Prep for a massive ride

A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

300 kms, 12,000 feet of climbing - not a race. The altitude comes in the form of many short steep climbs.

I am getting the miles in, 500 kms/week with some 180 km rides so I'll be fit. My question is what should my training look like for the two weeks before the ride. My thought is to have my last hard ride two weeks before, and then limit myself to easy 100 - 150 km rides until a week before, at which point wind it right down to easy 50 - 75 km rides with two days of complete rest before the event.

A relevant detail is that I am in my mid fifties so recovery is not as fast as it once was.

Any tips would be appreciated. This will be a real bitch. Over the years I have lots of experience with 150 km with 10,000 feet of climbing but this is a whole different level.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

JackRussellRacing
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by JackRussellRacing

Listen to the last few TrainerRoad podcasts.... I think episodes 93 and 92. They cover this kind of thing very well.

Reader's Digest version: You don't need to run a marathon to train for a marathon.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

It's not the training I am wondering about - more the taper before the event. I'll check those episodes.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

Marin
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by Marin

Training is only relevant if you want to beat a specific time. If you can currently do 150k without hurting, you can do 300.

You should focus on your nutrition strategy and think long and hard about pacing.

Maybe do a few "fasting" rides to train your fat metabolism, although I don't know how quickly you can boost this.

RyanH
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by RyanH

I recall an article where a few coaches of pros provided what the week before a big race looked like and most suggested a very hard day a week before the race.

Personally, I do worse when I take an easy week before a race. I do best when I have a short hard ride the day before a race. One of my best cycling performances was in November when I was in my third week of a high volume training block. Mon/Tuesday was 70 miles each, Thursday I did a 90 mile all out effort at the annual Nosco Memorial ride trying to keep up with Ted King et al, Friday was an easy 70 miles then Saturday was the big day. It was 120 miles and 10K of climbing. The first hour of the climb was at 4.3 w/kg and it leveled out to 4w/kg for the next hour. Hitting those numbers and finishing the climb in the top 5 out of about 2 or 3 hundred was probably one of my best performances off the tail end of a stupid hard week.

Point being is that I'd keep your volume up but add in more rest days to keep fatigue low. I believe your body accumulates natural pain killers during training loads and taking time off flushes them out, which is why a few days off feels so terrible even though no fitness was lost. Doing a sub 100k week is going to have that effect for you.

glepore
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by glepore

We don't know your age or mucjh else. As a generalization, I'd make sure my np gor the first two hrs was 75 % and keep it tjere. Training food tolerance is likely more important than fitness. Figure out how to get 2-300 cal/hr down and function in a deficit in the second half. Good luck[emoji106]


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