Good morning! Not sure if I am using the correct category so please feel free to move it!
We are planning a one week ride bike tour this summer, in Massachusetts. The plan is to ride about 50 miles per day (300 total). Starting on June 18. I am wondering if you could give me an idea of how to plan the training for it. When do I ramp up the miles? How much should I ride? My idea is that I would start by riding 4 consecutive days, then 5, maybe a few 6s in a row… but I also don’t want to be burnt out by the time it gets here. 
As far as mileage each day, I was thinking starting at 20-25 and then up from there but again, timing of things is not quite clear in my mind… any help / suggestions would be appreciated!!!
@Marmen21 here is what I recommend - the progression is important, because you don’t want to ramp everything up at once, as that will only result in injury and fatigue:
Plan your training based on time, NOT distance
- Between now (as in this week) and April, be consistent with your training plan. That means doing all 3 weekday workouts/ rides and weekend rides every week. Do your best to do the 3 weekday rides back to back, and weekends also back to back, as we have them on the schedule
- Also starting this week, have one of your weekend rides be 2h long - either Sat or Sunday.
- Starting in April, continue with the plan above, but increase your weekend ride duration. Have Saturday be 2-2.5 hs and Sunday be 3-3.5hs, back to back.
- Starting in May, increase the duration of your weekday rides to 1.5-2 hs and weekend rides to 3hs. Use these rides to dial in your nutrition and hydration. Mondays and Fridays are OFF - meaning 100% rest- no other activity
- Plan on one epic weekend of 2 back to back 4h days, one month before June 18th. You will need some extra recovery after that weekend- (i.e., 2 days off, 3 easy days)
- 2 weeks before June 18th is a recovery week - super easy rides and lots and lots of rest
- 1 week before June 18th is taper week - light workouts/drills
Very important: keep up with workouts. Doing high intensity/interval work is what will make the biggest difference for you!!!
Do not do 4-5 consecutive days in training. You don’t need it and it will only make you too tired.
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Thank you @Coach_Theia! Will do my best to follow this per your suggestion. I did ride this morning but will adjust as recommended. Appreciated!!!
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I am glad I saw this post! Planning a weeklong 450 mile ride in North Dakota first week in August!
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@reservoircat you’ll be ready 
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would this be the same as doing a multi day ride, 7 days at mostly 60 miles/day with one century thrown in? I was considering a multiday ride next year.
Yes, that is a good plan @Gossimrr. @reservoircat crushed her 7 day event, doing 50-60 mi days with two centuries one day apart! Her plan was a bit less aggressive in terms of volume because she was already doing 1.5-2.5h rides from early in the year to prepare for her epic climb in Hawaii.
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@Coach_Theia to clarify, When should I start training as stated above, how many month prior to the event? The event website suggests training in January and the event is in July.
The last two weeks before the event, I’d do rides simlar to our recovery week?
My challenge would be doing outdoor rides when it’s cold outside. I don’t like the cold. Thanks for the information.
Please share the link to the event so that I can take a look. There are many ways to go about preparing, and it also depends on how well-rained the cyclist already is, etc. I will give you some more info once I see the event details.
You don’t need to be doing long outdoor rides in the winter for this.
@Coach_Theia here is the link to the routes. Thank you in advance for the guidance.
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That looks like fun @Gossimrr !
@Gossimrr thanks for the link. This looks like a great event! So you have about 11 months between now and then. I’d suggest the following plan (note that 2 days off remains the same):
Phase 1: Sept – Dec 2025
- Maintain volume (7-10 hs/week)
- Start (or continue) to build strength and mobility, especially core, hips, glutes, lower back.
- Introduce back to back ride- but you already do this if you follow the program. Do one long endurance ride 2-3hs, and one 90 min endurance ride a week.
- Every other weekend, do back to back Sat/Sun 2-3hs each (could be 2hs Sat, 2-3hs Sun)
Phase 2: Jan- April 2026
- Make back-to-back long weekend rides the norm and keep the 90 min mid-week endurance.
Phase 3: May to mid-July
- Practice nutrition and recovery strategies
Key blocks:
May: 3-day weekend (Fri–Sun, ~40–60 miles each day).
June: 4-day block (~60 miles/day).
Early July: 3-day block with ~70 miles/day.
Longest single ride ~6 hrs.
Phase 4: Taper (2 weeks before event)
- Reduce volume ~40–50%.
- Keep 2 short intensity sessions per week.
- No ride longer than 2 hrs in taper.
This looks so much fun!! Can I tag along in your pannier?!? 
@Stefanie we have total different definitions of fun! @bkolden sure, if you help pedal. @Coach_Theia let me look this over to make sure I understand it.
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@Gossimrr I wasn’t planning to pedal!! 
Haha
I am happy to write about my trip and also how super prepared I was if there is interest. I think the trip itself…CANDak…(cycling around North Dakota) would appeal to many here. It is always the first full week in August. LMK…happy to provide a “report” lol…
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Of course we would like to hear about your amazingness!! This sounds like something my hubby and I should do since he was born and raised in North Dakota.
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@Coach_Theia I have a few questions:
1- can I break up the 90 min midweek endurance ride? I don’t know that I can get that in AND do my strength and other necessary exercises (pelvic floor and yoga).
2- I don’t know how I could do 3 day weekend rides or did you just mean the one 3 day weekend do a 3 day ride?
3- June I ca in no way do 60 miles a day for 4 days. unlaess again you mean one 4 day block on one weekend in June. My work schedule would not be able to accomodate it. Unless I did it at night on a trainer and that would probably be about 4 hours which would bring me to my bedtime! lol
I guess I need clarification. I can also do whatever life allows me to do within this plan.
thanks for the input!
@Gossimrr if you can’t fit in a 90 min ride 1x/week then just stick to the 60 min and focus on weekends.
Regarding your questions 2 and 3, those are a one-time, back to back training “mini block” in each of those months. You could check to see if you could do those on the long weekend holidays in May, June, etc.
@Gossimrr while you are training your legs for your big ride, be sure you also work out your food and hydration. I see there are rest stops, but you will definitely want to eat on the bike. I prefer every 30 minutes or so. I have a top tube bag for easy access and stuff it with homemade “energy balls” or baked oatmeal bites or even cinnamon-raisin pancakes stuck together with peanut butter and then cut up into bite size pieces. Then at rest stops be sure to eat more than just a banana. For your 100 mile days you might want to make sure you have a sandwich or something at the halfway. It’s also nice to have a special treat for late in the ride, something to look forward to like a favorite cookie or a single serve chocolate-almond butter packet or whatever does it for you. this treat is more for your mental state than your physical one. 
And then of course you need to eat after your day is done. You will be burning a lot of calories.
I find on really long or multiple day rides, my stomach gets picky about food, so you will want to practice well in advance to make sure you have food you can tolerate in case the same thing happens to you. Also, I find I often don’t feel hungry during the ride or afterwards. Be sure to keep to a regular food schedule during the rides or you will regret it. Afterwards, if you don’t feel hungry, plan on multiple smaller meals instead of one big one, and a big breakfast if you can manage it.
I find that the physical training for stuff like this is the easy part. You do the time and your body naturally adapts. The food and hydration is the hard part and might take some trial and error before you get it just right.
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