Tour Divide Basics: Training

[sthig]

yeah bears are the only thing that really bothers me currently.  I mean they can outrun you, outclimb you, send text messages faster than you and outswim you... so I've always thought you're kinda hosed if you ran up on one. 

[BobM]

yeah bears are the only thing that really bothers me currently.  I mean they can outrun you, outclimb you, send text messages faster than you and outswim you... so I've always thought you're kinda hosed if you ran up on one. 

You can generally get in one good punch. 

[sthig]

good to know. haha.

I'm looking at bike setups.  I have a hardtail 29'er, toobless.

I've been combing over everyone's setups on bikepacking and looking for what would work the best for me.  lots of cool stuff, just know sure which route to go.  In august I have my first mutliday bikepacking race, so that'll be a learning experience, I'm sure.

[DenisVTT]

I'd love to hear stories about the not-so-romanticized parts of the Divide ride.

I don't know about not-so romanticized, but for me there are 3 things that stuck in my mind:

- waking up at 5:30 most mornings after something like 4 to 5 hour sleep. I hated it, and I'm a morning person. Most of the time I could barely stand up on my feet without staggering for like 20 minutes.
- I was OK with most of the washboarding, except for the 40-mile or so rail trail in Idaho, which managed to combine heavy washboarding and a loose, sandy surface. It's not even very pretty, but even if it was, you can't really appreciate it as taking your eyes off your front wheel means you are sure to catch the deep sands and lose your balance. I'm pretty sure riding that trail is on the Geneva Conventions' list of prohibited means of torture!  
- the YMCA in Banff. Unfriendly and overpriced. I was northbound so there was no more TD vibe when I checked in and they made me pay something like $120 for a single room, and that didn't even include breakfast or an Internet connection, which were extra (and expensive!)

If you have any interest, you can read my race report here: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2284.0.html (posts #1 and 2)

[BobM]

- the YMCA in Banff. Unfriendly and overpriced. I was northbound so there was no more TD vibe when I checked in and they made me pay something like $120 for a single room, and that didn't even include breakfast or an Internet connection, which were extra (and expensive!)

Actually it's the YWCA and it's the cheapest place in Banff (which is ALL overpriced).  That being said, the $33 per night dorm rooms were fine for me, but it all depends on the roommates.

[DenisVTT]

Actually it's the YWCA and it's the cheapest place in Banff (which is ALL overpriced).  That being said, the $33 per night dorm rooms were fine for me, but it all depends on the roommates.

I stayed one night in a dorm room, but after riding 23 days straight (I was NoBo) with little sleep, I needed to spend time resting as I wanted, not be awaken at all times of the day and some of the night. The $33 for dorm room also didn't include anything else like breakfast, Internet access or laundry (all those things being expensive and in addition to the room!) , and I was in fact able to find a "motel" at the other end of town where I paid around $130 a night for everything, which IIRC was actually slightly cheaper than the Y's rate for a single room once you added everything.

But you're right, Banff is ALL overpriced.

[DocTrike]

I am cross training on speed skates 2000M + 6 days a week and riding 2-12 miles per day to and from practices with about 4-8 hours additional speed skating on the weekends. I am doing 1 century a month starting now in March. I usually do a local double century in one day without any training in between 10-17 hours with multiple long stops for riding partner to catch up.

I would like to hear what special training is required for the altitude and climbing of the TDR and multiple days of 100+ mile rides for 3 weeks. Has anyone of the race vet's posted a training schedule anywhere?

[THE LONG RANGER]

There's no altitude-specific training you need, as you really don't go up that far up. Altitude sensitivity is personal, so it may be a good idea to see if you're prone to HAPE and know what to do about it (get DOWN, drink water, etc). There's altitude sickness medicine that works quite well if you are sensitive to it.

Climbing? Climb lots. If there's any one thing I'd impart on someone is to train to climb as much as possible. And then more. Especially if you're going for speed - getting 1mph faster climbing will reap major speed times for the entire course.

