Race riding to Ultra Endurance riding?

[flanagaj]

Hi,

I have been reading about LW Coaching and thought I would post to see what you would recommend. A little background about me, and what I am trying to achieve is outlined below.

I am 42 years of age and have been riding both mountain and road bikes for the last 20 years. I am a regular cyclist and try and cycle 2 to 3 times a week. During the winter months I will mainly use my turbo trainer for 1 to 1.5hr rides twice a week and during the warmer months a mixture of outdoors and indoors if the weather outside is bad. At present I am cycling anything from 80 to 200 miles / week depending on whether I am doing road or mountain biking.

Over the last couple of years I have increased my longest ride to 6 hours, and am now at the stage where I can do back to back 5/6 hr rides on a Saturday and Sunday. On the road I recently did a 17.4mph average 80 miler and then a 16.8mph 100 miler on the Sunday.

I think my AT is around 167bpm as I recently did 2 1hr mtb ride in Wales and averaged ~ 167 and 168bpm for the 2 courses. A 40 min spinning class for me will average ~ 168bpm

Now the reason, for me posting the above is to try and provide a bit of history about the type of riding I have historically done. Has tended to be race pace hard cycle rides. Climbing at 183bpm for 10 mins is something that I enjoy doing.

Now given the above, I have come to the conclusion that maybe my body has just become a 100% glycogen burning machine, and has never really become very efficient at burning fat. I am 182cm and currently weigh 77kg.

Now given, I would like to move into ultra endurance / bike packing riding where I can cycle for 15 hours / day I think I maybe need a change to the approach I use for riding / training. I think I need much more structure to my off season (winter) and on season (summer) training so that I can build that big powerful go all day diesel engine!

I would like to reach the stage where cycling for hours and hours becomes natural and my body becomes that efficient diesel engine that I hear bikepackers talking about, rather than the high octane rocket fuel machine that can hammer quick, but soon fades!

It’s a long shot, but I keep thinking that the Tour Divide has my name on it. Yes I know. Let’s not get carried away with myself

Very interested to hear possible suggestions

Thanks

Justin

• This topic was modified 12 years ago by flanagaj.

[flanagaj]

Northern Hemisphere yes. UK to be precise.

In terms of goals, I don’t actually have anything planned as such for next year. Maybe bikepack the TransAlps or another 7 day bikepacking adventure.

The aim for me is to be able to churn out 100 mile days day after day.

[Lynda]

I don’t recommend following a winter program in July or August. Here is a training plan stack that would maximize your 2015 summer fitness goals to bikepack the TransAlps or another 7 day bikepacking adventure.

2014 Aug/Sept/Oct: Follow the Masters 40+ 100 Mile Mountain Bike Personal Record Training Plan plan to perfect your 100 miler fitness.

2014-2015 Nov/Dec/Jan: Winter Training Plan for Endurance Distance Mountain Bikers

2015 Feb/Mar/Apr: Masters 40+ Mountain Bike Cross Country Base training plan

2015 May/June/July: 5 – 10 day Bikepacking Race Training Plan

Have a look at the Highland Trail Race 550! I would love to do that event. It looks to be a very big challenge.

Lynda

[Lynda]

Justin,

Everybody has a fat burning zone. Everybody… Yours is probably below HR 145 bpm. Like any ability, you need to spend time training it to improve it. It is really common for cyclists to spend most of their training time riding the same “comfortably-uncomfortable” pace over and over again and get really efficient and trained at only that pace. To be the best bikepacker you need more variety. For example you should train to be efficient at slow sustainable paces and also need to train strength to get up those steep hills loaded.

I recommend following my 2-5 day Bikepacking Race Training Plan

This plan has a field test to set your HR training zones and pacing zones for all workouts to ensure you are training all the abilities that will enable you to feel good for long back-2-back days in the saddle.

Lynda

[flanagaj]

Lynda,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Given where we are in the season and the fact that starting a 12 week plan so late in the year is not really viable for me, do you have a winter training program that I could use and then transition onto the 2-5 day bikepacking race training plan you mention?

Or, would you suggest that I just keep the 2 rides / week going in the winter along with the gym strength sessions I am planning?

Thanks

[Lynda]

Where are you located? USA? Northern hemisphere I’m guessing from your ride season hint? What is your next target goal?
Lynda

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