122 days until the divide, td vets - question for ya

[sthig]

122 days left... TD vets, what was your training like last year around this time? What were you doing that effectively get you across the antelope wells borderline?
I've got a very meticulous training method I'm doing, but I'm just curious as to what y'all did.

[mcmurv]

Feb was a 800 mile month for me.  March and April were 1,000 and 1,100 mile months.  May was a 500 mile month. 

This was on 2011.  Looking back, this was too much.  I wasn't wrecked, but I wasn't 100% on 6/11.

Next time, I will have a sharper peak about 3 weeks out from start. 

[THE LONG RANGER]

I was doing around 1200 miles/month - which was basically 1 long ride (100+ miles) and several short ones (~40 miles), with 2-3 days off per week, in 2011. That was kind of out of control.

I don't think 2012 was anything near that; perhaps because I was at a more mature base than I was in 2011 (and 2010 was recovering from injury). And the TD wasn't something I knew as being definite. Rather, there were more mini trips, and a lot more rest days. I made the shorter days faster and the longer days longer, if that makes sense. Doing sub 24hrs to 4 day trips and then a big block of rest seemed to be more helpful, mentally. Any "rest" day was also between 10  - 20 miles of commuting at whatever pace I wanted.

I kinda wish Strava was a thing for me pre TD in 2012, it would have been interesting. I was diligent in recording mileage in 2011.

Maybe it would be helpful - maybe not, but mentally think about the block of time you were able to ride 3,000 miles, and then realize that you'll have to ride a similar amount of miles, in a vastly more compact period of time. It kinda gives you a good idea on what that sort of effort is going to entail.

[BigPoppa]

I was basically riding my bike everywhere. Doing 2-3 speed/interval sessions a week. I would ride my bike to the session (45 minutes-1 hour moderate), race my @$$ off with my coach or training partners, then an easy hour back home.

I layered long rides on top of that in 4 week cycles; week 1 was a long ride of several hours, week 2 two back to back long rides, week three was another single long ride, week four was recovery. I did a few over nighters in the months leading up to the race. My longest multi day(2 months before the race) was a three day ride. My last big session was one month out I raced a 140 mile gravel road race fully loaded.

The last month was lots of eating and sleeping!

[stappy]

You guys are so structured! I've been riding year round for the past five years. I guess you could call what we do in the winter gravel grinding. Usually ride 100-160km both days on the weekend with some of the better riders in the city. Gravel, single-track, frozen rivers, railway etc, mostly on cross bikes. Fit in what I can, if I can during the week. I got out today from 4pm until 7. This usually amounts to about 5000km from November until April. I don't keep track or really have structure. Ride faster/ harder if I feel I should. Ramp up for early season racing in the spring. I'm a big believer in building fitness from racing, plus racing is fun. Before the divide last year I think I had raced three xc's a marathon and a road race in the spring. Then I went on a bike race holiday to Spain and raced the Andalucia Bike Race. I also did a couple 170 mile over-nighters in May, to get in the right mind space and test some new gear. This year I'm going to Portugal in May for Garmin Trans-Portugal. It's a grueling 1200km, 9 day mtb stage race where you follow a line on your gps, just like the divide. Awesome event, I did it 2011 as well.

[sthig]

thanks for this

[cjellmoney]

Lots of couch sitting and smoking P. I ski and snowboard 6 days a week and maybe hop on the bike for a commute once a week. I'm with stappy in thinking that the structure of ya'lls training is highly braggable. I will set out on a tour of the southwest as soon as I have the bank to survive for the few months til the end of TD. I'm thinking of throwing in an AZT this year as well. There's little short of big hours in the saddle to train for big hours in the saddle, IMHO.

[the tortoise]

Lots of couch sitting and smoking P. I ski and snowboard 6 days a week and maybe hop on the bike for a commute once a week. I'm with stappy in thinking that the structure of ya'lls training is highly braggable. I will set out on a tour of the southwest as soon as I have the bank to survive for the few months til the end of TD. I'm thinking of throwing in an AZT this year as well. There's little short of big hours in the saddle to train for big hours in the saddle, IMHO.

Can I come train with you!!!! ?? You know the couch sitting and all!

[B_Bock]

Like Stappy and Cjell I didn't have much structure. I injured my back at my 50th birthday party. That put me off my bike for most of April. Then in may did 4 day trip with gear. In June injured again. Started my ITT and just kept pedalin. Sore knees, but no amount of training would have helped with the tendinitis. The knees finally started to feel good about  2 days from the finish.
It looks like it will be the same kind of training for the AZT 750. Living in the snow with short days doesn't allow for much riding.

[sthig]

we're in double digits.

man B_Bock, Cjell and Stappy - I love you guy's approach...I probably am doing overkill for the race, but I'd rather go in over prepared. 

[trebor]

I added a bit of structure last year, after having only a "ride lots of miles" mentality the year prior. I learned that I have weak neck muscles for my riding position (or was my noggin to heavy??) and was switching from front suspension to rigid - I wanted to strengthen my upper body.

So I incorporated 3 days of weight training per week the 10 weeks prior to starting. I threw in a few days of running too. My biking miles were way way down compared to 2011. I think that strategy paid off for me.

So long as "over prepared" doesn't equal fatigue or burn out....

[sthig]

no I'm having fun.

I do core work twice a week as well...lotsa planks...whoooole lotsa planks.

[vmjim]

Here we're my training miles before my TDR 2012 all done in Maryland on the C & O Canal Nat. Park.
Jan 124 miles
Feb 320 miles
Mar 659 miles, 5 centuries
Apr 923 miles, 7 centuries
May 861 miles, 6 centuries

I rode as many 100 milers as possible. I rode a lot after work at night then got up at 5:00 AM to go to work.  I rode every spare minute I had.  I also worked on flexibility and setups, over 100 at a time. 

Stop wasting time on this forum and get on your bike!  Long hours in the saddle is how you train and what you will experience on the TDR. 

Jim

[sthig]

that's written down

Since Jan 1 I've ridden 2,352.2 miles averaging 223 miles a week at about 15 hours a week - this being freelance and employed by the university.  Most of this, when applicable, I do in excess of 100 miles.

(this also includes intervals - and I do body workouts like planks, mountain climbers, etc)

[Cosmo K]

Just did the math:

Jan: 570m
Feb: 406m (flu laid me out for 9 days...no riding)
March: 762m
105k' of climbing

I ride hard for 3 weeks and then have a easy week.  I'm over 50 and my body tends to need this to not get burned out.  Not huge miles but April and May should creep up more.  Definitely also concentrating on higher quality miles than just miles including racing once a week.   I do need to work more on my core though.  I'll ramp this up April and May.

[Marshal]

I am way over 50, sniffing my way to 60---this may seem counter intuitive but the best thing I did for my TDR was ride about 50 to 70 “full-load but easy-pace” miles each day on the drive up to Banff—that really helped my day 1 seem routine and got me off to a great start