31 May Are you Ready? Check out this Basic 10 Week Training Programme to get you hyped!

So you are all amped – you have entered the UMKO Adventure and now it’s time to start training for the big event. (If you have yet to enter, click here to do so.)

The UMKO Team is here to help you prepare for our event. We asked the team at PM Power Training (Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal) to put together a recommended training schedule that will help you along your fitness journey to get you ready and prepped to tackle our adventure.

Basic 10 week Training programme

A few notes before we dive right into it:

• Please note that all warm ups and warm downs are done in Zone 2.
• After any fasted rides, please make sure you have a healthy breakfast shortly afterwards.
• A balanced diet is also necessary to make sure you can complete all the training.
• Remember that this guide is just a guideline and may be altered to fit in with your weekly routines and responsibilities.

The above mentioned Zones are referenced below.

Week 1

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1hour endurance Zone 2 heart rate – keep cadence high
Wednesday: 30min warm up Zone 2. Then 2 x 10min in high gear low cadence Zone 4 (between each 10min take 4min recovery Zone 2). Then 15min warm down zone 2
Thursday: 1hour fasted endurance ride Zone 2 (try do this in the morning in a fasted state). Please drink plenty water during the ride
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 1h30 endurance ride Zone 2 – keep cadence high
Sunday: 2hours endurance ride Zone 2

Week 2

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Warm up 20min in Zone 2. Then do 4 x 4min in zone 4 with 2min recovery between in Zone 2.  Warm down 20min in Zone 2
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Warm up 30min in Zone 2, Then do 6 x 2min Zone 5 with 2min recovery between each.  Then 30min warm down in Zone 2
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 2hours endurance Zone 2
Sunday: 30min warm up Zone 2. Then 2 x 10min in high gear and low cadence in Zone 4 with 5min recovery between each. Then 30min endurance

Week 3

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1h30 fasted endurance ride Zone 2. Drink plenty water during the ride
Wednesday: 1hour endurance ride Zone 2. Keep cadence high
Thursday: 20min warm up in Zone 2. Then 5 x 4min Zone 3 with 2 min recovery between each. Then warm down 20min in Zone 2
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 2h30 endurance ride Zone 2 – low Zone 3
Sunday: 30min warm up Zone 2 then 60min in Zone 3. Then 30min warm down Zone 2

Week 4 (Recovery week)

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 1hour endurance ride Zone 2
Thursday: rest
Friday: 1h30 endurance ride – Zone 2
Saturday: 1h30 endurance ride – Zone 2
Sunday: 1h30 endurance ride – Zone 2

Week 5

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 30min warm up Zone 2. Then 3 x 10min in Zone 3 with a 5min recovery between each. Then warm down 30min Zone 2
Wednesday: 1h30 Fasted ride endurance Zone 2. Drink plenty of water during ride
Thursday: 2hours Endurance ride Zone 2. During the ride do 5 x 15sec sprints at max effort with 1min recovery between each
Friday: 1h30 endurance ride Zone 2
Saturday: 2h30 endurance ride Zone 2
Sunday: Warm up for 45min Zone 2. Then 4 x 6min in zone 4 with 3 min recovery between each. Then 45min endurance Zone 2

Week 6

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1h30 Fasted endurance ride Zone 2. Drink plenty of water during ride
Wednesday: 1hour endurance ride Zone 2
Thursday: 30min warm up Zone 2. Then 3 x 8 min in Zone 3 with 4 min recovery between each. Then 30min warm down Zone 2
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3hours endurance Zone 2
Sunday: Warm up 30min Zone 2.  Followed by 3 x 10min in zone 3 with 5min recovery between each. Then 30min warm down zone 2

Week 7

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1h30 fasted endurance ride Zone 2
Wednesday: 2hours endurance in Zone 2. During the ride do 5 x 15sec max effort sprints with 1 min recovery between each
Thursday: 1hour endurance
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3hours endurance Zone 2
Sunday: Warm up for 45min Zone 2 then 45min Zone 3 then 30min Zone 2

Week 8: (Recovery week)

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 1hour Fasted endurance ride Zone 2. Drink plenty water during ride
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 1hour endurance ride Zone 2
Saturday: 1h30 endurance ride Zone 2
Sunday: 2hours endurance ride Zone 2

Week 9

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 30min warm up zone 2. Then 2 x 12min Zone 3 with 6min recovery between each intervals.  Then 30min warm down Zone 2
Wednesday: 1h30 Fasted endurance ride Zone 2. Drink plenty water during ride
Thursday: 1hour endurance ride
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 2h30 endurance ride Zone 2
Sunday: 45min warm up Zone 2. Then 3 x 10min in zone 3 with 5 min recovery between each interval. Then 45min warm down zone 2

Week 10

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1h30 Fasted endurance ride Zone 2. Drink plenty water during ride
Wednesday: 1hour endurance
Thursday: 30min warm up Zone 2. Then 10 x 1min Zone 5 with 2 min recovery between each one. Then 30min warm down Zone 2
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 2hours endurance
Sunday: 1hour endurance

Race Week! (Recovery week)

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 1hour fasted endurance ride Zone 2
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 20min warm up. Then 3 x 1min Zone 5 with 3 min recovery between each interval. Then 10min warm down
Friday: Travel to race. Once arrived, prep ride on the Bike for 20min to make sure everything is in order and running smoothly after travelling
Saturday: UMKO Adventrue Day 1 Race: 60km
Sunday: UMKO Adventure Day 2: 45km

Should have any questions or queries, reach out to us, we are here to help. Contact the UMKO Adventure team at info@umkoadventure.co.za or contact Tarryn at PM Power Training on 083 777 8997 or pmorgan@polka.co.za

Happy Training!