Has anyone of the race vet's posted a training schedule anywhere?

I did do weekly reviews in my blog. March's mileage was around 1500 miles.

[DocTrike]

@TheArtist cheers for that we don't have many big mountains here in the PNW, but will try to do m best with what I got. I love hills climbing has always been my favorite part of cycling find the biggest hill they say I can't climb and attack it.

[DenisVTT]

There's no altitude-specific training you need, as you really don't go up that far up.

I would disagree with TheArtist on that. Between Central Colorado and most of New Mexico, you will often be at or above 8,000 ft. I started from the South so those days were early. By the second day we went over 8,000ft, 9,000 by the 3rd, and on the 5th day there was a pass above 11,000 ft. This appears to have been pretty tough on most of the northbound riders, probably largely accounting for most of the 60% attrition rate. I know it tired me out quite a bit.

This is less of a problem if you start in Banff as you will have time to adapt. Most of Alberta, British Columbia and Montana are around 5-6,000 ft, so your first week or more is much easier altitude-wise. By the time you get in the big mountains, you're acclimated.

Here is the elevation plot: http://trackleaders.com/touritt#elevationplot

[DocTrike]

My only experience at racing at altitude was driving to Denver for a race. I did not really notice any issue with altitude but I was young and unstoppable back than.

[THE LONG RANGER]

Heh, it's probably me being at > 5,280 for the last decade or so where another mile seems like it ain't no thang

Wasn't the smoke going SOBO  NOBO super bad as well? Having lungs filled with debris from the forest fires doesn't sound too appealing, once you get to that 11k foot pass. Blech.

[DocTrike]

Speaking of training it's time to go hit the trail I was lazy yesterday and only did 40 miles on a paved rail trail. So today it's hit the nature park mountain bike trails for high intensity short interval work.

[DenisVTT]

Wasn't the smoke going SOBO  NOBO super bad as well? Having lungs filled with debris from the forest fires doesn't sound too appealing, once you get to that 11k foot pass. Blech.

We saw some smoke in the car on the way from Tucson to AW, but there was little of it at the start itself. The one section we had quite a bit of it was from Pie Town to Grants. Couldn't see the sun because of the smoke.

[mcbarb57]

 This will be my first time a on a long ride. I have been commuting to work 27 miles each way three or four times a week. I live in the south where it is pretty flat so training in mountains is not going to happen. I have been riding with all my gear on the bike trying new thing and making sure it all works.
I am doing the best I can with work and family keeping me busy too. From what I am hearing I will get better each day when I am on the TD. And a lot of it is in the head.
So if anyone has anything that can help me tell me please.

[BobM]

This will be my first time a on a long ride. I have been commuting to work 27 miles each way three or four times a week. I live in the south where it is pretty flat so training in mountains is not going to happen. I have been riding with all my gear on the bike trying new thing and making sure it all works.
I am doing the best I can with work and family keeping me busy too. From what I am hearing I will get better each day when I am on the TD. And a lot of it is in the head.
So if anyone has anything that can help me tell me please.

For physical training - before June try to fit in at least a couple of multi-day trips where you pedal 12-16 hours each day and camp out at night.  Mental training - it's hard to prepare, but if you are not used to climbing, understand that you might be a little disillusioned with your progress the first few days on the GDMBR.  Ride what you can, walk what you can't, and don't allow yourself to despair (it's easy to despair).  Pay attention to your eating and drinking so you don't dehydrate or bonk.

[sthig]

This will be my first time a on a long ride. I have been commuting to work 27 miles each way three or four times a week. I live in the south where it is pretty flat so training in mountains is not going to happen. I have been riding with all my gear on the bike trying new thing and making sure it all works.
I am doing the best I can with work and family keeping me busy too. From what I am hearing I will get better each day when I am on the TD. And a lot of it is in the head.
So if anyone has anything that can help me tell me please.

