2026 Buderim 9
10-Week Road Cycling Training Program in preperatopn for the 2026 Buderim 9
Goal: Prepare for a 76 km road cycling event with approximately 1,855 metres of climbing, targeting a finish time of under 3 hours.
The program focuses on sustained climbing, threshold power, endurance, fatigue resistance, and event-specific preparation. It assumes you already ride regularly and can comfortably complete a 2-hour ride.
Training Intensity Guide
| Zone | Effort | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 | Very easy / RPE 1–2 | Recovery |
| Z2 | Easy/moderate / RPE 3–4 | Endurance |
| Z3 | Tempo / RPE 5–6 | Sustained climbing and event pace |
| Z4 | Hard / RPE 7–8 | Threshold development |
| Z5 | Very hard / RPE 9–10 | VO2 max and high-intensity climbing |
Typical Weekly Structure
- Monday: Rest
- Tuesday: Quality/interval session
- Wednesday: Easy ride or rest
- Thursday: Tempo/threshold session
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: Long ride
- Sunday: Recovery/endurance ride
Weeks 1–3: Build the Engine
Week 1 – Establish the Base
Target: approximately 6 hours / 130–150 km
Note: The following training plan is a general guide. Adjust the intensity and duration based on your fitness level, experience, and how your body responds to training.
Tuesday – Intervals
- 15 minutes easy warm-up
- 4 × 6 minutes at upper Z3/lower Z4
- 4 minutes easy between efforts
- 15 minutes cool-down
Thursday – Endurance + Tempo
- 75 minutes total
- Mostly Z2
- 3 × 8 minutes Z3 on a climb or false flat
Saturday – Long Ride
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Mostly Z2
- Aim for 500–700 metres of climbing
Week 2 – More Climbing
Target: approximately 6.5 hours
Tuesday
- 5 × 6 minutes Z4
- 4 minutes recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 90 minutes
- 2 × 15 minutes Z3
- 5 minutes easy between efforts
Saturday – Long Ride
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- 600–800 metres climbing
- Finish with 20 minutes at upper Z2
Sunday
- 60 minutes easy
Week 3 – Longer Sustained Efforts
Target: approximately 7 hours
Tuesday
- 4 × 8 minutes Z4
- 4 minutes recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 90 minutes
- 3 × 12 minutes Z3
- Use hills where possible
Saturday – Long Ride
- 2 hours 45 minutes
- 700–900 metres climbing
- Practise eating and drinking as you intend to during the event
Sunday
- 45–60 minutes easy
Week 4: Recovery
Target: approximately 4.5–5 hours
Reduce volume but retain some intensity. The aim is to absorb the training from the first three weeks.
Tuesday
- 3 × 5 minutes Z4
- Plenty of recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 60–75 minutes Z2
- 3 × 3 minutes Z3
Saturday
- 2 hours easy/moderate
- Approximately 400–600 metres climbing
Sunday
- Rest or 45 minutes very easy
Weeks 5–7: Event-Specific Development
Week 5 – Threshold Climbing
Target: approximately 7 hours
Tuesday
- 5 × 8 minutes Z4
- 4 minutes recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 90 minutes
- 2 × 20 minutes Z3
- Last 5 minutes of each block approaching Z4
Saturday – Long Ride
- 3 hours
- 900–1,100 metres climbing
- Include several sustained climbs
- Last 45 minutes at solid Z2/Z3
Sunday
- 60 minutes recovery
Week 6 – VO2 Max + Endurance
Target: approximately 7–7.5 hours
Tuesday
- 5 × 4 minutes Z5
- 4 minutes easy between efforts
- Keep the efforts hard but controlled rather than all-out
Thursday
- 90 minutes
- 3 × 15 minutes Z3/Z4
- Ideally perform the efforts on a climb
Saturday – Long Ride
- 3 hours 15 minutes
- 1,000–1,200 metres climbing
- Include at least 2–3 climbs of 10 minutes or longer
- Practise event nutrition
Sunday
- 45–60 minutes easy
Week 7 – Big Specific Week
Target: approximately 8 hours
Tuesday
- 4 × 10 minutes Z4
- 5 minutes recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 90 minutes
- 30 minutes continuous Z3
- 4 × 3 minutes Z4
Saturday – Key Training Session
- 3 hours 15–30 minutes
- 1,200–1,500 metres climbing
- Try to replicate the event terrain
- Ride the first 2 hours conservatively
- Make the final hour progressively harder
Important: Do not race this session. The goal is to finish feeling as though you could have continued for another 20–30 minutes.
