Last weekend I did the annual Seattle to Portland bike ride for the first time.
The STP is a 206 mile recreational ride (not a race) over either 1 or 2 Days. I chose to break up the ride into 2 days with the midway overnighter at the 100 mile mark. It was an awesome experience! I rode on the side of highways, through farmland, woods, rolling hills, bridges, and city streets.
A key to my preparation was strength training. Leading up to the event I trained my legs, core, and back muscles to not only survive but thrive.
Although this is not a race I looked at it as a great training opportunity to become a stronger rider. One observation I noticed in other participants is the lack of strength they seemed to have. I would get passed by a group of riders but eventually I would always repass them with a friendly smile! Cardio (heart and lungs) is only a part of it and the easy part in my opinion. Strength/Power was a major factor in keeping a fast but comfortable pace and having a great experience without the crash at the end.
This is how I prepared.
I focused on heavy lifting and developing posterior chain strength as well as stronger quads. For the upper body it was important for me to build a rigid core and strong back. Keeping my shoulder blades pulled back meant less aches and fatigue in the shoulders and back.
Here are the exercises I used (not all in one session of course).
Warm ups: Banded side walk, Banded hip thrusts (glute and hip activation)
Legs: Squats, Split Squats, Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Landmine Reverse Lunges
Core: Hanging leg raises (which also train the hip flexors really well), Crunches, and V holds/Rockers
Upper body: Bent over rows, Pull ups, DB rows
I’m looking forward to doing this race a few more times! Up Next is the Washington 70.3 Ironman in September!
