By now, the number of miles you are covering each week will be going up so it is important to stay fuelled.
I would recommend a big bowl of porridge, berries, peanut butter and honey, or Weetabix and honey for breakfast. I always drink a pint of water as soon as I wake up.
It’s a great start to the day and hydrates you. You must make sure you fuel before you go on the bike, especially if it’s a long one.
After the ride, try a protein shake and if you do not enjoy the supermarket brands, you can always make you own with milk, honey and a banana. The 20-minute window straight after exercise is the most efficient time to do this – by this I mean within 20 minutes of jumping off the bike. A full meal should be eaten within an hour for quickest recovery benefits.
Here is a little guide to prepare those of you out there who are preparing for Pedal for Scotland for the first time.
Gearing up for the big day: Your next five weeks’ training
Week 6
With a good month of cycling in the bag now, I believe that less is more. If you are struggling for time, there really is nothing better than going out for a hard hour.
What I mean by this is to choose maybe a local 15-20min loop close by or a 60min loop and go out and ride it.
To begin with, ride hard up the hills and easy on the flats and downhills for rest but, as the weeks go by, you will see a difference and will need less rest.
Add some of the 5min strength efforts into your long ride. Keep your long ride for the weekend.
A 2-2.5hr ride including a café stop should do it. Aim for 70miles this week.
Week 7
This week, within one of your rides or commute, find a hill that is roughly 1-2min long.
Ride up it as hard as you can seated and on a big gear so your cadence is roughly 65-75rpm, then take 5min rest, do this five times.
Start to lengthen your long ride this weekend, maybe add a short loop close to home at the end or begin with a short loop. Aim for 70miles this week.
Week 8
This week within your rides, add three 7min big gear efforts, try to keep the upper body still and pedalling smooth.
You should be starting to see a difference with your hard hour ride now. The length of your long ride should be the same as week seven but take out the café stop.
The key to lasting a long ride is to eat a good breakfast, eat on the bike and drink plenty of fluid.
Week 9
This should be recovery week for you. It is important to keep fuelling and eating well during this week. Refuelling is just as important as rest.
With that said, some active recovery is great to flush out all the toxins. Aim to ride 45-55miles this week.
On your day off or at the weekend, add in the long ride and make sure you have an extra-long café stop with a nice coffee and cake, you deserve it!
Back to work next week.
Week 10
This week, 70miles over the week is back on the cards and mix it up with the 7min efforts, 1hr hard and long ride with a cafe stop if you like. This week, add in 2min of planking every day.
This can be in intervals or 1min in the morning and 1min evening. As long as you get the 2min of work done with as much rest as you like, it counts.
When you have a stable core, it allows you to pedal more efficiently, which, in turn, will make you faster.
Charline is also a personal trainer and can be contacted on charlinejoiner1804@hotmail.co.uk
The annual cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh takes place on September 10. Signing up for Pedal for Scotland is a great incentive to get back into the saddle and get your fitness back on track.
To register for Pedal for Scotland or find out more about the event, go to www.pedalforscotland.org