or so. Correct set up will greatly help both your comfort and efficiency. Consult experienced riders if you are not sure.
Use a bicycle computer. They are inexpensive and help develop an understanding of your capabilities and keep track of your improvement. It is helpful to keep records in a log.
Frequency – you should ride no more than 6 days a week. You will need at least one day a week to recover.
ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET – every time you go out. Make sure it fits you properly and is in excellent condition – no damage, frayed straps, buckles/clips work correctly etc….
More Training Tips
Intensity: Alternate hard days with easy days. Allow your body to recover from the hard efforts. On hard days you may only ride half the distance you would ride on an easy day. Alternating intensity not only allows you to be able to sustain hard efforts (like riding all day into a headwind), but also changes the monotony of riding the same speed/distance day in and day out.
Warm-up: Use the first few miles of every ride as a warm-up. Especially when it’s cool out, this will minimize the chances of injury. Many people make the mistake of pushing too hard early in the season when they are both not in shape and riding in cool/cold weather.
Stretching: Stretching before you ride can prevent injury, while stretching after you ride can aid the recovery process – especially on a two day ride. Stretch until you feel the pull, then back off slightly. Pain while stretching means you are overdoing it. Remember long (at least 30 seconds) and slow.
Find a Buddy or Two: Riding is MUCH more fund with a friend. It also adds to the safety and a buddy will be there to help out if you have a puncture or a mechanical problem.
Clothing: Don’t under-dress for cool conditions. Dress in layers. Tendons and ligaments work best when warm. Wear leg warmers until it reaches about 15 C. It may look cool to have bare legs, however you run the risk of injury. You can always take off layers if you are too hot, but can’t put them on if you find yourself too cold and didn’t bring them with you.
Links to other important pre-Tour for Kids material:
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