training for 150 km / 14 hour event with 10 h max for training ride per day

[mexico86]

Hi all, I'm a bit of a newbie regarding training and would like to get some advice.

For the last several months I've been training for 2 ultramarathon mountain bike events 6 weeks from now, one is the 90 km (2200 m of ascent) Mêda 100 and the other is the 140 km (3400 m of ascent) Bairrada 150. I have zero chance of getting anywhere near the podium, but my objective is to finish both events within the time limits.

At present, my training rides have topped-out at roughly 90 km with 2200 m of ascent, because it's difficult to find time for longer training rides. I can probably get permission from the wife to do a few even longer rides so I can test whether my endurance / fitness is high enough to have a good chance of completing the 140 km event. I know people say the distance you train should be about two thirds the distance of your target event, but I would like to be sure I can complete the full distance before I pay the entrance fee.

Are there any better alternatives I should consider doing? Would riding 2 days back to back for a total of 150 km be as good a test of my fitness as riding 150 km in a single day?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

You'll do just fine on the training you've done.

 

[S-Express]

because it's difficult to find time for longer training rides

Bit confused by this, as in the title you say you have 10hrs a day to train? Pros will only ride 5 or 6 hours per day in the winter build up, so I would have thought 10hrs was plenty.

 

[Tin Pot]

How long is the swim and the run?

Also you're missing 30km from the bike.



I do from ten to twenty hours training for ironman, *per week*.

You're misunderstanding endurance training by thinking you have to be able to do the whole distance before you enter the event. It's pretty backwards if you think it through.

 

[toontra]

You're misunderstanding endurance training by thinking you have to be able to do the whole distance before you enter the event.

Indeed. There's very little possibility of replicating a multi-day endurance event in training, for example. What's important to know is that you're in the ballpark, which I'd say you are.

 

[Tin Pot]

How many training rides per week are you doing?

(Not commuting)

What portion of your training is purely aerobic work?

Are you doing any upper body work outs?

How technical is the terrain?

 

[nickyboy]

You'll be fine. Having managed 90km with 2200m of climbing you must have some reasonable idea about eating and drinking on longer, hard rides. Otherwise you wouldn't have managed it

 

[Dogtrousers]

One, or two rides at event distance aren't actually going to make any significant difference to you physically. But I think you realise that and just want to reassure yourself by doing more of a dress rehearsal.

That may help your mental approach, and give you a chance to fine tune/double check your preparations (food, drink etc.) And it might be fun. So go for it ... if you want to. Or indeed do the two back-to-back 75s. They're unlikely to do you any harm (unless you fall off) and may bolster your confidence. But above all ... you might have fun doing it, which is the whole point anyway, isn't it

 

[mexico86]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. To put things in context, my aim is to make sure I'm fit enough to complete the full distance (within the time limit) and make sure I'm as prepared as i can be for the event. This is most of the course from the 2015 edition of the same event, which I expect to be more or less the same as 2017: https://www.strava.com/activities/310507109?hl=en-GB (final 10 km missing from GPS track).

The bigger picture is that for 2018 or 2019, I want to race (or at least complete) the Tour Divide, a 4418 km self supported off road race from Canada to Mexico through the Great Divide, where I would want to do no less than 150 km a day. But for this year I'll be content with completing a 150 km single day event.

Bit confused by this, as in the title you say you have 10hrs a day to train? Pros will only ride 5 or 6 hours per day in the winter build up, so I would have thought 10hrs was plenty.

Yes, but only one day per week. I work flexi hours ... so from an enjoyment point of view I usually go out early in the morning and get home around 5 pm.

You're misunderstanding endurance training by thinking you have to be able to do the whole distance before you enter the event. It's pretty backwards if you think it through.

How many training rides per week are you doing?

(Not commuting)

What portion of your training is purely aerobic work?

Are you doing any upper body work outs?

How technical is the terrain?

I do one ride per week, which is the most I can do.
Probably about 25% is aerobic. My area is quite hilly, so my rides consist of 200 m climb, a flat bit at the top, then a descent, then repeat nine or ten more times.This is my current preferred route: https://www.strava.com/activities/902624887
Yes, I do upper and lower body workouts at the gym twice per week.
The terrain is moderately technical, stony with steep and loose climbs.

 

[Tin Pot]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. To put things in context, my aim is to make sure I'm fit enough to complete the full distance (within the time limit) and make sure I'm as prepared as i can be for the event. This is most of the course from the 2015 edition of the same event, which I expect to be more or less the same as 2017: https://www.strava.com/activities/310507109?hl=en-GB (final 10 km missing from GPS track).

The bigger picture is that for 2018 or 2019, I want to race (or at least complete) the Tour Divide, a 4418 km self supported off road race from Canada to Mexico through the Great Divide, where I would want to do no less than 150 km a day. But for this year I'll be content with completing a 150 km single day event.



Yes, but only one day per week. I work flexi hours ... so from an enjoyment point of view I usually go out early in the morning and get home around 5 pm.



I do one ride per week, which is the most I can do.
Probably about 25% is aerobic. My area is quite hilly, so my rides consist of 200 m climb, a flat bit at the top, then a descent, then repeat nine or ten more times.This is my current preferred route: https://www.strava.com/activities/902624887
Yes, I do upper and lower body workouts at the gym twice per week.
The terrain is moderately technical, stony with steep and loose climbs.

Hmm, I would really look at getting more than one ride per week.

That one session sounds like it's too intense to build endurance strength and develop your aerobic system.

Swap out one or both gym sessions for bike sessions instead.

Indoor bike trainer is good for off road cycling too, but I'd want the upper body session to handle the demands of prolonged stress that you'll get off road.

Can you see any way to get another hour here and there in your week for bike training?

 

[steveindenmark]

I can probably get permission from the wife to do a few even longer rides

You have got this all wrong. You needed to get this before you agreed to do anything. because without this support you will struggle and possibly fail.

Personally, I just say that I am going out for a long ride and it works fine with us.

 

[mexico86]

Hmm, I would really look at getting more than one ride per week.

That one session sounds like it's too intense to build endurance strength and develop your aerobic system.

Swap out one or both gym sessions for bike sessions instead.

Indoor bike trainer is good for off road cycling too, but I'd want the upper body session to handle the demands of prolonged stress that you'll get off road.

Can you see any way to get another hour here and there in your week for bike training?

It seems I'm even more clueless than I feared...
What would you recommend I do with the extra bike session? Could this be on a 'spinning' bike in the gym, or is a real bike better?