Endurance event help

[xxmimixx]

Hello all. I signed up for a big event and as cycling is the biggest chunk of exercise I need some pointers please.

The stage lengths are as follows:

• Trek/Run - 7 miles (5 miles off-road)
• Road Cycle - 48 miles
• Mini Kayak & Run - 2 miles max
• Off-Road & Road Cycle - 33 miles (16 miles off-road)
• Trek/Run - 14 miles (12 miles off-road)
• Kayak - 1 mile
• Short run to finish line
• TOTAL JOURNEY - 105 miles

I MUST improve my cycling fitness.

As soon as the weather / light condition improves I intend to part cycle to work and that would be 18m round trip for four days a week.

How often do I have to do long rides?
Do I have to seek out hilly rides?
What is the longest ride I should do?

thanks

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Blimey..hats off to you...

well Im no runner but my guess is that if you want to run distance you work up to that distance and keep running that distance once/twice three times a week...it's the same with cycling..

one thing..are you using the same bike for the on and off road bits?...I think it's whole different thing riding a Road bike to a MTB...different style off road..so practice both I guess...and if the course has hills ride up hills.

I'd just practice riding th eactual course as much as possible.

 

[xxmimixx]

Hi Bigona, no hats off yet, have not even started!

and actually with running you dont really train the distance, for longer distances you dont train to the distance for high risk of injury. For example to train for a marathon from what I know you would run up to 20/22m max never the full distance.
But as cycling is not such high impact it might be 'normal' to train the distance and more but I just dont know hence my post

I will do it on a cyclocross so I will be using that for most of my training rides and have to find lots of hills but cant do the course until the day as it's far from me

 

[lulubel]

actually with running you dont really train the distance, for longer distances you dont train to the distance for high risk of injury. For example to train for a marathon from what I know you would run up to 20/22m max never the full distance.
But as cycling is not such high impact it might be 'normal' to train the distance and more but I just dont know hence my post

I'd say definitely train the distance for the cycling.

Presumably, you'll be going up to about 10 miles in a single run for the running part, and have limited opportunities to train the kayak sections, so knowing that you can do the cycling distance - and possibly more - comfortably will give you a lot more confidence for the event as a whole.

Are you able to get some off-road training in for the cycling? It's very different (read: a lot more physically demanding) than covering the same distance on the road.

 

[xxmimixx]

Hi Lulubel thanks for the reply.

I will get a few hours kayaking during the summer in a nearby lake. I think you are absolutely right about xc cycling it is really hard work especially if it rains a lot and is muddy (please no! ) . I will try and do as much off road with my cyclocross bike as poss, and long rides but how long? 100m?? how many - once a month so about 4 or 5?

 

[lulubel]

Once you've built up to the distance, you can (within reason) do long rides pretty much as often as you like. I can't do big distances now because I can't be out long enough, but I was doing a long ride every weekend. As long as you give yourself chance to recover during the week, there's no problem with this. And a lot of people on this board do pretty big distances day after day when they're touring.

So, as long as you've done the distance within a month before the event so you know you're fit enough, I think it's just down to what works for you and your lifestyle.

One thing that might be a good option, given the way the stages are mixed up, would be to combine a cycle ride and run on the same day. Perhaps cycle somewhere, lock your bike up and go for a run, then cycle home again.

Also, if you're able to run or cycle to the lake when you do your kayaking, that would be useful to feel how your body responds to combining the different disciplines.

 

[vernon]

Hello all. I signed up for a big event and as cycling is the biggest chunk of exercise I need some pointers please.

How often do I have to do long rides?
Do I have to seek out hilly rides?
What is the longest ride I should do?

thanks

Have you thought about seeking advice from triathletes?

 

[xxmimixx]

Have you thought about seeking advice from triathletes?

I need some advice on the cycling park specifically. I know how to train for the run.

 

[vernon]

I need some advice on the cycling park specifically. I know how to train for the run.

But won't they have a different view on cycling techniques within a multidisciplinary event?

 

[lulubel]

But won't they have a different view on cycling techniques within a multidisciplinary event?

The only thing some triathletes do differently AFAIK is positioning the cleats as far back as possible on the shoes to "save" their calf muscles for the run. And not all do that. It depends how serious you are, I suppose.

The other thing is brick sessions, and that's what I was alluding to when I suggested combining two or more disciplines into a single session.