If you have been following our Beginners Training Plan but have struggled to keep up with it during the festive period, don’t panic, our Kick-start Plan will get you back on track.

Download the overview

Download the 4-week Kick-start plan

Who is it suitable for?

The 4-week Kick-start Training Plan is aimed primarily at riders who have completed the first seven weeks or more of the Beginners Training Plan but, due to the social and family demands of the festive period, have fallen off the training bandwagon for a couple of weeks. It provides you with a progressive four weeks that will allow you to pick up the plan again at Week 13.

If you haven’t reached Week 7, you should either return to recovery Week 4 or restart the plan from the beginning.

It is also suitable if you have missed a week or two of training due to illness or injury. From any stage of the plan from Week 7 to Week 12, follow these four weeks to rejoin the plan at Week 13. If you have progressed beyond Week 13, our recommendation, if you have missed more than a week, is to return to your last recovery week (Weeks 12, 16 and 20).

Finally, if you have started cycling but haven’t been following a structured training plan, you can also use the Kick-start Plan to take you to Week 13 of the Beginners Training Plan. To do this, you should be regularly riding two to three times per week with at least one ride being for ninety minutes or more.

Weekly Introductions

Week 1

The main priority of Week 1 is to perform a Threshold Test. This is important after a break in consistent training as it has probably changed, which in turn will alter your training zones. Use your previous test from Week 1 to help pace your effort. The second mid-week ride is a good opportunity to test that your zones are accurate. On the first of the weekend rides, you hit the same hills as Week 5 but add an additional repetition. See how you feel, if you are struggling, just do three climbs and skip the final Z3 effort. The second weekend ride should be really easy, get some friends out and make it social.

Week 2

You are back into the structure of training that you will have been familiar with before your break. This should include a cross-training session. If you were doing resistance work, such as the British Cycling Strength Routine, you may have to reduce your weights slightly from where you left off. The midweek ride includes a fairly long effort in Zone 3 and some sprints. Your first weekend ride should be a measured 25-mile route. Don’t make it too hilly, see if you can rope in some friends to join you and don’t forget to fuel and hydrate well. Try to make your second weekend ride different from the first. Ride a different route or try mountain biking.

Week 3

You should be feeling back in the swing of things now and, with just this week before some well deserved recovery, can have the confidence to really push on. See if you can progress your cross training and compete all of the required efforts on the midweek ride. Saturday’s ride is a repeat of last weekend’s route. Conditions may make a PB impossible but see if you can improve on your pacing, fuelling and hydration. Again, for your second weekend ride, try something different, maybe see if you can join your local club run.

Week 4

Well done, you are almost back on track and ready to re-enter the plan. This week is effectively Week 12 of the Beginners Training Plan with the primary focus on recovery but also the end goal of a 35-mile ride. Don’t be tempted to try and cram an extra session in or do more than the workouts specify, you have done a solid three weeks of training and need to be able to ride strongly at the weekend. Optimise your recovery and maybe consider an easier cross training option such as yoga, Pilates or swimming.