Advice on training for an endurance event.

[joep2517]

Let me start this by saying – maybe I’m over thinking this…. But I have a training/recovery question. I’m doing an event in September that will last six days and we are going to ride about 550 miles (for me that's an endurance event). The ride starts in San Francisco and ends in Los Angeles. Does anyone have tips on what to do to train, but more importantly to recover after each days ride? I’m concerned about each day but I’m looking at the last 3 days as being the hardest because of the number of days and miles on the bike.

Currently, I’m starting to ramp up my daily rides. I don’t want to burn myself out. I have health issues that I need to watch as I up my mileage. I’m riding 6 days a week. This past week I rode about 180 miles. My plan is to up my mileage each week by 10 miles or so. After each ride, I’m drinking a protein drink that includes a branched amino acid powder for muscle recovery. I’m eating well balanced meals – I’m trying to take in over 2800 calories on my ride days (per a nutritionist). I’m getting 8 or more hours of sleep a night. I’m not pushing myself to exhaustion each ride, but I’m attempting to increase my effort. And I’m starting to do weights to increase my strength. This is a lot to do for an old man.

A concern I have is I live in Florida and the ride is in California. I know there are hills so I’m doing two days of indoor training where the courses are more of an uphill grinder. I’m not a climber but I’m trying to learn to get into a groove to where I can get to the top.

Luckily this isn’t a race but a charity event. I know I need to take in the event for what it is (a charity ride) but I want to make sure that each morning I’m capable of getting on my bike and rolling out. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Joe

[SpokeValley]

http://beta.active.com/cycling/Articles/7-Hill-Cycling-Tips-for-Flatlanders.htm

[EDS]

I think your overall mileage is good but you should probably build in more recovery (for example, ride only four days every fourth week) - just thrown in a few back-to-back century days (for example, one weekend in July and another in August) and you will be fine.

[Liv2RideHard]

You will get on ok out there. Come out and ride with us. I regularly do tonights UCF ride and Lakemont. You should go out to Clermont and ride the hills. You can put together a pretty lumpy ride if you want to. PM me if you wanna ride. I live on the east side of town near UCF.

Guy

[jr59]

You will get on ok out there. Come out and ride with us. I regularly do tonights UCF ride and Lakemont. You should go out to Clermont and ride the hills. You can put together a pretty lumpy ride if you want to. PM me if you wanna ride. I live on the east side of town near UCF.

Guy

^^This, or take a trip to Rome Ga and ride those for a weekend or 2!

[AngryScientist]

i'm trying to remember the user name of the fellow who lives in Fl and went over to Europe to do a bunch of the iconic climbs, and when i asked him how he prepared, he credited extensive training on a fixed gear bike for getting him ready for long hilly rides without actual hills to train on.

[cat6]

Radio has been a Bowdoin tradition dating back to the early 1940s when students and faculty sporadically hosted and recorded programs on campus, which were later broadcast through Portland's WCSH, Lewiston's WCOU, Augusta's WRDO, and Bangor's WLBZ. These programs usually consisted of a combination of play readings, faculty interviews, and live vocal music, usually from the Bowdoin College Glee Club and the Meddiebempsters

[JAGI410]

Others will have better advice than I, but I wanted to thank you for participating. That's a good charity to ride for.

[BCS]

Go to Clermont and do Sugarloaf and Buckhill Rd a bunch of times. You will be
fine

[joep2517]

Thanks everyone for your advice. The article on Active is going to help! Thanks.

Guy, when you say "Lakemont" I hear "tossed out the back". Haha. That group has always been something I've shied away from. But one day I will head to the east side of town to ride with the group.

As for the hills, I've been doing and will continue to do hill repeats (Dewey Robbins, buckhill, and sugarloaf). I think I can gut it out for a day. What I'm concerned about is the fact that it's 6 days of riding with an average around 85 miles.

EDS, after I get a few weeks of 6 days of riding in, I'm going to ease off a little. I know I can't do this for the next 3 months, but I have to get my legs ready for the event. I think it's as much about my psyche knowing I can do it as getting my body to ride then recover and be prepared for the next day.

I don't think the pace is going to be too fast, but I'm not certain. Remember this is a charity ride so I'm guessing there will be different groups on the road. I know I'm going to need to gauge my speed so that I can make it to the end.

JAGI410 - Thank you! This is a worthy and personal cause. Thanks.

[shovelhd]

I think you are riding too much. I would rather see you do two long days, day off, long day, interval day, short day, day off. Rest week after three weeks if you can fit it in. Taper week the last week.

[MattyMo]

I have been trying to build up my endurance lately. And felt that the biggest gel besides riding every day is doing other cardio like running and walking for some reason this has helped tremendously with my personal pace and lengths.