Sunday
- 45 minutes very easy or complete rest
Week 8: Peak Specificity
Target: approximately 6.5–7 hours
Tuesday
- 4 × 6 minutes Z4
- 4 minutes recovery between efforts
Thursday
- 75–90 minutes
- 2 × 15 minutes Z3
- 4 × 1 minute hard/Z5 near the end
Saturday – Dress Rehearsal
- Approximately 3 hours
- 65–75 km if possible
- 1,400–1,800 metres climbing
- Use terrain similar to the event
- Use the same bike setup
- Use the same bottles and nutrition
- If practical, start at a similar time to the event
This is your most important practice ride. Do not turn it into a race. Finish feeling strong rather than exhausted.
Sunday
- 45–60 minutes recovery
Week 9: Taper Begins
Target: approximately 5 hours
Reduce volume by roughly 25–35% while maintaining some intensity.
Tuesday
- 3 × 6 minutes Z4
Thursday
- 60–75 minutes
- 3 × 5 minutes Z3/Z4
Saturday
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- 700–900 metres climbing
- Mostly Z2
- Include 3 × 5 minutes at event effort
Sunday
- 45 minutes easy
Week 10: Ride Week
The goal is now freshness rather than additional fitness.
Monday
Rest.
Tuesday
- 60 minutes
- Easy riding
- 3 × 3 minutes Z4
- Full recovery between efforts
Wednesday
Rest or 30–40 minutes very easy.
Thursday
- 45–60 minutes
- Z1/Z2
- 3 × 1 minute moderately hard
- Finish feeling fresh
Friday
Rest.
Saturday
- 30–40 minute activation ride
- Very easy overall
- 3 × 30 seconds–1 minute at event intensity
- No fatigue should be generated
Sunday – Event
76 km / 1,855 metres climbing
Event Pacing Strategy
The biggest risk in a 3-hour climbing event is going too hard during the opening climbs.
- Hour 1: Controlled Z2/Z3
- Hour 2: Strong Z3 on climbs
- Hour 3: Progressively increase the effort if you still have energy
Your objective is to reach the final major climb with enough energy to ride it hard rather than spending your reserves during the first hour.
Nutrition and Hydration
For a three-hour event, practise fuelling during your long rides rather than relying on hunger signals.
- Aim for approximately 60–90 g of carbohydrate per hour as a starting point.
- Begin eating within the first 20–30 minutes.
- Drink regularly throughout the ride.
- Use your long rides in Weeks 5–8 to determine what your stomach tolerates.
- Use the same nutrition strategy during the Week 8 dress rehearsal that you intend to use on event day.
Key Training Progression
| Week | Long Ride | Approx. Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2:15 | 500–700 m |
| 2 | 2:30 | 600–800 m |
| 3 | 2:45 | 700–900 m |
| 4 | 2:00 recovery | 400–600 m |
| 5 | 3:00 | 900–1,100 m |
| 6 | 3:15 | 1,000–1,200 m |
| 7 | 3:15–3:30 | 1,200–1,500 m |
| 8 | ~3:00 | 1,400–1,800 m |
| 9 | 2:15 | 700–900 m |
| 10 | Event | 1,855 m |
Training Priorities
- Sustained climbing: Build the ability to maintain a strong effort for 10–20 minutes at a time.
- Fatigue resistance: Learn to climb strongly after 2–3 hours of riding.
- Threshold fitness: Use Z4 intervals to improve your ability to sustain hard climbing efforts.
- Endurance: Keep the majority of your riding in Z2.
- Fuelling: Practise taking in carbohydrates and fluids before you feel hungry or thirsty.
- Pacing: Avoid going too hard during the first hour of the event.
Note: If fatigue, illness, persistent soreness, or unusually poor performance develops, reduce the training load rather than trying to force the scheduled sessions.