Cycle training - 500 miles a week training programme

Land's End to John O'Groats and the other way as well

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Long distance tour training programme

We recommend this programme to those who plan to participate in a long distance tour, by this we mean anything over 10 days and over 50 miles per day touring.

If you are confident you can meet the fitness (and we mean cycling fitness) standards for such a tour then read no further. For those of you still reading, we outline what has worked for many people in the past. The programme cannot cover everybody's starting level of fitness so you may feel able to start halfway through.

If you are not a regular cyclist doing reasonably long distances, you will need to find time to train. As the tours we run have few, if any, rest days in them, you need to be able to recover from your exertions each day. This level of stamina needs practice - so please don't fall into the 'I only need to ride once a week' trap unless you know you are fit enough.

The rides we recommend have distance criteria, but please note that you also need to spend time on the bike. You need to be completely comfortable on your bike. There is nothing worse than getting sore after a few days with a long way ahead and no relief in sight. If you can't get comfortable you need to change things in the early stages of your training programme until you can.

The programme assumes that you will train on the bike as you intend to use it on tour. So, if you plan to do a supported tour, such as the one we run, you need to do the programme using your bike carrying only what you need for the day. If you plan to do a camping tour, you should do the programme with your bike loaded with your camping gear. This means you may need to start with a day's luggage and work up to cycling with a full load before starting the programme.

Weeks twelve to eight before departure	Two long rides each week, as far as you can fit in and as far as you are comfortable with.
Weeks six and seven before departure	Try to do one 40 mile and one 35 mile ride in each week.
Weeks four and five before departure	Try to do one 50 mile and one 40 mile ride in each week.
Two, three or four weekends before departure	Test expedition. Pack your bike exactly as you plan to ride it on tour and ride to somewhere as far away as the average day plus 10 miles, stay overnight and cycle back the next day.
Weeks two and three before departure	Try to do two 50 mile rides in each week (one of them longer if possible).
Weekend before	Do one longish ride, up to the daily tour distance.
Final week	Take it easy, do some casual rides.
Tour starts

Try and make one of the weekends towards the end of your training last for three days, we find people who only manage to do two days at a time get sore on the third, and it helps if you have already experienced this.

During your training you should practice being able to eat, drink and blow your nose without having to stop, this will save you a lot of time when you are touring.

You should consider doing some of your training in inclement weather, you want to know your clothing works for you when it is raining hard or it's very windy. On tour is the wrong time to find out that your lovely warm waterproof jacket is just too warm to cycle in.