 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I know you real athletes will scoff but I'm a middle aged overweight desk jockey, with an ulterior motive for doing something a bit harder than usual for a friend who's just started her chemo following a mastectomy.
Target would be the Gorrick 12:12 in Aug so 6 months to prepare which i know is plenty of time.
Anyone got any specific programs, other than just lots of long steady rides. Longest ride I've ever done would be a full dayer (8-9 hours) but that would be with lots of stops / lunch and at times some hard exertions. Longest continuous ride would be a road ride of about 5 hours. I'm guessing that I'd need to be 'comfortably' riding for 8 hours a day by the time the event comes around. And also working on my MTFU muscle.
'm guessing that I'd need to be 'comfortably' riding for 8 hours a day by the time the event comes around
Four hours continual MTB riding on a regular basis and the occasional 100 miler on the road bike should be enough to prepare you, as long as you are fit your biggest challenge will be the mental one.
Also lose some weight (fat), it will make a heck of a difference.
you appear to be a premium member - do you not read the mag?! 🙂
not cover to cover. Was there an article then?
get your bike (fit & kit), fuel (food & hydration) & clothes sorted long before the race.
service the bike 1-2 weeks before; don't change stuff the night before.
chipps and matt hart are training for a 12 hour race, and have set out some potential schedules in the mag! 😮
do what KING TUT said - i did plenty of 24 and 12 hour solo's . the biggest mistake is thinking you need to ride that all the time for training, you dont, you just get run down and pick up injuries and overtrain.
max 4 - 5 hour rides , but (build up to) a much regular basis, 3 times a week with rest day in between. while building up to it, put a short hill climb ride in.
ride to recover too. an rest days do a 30 min super-light-spin with a super low heart rate and drink a recovery drink.
treat yourself food wise, with the amount of riding you will do enjoy treats in your food, muffins, croissants etc whatever gets the endorphins going in your brain to ensure you'll want to do the next session.
and of course, enjoy it!!!
good luck!
MrK (and others)
Just read the article, thanks for the clue.
Seems simple / transparent enough. First question i guess would be that I have 28 weeks to the planned event, not 16 so do I 'enjoy' the next 12 weeks riding (with a bit more purpose increasing my long / steady rides) and then start training nearer the event? ie: given I'm not exactly starting from scratch I'd have thought say 18-20 weeks would be plenty of training time and doing longer won't benefit that much more and instead might be a bit 'boring'
you know yourself better than anyone. if you want to do the hardwork now and then maintain it for the last few weeks, do it that way, although your exposing yourself to being a bit slack and 'im fit enough for it ' syndrome
set yourself some small targets, then find a nice 2x 3 hour loop (or 6 hour if you have one) and do it every 7 weeks, dont fix it as a definite date, let it float over certain weekends to fit in with weather and life style so it wont feel like a big bind, ride it to enjoy it, even have mates start or finish with you too. the 2nd time you ride it you'll see better or worse not only in terms of Time but in terms of your fitness and own mental perceptions, that will give you something to aim for for the final time you do loop, ensure a good 3 weeks before the event before you do the final one....