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Sean,
Yes, I am suggesting breaking up the monotony of a long indoor ride by accumulating other aerobic activities to make up a similar duration.
Substituting an adventure race for a long ride is great for one week. I don’t recommend doing it every week.
Coach Lynda
Hi Dovas,
The top priority with a testing segment is no stops or time when you are forced into really low or really high cadence. Also, a hardpacked smooth surface where traction is not an issue is important. Official Old San Marcos Pass looks like a super route if it has no stops and a good surface.
Coach Lynda
Sean,
Ideally the answer is yes but 5-hours on the trainer is a tough one to pull off. Can you ride for a short time outdoors? Do you have another outdoor aerobic activity you can do instead?
Coach Lynda
Hi Xavier,
It is not normal for aerobic decoupling to increase and VO2 to drop during a 2-week race taper. Are you sick? Have you tested for Covid?
Shorter and earlier stages aim for 0.76 IF. Later and longer stages aim for 0.7 IF. Wheeler stage goes over 12k and is the longest stage. IF of 0.67 is reasonable for that stage.
Coach Lynda
Hi Xavier,
Excellent preparation. You sound ready!!
Pace your first 2 stages with HR and power mostly in zone 3 on the uphills. On the downhills focus on skills and speed, not HR.
On later stages where the elevation goes over 3600 meters, don’t even look at power or HR and pace by perceived exertion. On the later stages the combination of accumulated fatigue and the high altitude change your HR and power zones, making them an unreliable tool to use for pacing.
Coach Lynda
Xavier,
I assume you are asking about racing Breck Epic. Pacing for this race depends on how acclimatized to the altitude you are.
1 – What altitude do you live at?
2 – How many days before the start of the race will you arrive in Breckenridge or at a location above 9,000 feet?
3 – Have you done any specific training at altitude or used an altitude tent to pre-acclimatize?Coach Lynda
Hi Graham,
Congrats on going faster and finishing 15th! Great progress š Thanks for the report. I always love reading athletes race details. Sounds like you are in perfect position to keep reaping more gains with consistent training. Good luck with your next event.
Coach Lynda
Look for a fairly lightweight cross country tire with good side knobs for cornering such as the Maxxis Ardent Race tire. I like 2.35 width.
Coach Lynda
Hi Paul,
Great to hear you are well prepared. Pacing is a great question, especially for the Transpyr as some of the mid and later stages are the most demanding. Use every tactic you know to conserve power such as drafting (if allowed) working with other riders and tucking on descents. The less power you can spend to go the same speed the better.
Power L2-3 is your sustainable pace for sections when you are steadily pedaling on-the-gas, such as long climbs and uninterrupted flat areas.
Any power bursts above power L3 you do spend must have a significant strategic advantage, such as maintaining momentum and powering over a short hill, passing a rider prior to single-track or closing a gap so you can draft. Minimize these power bursts over the first few stages and spend them freely in the last stage!
Coach Lynda
Oh that’s disappointing. I love your option 3! That makes it personal. Have a tremendous ride. I look forward to hearing how it goes for you.
Coach Lynda
Hi ZP!
Race week – exciting! Do everything you have practiced in training. Nothing new on race day. Eat food you have practiced with and all the equipment you have trained with. That’s the key to a successful race.
Have a great time!
Coach Lynda
Hi Scott,
To “time-crunch” the 2-5 Day Bikepacking program I recommend the following:
– Drop all recovery rides in favor of passive rest.
– Take Wednesday completely off
– Reduce the warm-up and cool-down times on all intervals sessionsIf you need to further time-crunch
– Drop the shorter ride on weekends.
– In week 9 reduce the 3-day bikepacking trip to 2 days.Coach Lynda
Hi Dave,
The 3 x 12 L4 session was scheduled on day 2 of week 2 in our Masters 40+ XC mtb build peak and race training plan.
Adding extra riding to your plan reduces the effectiveness of the plan. “Riding with friends” can mean anything! The more intensity and TSS you add off-plan, the more you dilute your performance goals. If your ride with friends can be in zone 2, that is your training ride for the day.
Coach Lynda
