Hi Rachel,
– Do all your long rides SS.
– Add plenty of hike-a-bike to these long rides as you will need that foot travel training for SS racing.
– Interval days can be done with gears so you can hit the correct target cadence and intensity.
– Recovery days are best on gears. If you do a recovery ride SS, install an easy gear and use flat terrain. If you don’t have these options, a day off the bike is better than over-doing a recovery day on the SS.
– It is ok to mix up geared and SS training.
– Change your SS gear to match your terrain and goals for the workout. Don’t get stuck doing everything with the same gear.
I’m excited for you. I have SS’d Kokopelli trail twice – it is such an amazing route. I prefer West to East on the SS. That shandy road west of Dewey Bridge is a much kinder descent than climb!
Coach Lynda