What's the best way to make use of the next 6 weeks, training wise, leading up to a 60km, mostly offroad, singletrack event?
Current fitness level is good, except maybe for that crucial endurance aspect...
Get off the internet and ride your bike.
Start slow, finish slower 😉
In my limited experience...
Do at least one 50km ride (about 80% of race length) to make sure that you're up to the distance.
Make sure that you can ride for that time with the gear you'll be carrying and wearing.
If you're going to experiment with different food/drink then do it now and don't muck around with new things during the race.
10 days before the race start tapering - keep intensity the same but reduce duration.
Sleep.
Check all the mechanical bits before the race (but not the night beofre!)
[i]What's the best way to make use of the next 6 weeks, training wise, leading up to a 60km, mostly offroad, singletrack event?
Current fitness level is good, except maybe for that crucial endurance aspect...
[/i]
How far do you normally ride?
If you've never ridden this far, and using the 'endurance' comment for 60km kinda says that, then just get out and ride more.
What not to do is drink copious amounts of wine and beer the night before the race...and then start off the day with a bacon buttie. Won't be doing that again at Dyfi.
worked for me for the last 7 years!What not to do is drink copious amounts of wine and beer the night before the race...and then start off the day with a bacon buttie. Won't be doing that again at Dyfi.
on a serious note, ride lots. even more if you want to do well
@swavis -
Start slow, finish slower
still quicker than me mate, even when you weren't trying 🙂
Have the confidence that that length of ride is achievable - the bit about riding 80% at least once is good. Your mind will carry you the last 20%. Sort out what to carry w.r.t. kit, clothing, spares well in advance. Sort out saddle, shoes, bars if any tweaks need to be made (e.g. if you get a sore back after say 30k on your practice run).
** try and carry stuff in frame bag, saddle bag, something, rather than on your back. Just easier. Harder to throw bike around but easier on you..
food - butteries & coffee for me - food of champions.
The simplest thing is getting the miles in the tank. Go out, ride lots, climb lots. Aim to do at least one ride of race distance and profile in the weeks leading up.
Also, ride on the edge of a bonk to recognise the signs of it so you know when you need to pace back and eat more than you have been. Far better to know the signs now than for you to find yourself slowing and tiring on the day without knowing why.
It's 40miles....
You say your fitness is good so I'd expect a 'fit cyclist' to be fairly comfortable doing this, even without any specific training tbh.
Or am I being too harsh?
DrP
Or
Do nothing.
Turn up and put in a pants ride.
Go home and never talk about it again.
Just an option.
What's your goal? Are you looking to compete or just complete?
Good advice so far, thanks everyone! Seems like riding lots, and far, though not as far as the actual event, is the current concensus. Can't say that doesn't make sense! Riding on the edge of bonk is a great idea too. Ounce of prevention, and all that.
I've done the same event here in Finland once before, 7-8 years ago, so I know I can do it, even with minimal preparation (just like last time!). Completion is not a problem in other words.
Goal this time is to try for a significantly better time, under 4 hours. Last time I did a 4:45. Most of my usual rides these days are of the 1hour to 1hour30 variety, or sessioning local downhill spots, with nice chat breaks in between. Very different to a 60km trek...
What's the event??
Called Tahko MTB. Biggest (I think) mountain biking event here in Finland. It has 5 different distances, from 25 km to 240km. The one with the most entries is the 60km...