Endurance riding

I thought I would share this.  Some of it you may have to modify for your needs.
I am planning to do the California Triple Crown series next year.  It's my primary goal at this point.
Here are some tips I got from one of our local riders who has done the deathride a few times
It's a 129 mile ride with 15,000 feet of climbing.

Suggestions on Training for 100+ Mile Rides

 

Physical Training

            This often is the primary area where we focus.  During my first 3000+ mile year, I only focused here.  It’s important, so I’ll start here, but heed other sections for a balanced approach.

 

Mileage and Climbing

• A common guideline is to build your week’s climbing and mileage to 125-150% of your target event during 1-2 weeks of your pre-event training
• I always strive for one ride of comparable distance and another ride of comparable climbing as part of my pre-event schedule.  They don’t have to be the same ride
• Cross training aids recovery.  Running, hiking, yoga, Pilates are all helpful.  Note that serious bike racers do not run, hike or do other aerobic activities than biking.
• Weight training is good in the early season.  Not going to help much 6 weeks before the ride.
• Heart rate monitors are a helpful training aid.  Use on every training ride and get a sense of how much push you can sustain. 

 

Rest

• Rest is just as important as “butt time".  Take at least one day per week completely off – I mean couch potato off.
• Back off to one-half of your training volume every 4-5 weeks; plan around family and business trips
• Start tapering 2-3 weeks before the ride.  Consider 1-2 very easy rides the week of your event

 

If doing a ride at elevation

• Train at elevation a few times before the event.

• Drink extra – day and night while at elevation.  Dehydration is a leading cause of altitude sickness in mountaineers, even at 8000’.

 

Nutrition and Hydration

            This was my biggest learning doing long events.  Remember that old expression “you are what you eat".  Bottom line:  If you’re bonking, you’re most likely not eating and drinking enough

• One of the biggest limiters in long distance rides and performance is insufficient hydration –Excess hydration (hyponatremia) leads to low levels of electrolytes in the body and can be deadly, but is rarely a risk for 99% of us.
• Fluid intake
  • Cool days:  One bottle per hour
  • Very hot days:  Strive for 2 bottles per your
  • Keep track of intake – if you’re thirsty, it’s too late to catch up on that ride.  Replenishing will take 1-2 days after the ride
  • If urine is any darker than light yellow, you haven’t drunk enough
• Most of your calories should be carbohydrates with protein:carb ratio of 1:4 to 1:9, based on your preference during training rides. 
• Find a powder that you like and use it in one bottle per hour.  If you get sick of it, alternate with bottle of water
• Which one you ask?  I like Hammer’s HEED and Perpeteum.  Many people thrive on Cytomax and Accelerade
• IMPORTANT:  Primarily drink on event day what you’ve trained on.  Trying a new drink for a 100 mile day will be an unsatisfactory experience!!  I measure out what I need for my day, split it into quart-size ziplocks, and mix at every rest stop. 
• Gels are easily digestible.  I like Hammer Gel because of the cost, flavor and convenience of flasks (no litter and tearing of little foil packages). 
• I get tired of energy drinks and gels and want something to sink my teeth into.  I like Clif Bars, Balance Bars and Harvest Bars.  Be careful of too much fiber so mix it up.  If you want to reduce packaging waste, consider Jake & Matisse’s energy mix – mix with yogurt and applesauce and bake.
• My body at 140 pounds can digest 300-350 calories per hour.  For multi-hour events, I burn 500-600 calories per hour, which puts me at a significant deficit.  We can’t build that much into our glycogen stores.
• I estimate number of hours for the ride, eat enough for 300-350 calories per hour and eat it on a schedule.  You’re training your body ahead of the event.  You can’t do it only on event day.
• I have left on training rides with 3500 calories in my jersey, bought a sandwich at lunch and eaten every bite.  If you’re feeling bloated, back off a little and find your optimum.
• Recovery eating is also important.
  • Within 20 MINUTES of finishing any major ride, consume a recovery drink with 200-400 calories.  I like Ultragen and Recoverite
  • Within 90 MINUTES after you finish a major ride, take in 500-1000 calories of complex carbs and quality protein.  I’ve taken pasta, sauce and soy burgers in a cooler for the post-ride meal at the finish – sounds just like going on an organized event!  The body is eager to re-build glycogen stores during this first hour.
• Maintaining electrolytes is very important on long and potentially warm/hot rides.  Muscle cramps are often caused by dehydration or electrolyte imbalance.  Calcium/potassium imbalance causes painful cramps.  I use E-Caps Endurolytes as soon as the temps climb.  Some people think they are expensive salt tablets.  Test for yourself.
• New learning in late 2005:  Many professional cyclists suffer or will suffer from osteoporosis.  Studies show that we need 200-300mg of calcium per hour while cycling hard.  If we aren’t ingesting calcium during our rides, we likely will use it from our bones.  Also consider a daily supplement if your diet is not calcium rich, such as vegetarians.  Vitamin D helps absorption of calcium.  If we use sunscreen, Vitamin D is not produced.  If we live north of the latitude of LA, the sun is too low in the sky to produce any Vitamin D between October and March.  Consider a Vitamin D supplement (400-500IU) with your calcium.
• My ride hourly plan:
  • 150-200 calories of powder in a water bottle
  • If you don’t like powders and prefer only water, add more calories from solid food
  • Second bottle if needed is water
  • 80-90 calories of a gel
  • 60-100 calories from a bar
  • 1-2 Endurolytes per hour when hot
• My pre-ride plan:
  • Eat, drink, eat, drink, rest, eat, drink, eat, drink, rest for 2-3 days ahead.  Quality stuff – no junk food.

 

Mental Training

            Most of us are doing a ride, not a race.  As such, we perform best when we strive for our goals rather than trying to achieve someone else’s goals.  Tour de France riders have their careers, reputation, future families and egos to feed – we don’t. 

• If you need to stop riding because of pain in the wrist, back, neck, a.., foot, treat it as a learning opportunity.   Assess what’s wrong, change it, and improve on the next training ride.  This is not “no pain, no gain".
• Regularly assess your posture and consciously change to different positions – this will also change your mental outlook
• Look around – asphalt gets pretty monotonous.  For long climbs, find a mantra and recite in concert with your cadence or breaths.  My favorite on Spring Mt is the Tibetan Buddhist mantra: Om-Mani-Padme-Hum.
• If you find you’re perpetually tired, you’ve likely overtrained (ask my riding friends how often I’ve done this).  Take an extra day off and go for a hike or get a massage.

 

Ride Day Strategies

            This is the day that all of the prep comes together.  You’ve practiced the above areas so they become second nature and not something you practice on event day.

• Pack every item of gear, clothing and food the day before and have it well organized where you can find it in the dark in a sleep-deprived state.
• Lube riding shorts with Butt Butt’r, lanolin cream or similar
• Put on sunscreen
• Spin your legs easily on the descents to keep them loose
• Stand & pedal every 15-20 minutes to give your butt a break.
• Use a one quart ziplock to collect food at rest stop, then eat on the rollers
• Form a paceline with others to share the lead into the wind.  Third rider works 70% of the effort of the lead rider at 20MPH.
• If it’s a hot afternoon, drench your jersey and head with cool water
• Ham it up and acknowledge other riders