In the past I've been training a lot and done pretty well. I've managed to become a national champion in two different sports at the same time. Besides that I've always managed to do pretty well in most of the competitive sports I set my mind to.

When it comes to bicycle training, I usually disagree with most riders, who usually think that as long as you train 100 - 200 km a day you're going to do pretty well. I've been there too and yes, I managed pretty well. But the big boost came after changing my diet, training and especially stretching routines after talking to a sports physician.

At my peak I developed 4 week programs on my own, which is challenging, but not impossible. I will try and give you an example at the bottom of this article.

Bicycle training

The basic training is split into different groups. This is to optimize the benefits from the different types of training.

1. Base form 50 - 100km (good speed 38 - 42 kph)
2. Endurance 150 - 175 km
3. Sprint (warmup - long sprint/relax - short run - short sprint/relax)
4. Resting day

Most bicycle riders already know about these kinds of training, but they plateau because they stick to the same program. Sticking to the same program all the time will make you plateau because your muscles will get into a state of "knowledge". In order to make a program work it has to be diverse and changed all the time. This is why the program has to be changed every month.

Running

Many bicyle riders miss this opportunity to increase their stamina. Running uses slightly different muscles and also forces your legs out of the bicycle training "lock". The running should be done in the same way as your bicycle riding; you train hard on your bicycle - you give it all while running. The layout of your running program is exactly the same as the bicycle training above.

Stretching

Stretching is an absolute must. Why? Because it improves your agility as well as reducing the risk of injuries over time. Another positive effect is that the blood flow in your legs will improve. Remember your legs will grow and the internal pressure from your muscles can constrict the blood flow. I've seen bicycle riders having problems with a 45 degree split!

Lung exercises

You can actually increase your lung capacity without training. This has been known in China for millennia. In the beginning this can feel uncomfortable, but you will get used to it pretty fast. The exercise is pretty simple.

1. Inhale as much air as you can, hold your breath.
2. Use your abdominal and chest muscles to increase chest preassure for 5 - 10 seconds.
3. Inhale more air.
4. Repeat step 2
5. Repeat step 3
6. Exhale
7. Repeat 5 - 10 times

In the beginning this can be uncomfortable and even painful if you do it correctly. What you're doing is increasing the volume of your lungs by forcing oxygene into them and creating preassure. I've seen a guy who was able to blow up a hot water bottle until it exploded!

Food

This is where most training suffers. As an athlete you need to ensure proper intake of protein and carbs, which can be pretty difficult. The best way to make sure you get what you need is by using a calorie calculator (software). The best part is that you'll get the full layout of proteins, fat and carbs etc. taken during the day. If you train for normal competition your body will need approximately 1 - 1.2 grams of protein / kg body weight. If you train extremely hard and for elite performance you may want to go as high as 1.8 grams / kg body weight.

For people having knee problems, believe me, most will have knee problems sooner or later, you can use Glucosamine (pills or gel capsules). Use a dosage between 2.000 - 4.000 mg depending on how hard you train. If the pain stops (will take a few days before you start feeling a difference) do not stop taking Glucosamine as the pain will return prety quick.

Drinking

This is crucial for your training and also competition. You have to train yourself so that you have a habit of drinking at certain intervals. If you do not drink enought you may go "cold" around 75 km, which means you're out of the race. Under normal circumstances you need at least 1 liter / hour. If you train / compete under the sun or in high humidity you need more than that.

If the water balance in your body drops 1% your performance will drop 10% - at a drop of 4% it becomes life threatening!

My opinion on group training

In my opinion group training is really bad. There are several reasons, of which some can lead to injuries over time. Riding or running with a group forces you to train at somebody elses pace. This, especially when it comes to running, can lead to hip and knee injuries because your rhythm, pace and length of your strides are off compared to normal. When you train on your bicycle something similar happens. You may use too much power in a high gear instead of shifting down or you basically relax all the way. In order to improve your fitness and stamina you have to follow a strict program and use technological gadgets like pulse and speed indicator.

What else needs to be done

Most athletes pay very little attention to their bodies, which is why they plateau at some point and can't get out of it. This can of course be due to over training, but it is most commonly because of your training program. The program is not only about training, it's also about monitoring your body. Here are some tips on how to fine tune your body and check if your body is trying to tell you something.

1. Morning
   1. Take your pulse before getting out of bed
   2. Check your temperature (ear to be preferred, do several tests)
2. Before training
   1. Check your pulse
   2. Check your temperature (ear to be preferred, do several tests)
3. After training
   1. Check your pulse
   2. Check your temperature (ear to be preferred, do several tests)
4. 15 minutes after training
   
   1. Check your pulse
5. 30 minutes after training
   1. Check your pulse
6. Evening
   1. Take your pulse before getting out of bed
   2. Check your temperature (ear to be preferred, do several tests)

It's a good idea to use Microsoft Office Excel to log all the data. This data will tell you how well your body is adjusting to the training!

The rule of thumb is:

1. Your temperature will drop as you are getting fitter.
2. Your morning and evening pulse will drop as you get fitter.
3. Your pulse will drop faster after training as you get fitter.
4. If your morning temperature is 0.5 degrees C. above normal - CANCEL TRAINING FOR THAT DAY! (this is your body trying to tell you that something is wrong)

Training program (example from my best year)

Below you can see a one month training program I used during my best year.

Week 1

NOTE!

The gym intensity should be medium and no max lift exercises - 60 minutes.

Week 2

NOTE!

The gym intensity should be very high and training should be done to failure - app. 45 minutes. Increase intake of protein to 2 g / kg body weight on the gym days to compensate for the heavy muscle activity.

Week 3

NOTE!

The gym intensity should above normal but no more than 60 minutes. Sunday is off due to the beginning of Hell Week.

Week 4 (Hell Week!)

NOTE!

The gym intensity should be extremely high and training should be done using "rockets" 3-2-1 to failure with help - app. 45 minutes. Increase intake of protein to 2 g / kg body weight on the gym days to compensate for the heavy muscle activity. 48 hours of recovery is needed after this weeks training.

How good was my training?

Well there is only one way to show the results and that's by showing the actual numbers from my competitions. Resting pulse 38, Max pulse 205, Average morning temperature 36.1 degrees C.

Bicycle racing

120 km time trial (iron leg race - Denmark) - 2:53:23

40 km time trial (Denmark) - 53:51

Alpe d'Huez climb - 56:11

Running

6 km - 19:52

6 km hill run - 21:18

10 km - 33:42

20 km - 1:08:04

Other

Kayak triathlon (10 km run - 20 km kayak - 30 km bicycle) - 2:28:19

Biathlon (6 km run - 50 km bicycle - 6 km run) - 2:11:46