Training for the Tour de l'Alberta

One of the most frequently asked questions is "How do I train for the Tour de l'Alberta"?

The best advice that can be given is ... get out and ride. The more you bike the better your endurance will be and the better you will understand the limits your body can take. It does not matter if you are riding 20, 50, 100 or 185 kilometres, you need to ride. The more you ride, the better you will feel on the day of the big ride.

One of the many benefits of joining The Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club is that they have a number of rides planned every week that you can join in. Check out the Upcoming Events and Weekly Events pages at www.bikeclub.ca to see the rides that are being planned. Of particular interest is the Target the Tour series starting in March. These rides will continue right up to the Tour in July, and are geared to the novice rider. NO ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND! Contact Charles World to sign up!

Equipment:

You do not need a $5,000 top of the line road bike to ride 100 or 185 km. There are a number of people that have completed the distance on their mountain bike, tandem or recumbent. The most important thing is that the bike fits you and that you are comfortable on it. 185 km on a bike that does not fit you well is a recipe for disaster.

Make sure your bike is in good operating condition. Dusting it off and putting it in the car the day of the ride will not guarantee a pleasant experience for you. Therefore, bring your bike into a bike store for a general tune up. Revolution Cycle and United Cycle have mechanics that will complete the job in less then a day and save you the time and worry. It is worth the small fee they charge.

Food & Diet:

The Tour de l'Alberta provides all of the food and drinks you will need to complete the ride as well as a hearty end of ride meal to replenish all the calories you burned. Therefore, there is no need to worry about what to eat during the ride. There will be a variety of things available at each rest stop to satisfy everyone's palette. The most imprtant thing to remember is to stop and eat at EVERY rest stop! The rest stops are there for a reason. You will be burning an average of 500-700 calories an hour so you need to fuel up otherwise you will BONK.

Drink plenty of fluids! Refill your water bottles at every rest stop. There is nothing worse than running out of water half way between rest stops. However, if that does happen flag down a support vehicle and they will be happy to replenish your water. Generally you should go through at least one water bottle an hour. If it is a hot day, going through two per hour is not uncommon and recommended. Click HERE to read more on hydration. Gatorade will be provided at every rest stop so don't be shy to take advantage of it!

There is no prize for finishing first:

If your whole goal in riding the Tour de l'Alberta may be to ride and finish in the top five or the top ten, then keep in mind that there are no prizes for finishing first, second, third etc! So, take your time, enjoy the company, and enjoy the scenery. Take a photo or two but above all HAVE FUN!!!