Hi McBarb,

I'm not saying the TDR/GDMBR can't be done with the training you're doing but you've got to get some climbing in, the TDR is 200,000 feet of vertical climbing... there are parts of it that are on part with a wall, in fact there's one part CALLED "The Wall." Then directly after the wall is a 10 mile vertical ride up that's pretty grueling... and that's before even getting into the United States.  Sure, you can walk it... but that's a fair amount of walking if you're not used to it.

You said you're in the south? Where? I'm in the south (Alabama) and in Georgia there is the Trans North Georgia Adventure Ride.  You can do an ITT or race it against people if you want (2014 is filled up but there's a waiting list and if you really want in, you usually can make it in).  The Trans North Georgia (TNGA) is 350 miles of singeletrack with 56,000 feet of vertical climbing (a 1/4 of the Divide's).  If you finish the TNGA, you'll finish the Divide.  The TNGA prepped me so much for it.

I hear you with family, work and training.  I was at that place last year as well...and yes, a large portion of the Divide is mental, like really mental.  But 54 miles a day three days a week needs to be increased to get ready to handle what the Divide throws at you.  You're looking at 16-18 (even 20) hour days in the saddle riding in wild conditions (like I saw snow on July 4th in south Colorado and 111 temperatures in Antelope Wells). 

Do you have a trainer?  See if you can get up early, early before the sun rises and knock out 50-60 miles before your commute to work. 

If you want to finish the Divide in a month you're looking at 675 miles a week... that's 96 miles a day.  By week three you'll be needing to draw on that mental mode and honestly you'll want to be done. 

I'm certainly not trying to discourage you AT ALL - I just want to let you know that they don't call it the toughest mountain bike race in the world (well, the US?) for nothing.

[Marshal]

This will be my first time a on a long ride. I have been commuting to work 27 miles each way three or four times a week. I live in the south where it is pretty flat so training in mountains is not going to happen. I have been riding with all my gear on the bike trying new thing and making sure it all works.
I am doing the best I can with work and family keeping me busy too. From what I am hearing I will get better each day when I am on the TD. And a lot of it is in the head.
So if anyone has anything that can help me tell me please.

Some racers “get better” as the race goes on.  Some fall apart.  And most of us do a bit of both.  What I am trying to say is you cannot rely on starting with a modest pace and racing yourself into TDR shape.  

You seem to be getting in some good basic base miles, that’s key!!  As sthig suggests, find ways to get more base miles. Put in the time to bring your A game!

But BobM hits the nail squarely on the head—do some practice multi-days.  

Years ago during a tough “practice” run, right after I tossed my cookies, I had my most important ever “eureka” moment.  While lying there in the dirt, curled up in a ball of hurt, in a tiny bit of shade, planning how to bail from an agonizing experience it hit me.  Despite the moment I could choose to actually finish my planned run instead of bailing with a call for a rescue ride home.  I had gotten sick because I had ignored my body and pushed too hard to long in the hot sun with too little water and food.  But in my bags were all the water and food I needed to safely continue if I simply chose to.  Right then it really hit me, I could quit or continue, 100% my call.  Completing that 2 day, 1-night practice ride was the best thing I ever did.  For me I no longer even think about the rather silly ‘mental toughness’ aspects of a multi-day, but rather making appropriate decisions in terms of taking a DNF or continuing.

Anyway I would recommend you lay out some overnight(s) practice routes and then stick to it, don’t stop early or go home because it rained etc etc—IE: don’t cheat yourself of the challenge to complete your practice run.  A good tough (completed) practice run(s) is how you teach yourself / learn about the mental aspect of a multi-day.  And do at least 1 or 2 of them solo!

Also well-constructed & executed practice runs will help to truly sort/minimize your gear as well as add to your fitness base.

TDR Climbs:
And as has been pointed out climbing is a big part of the TDR.  However as one of the feebler climbers to ever complete the TDR, in my opinion climbing is not quite the big deal many would make to be.  Assuming you are fit, on a geared bike and adopt a reasonable pace, all but a few climbing miles of the TDR route are relatively easy.  Not short, but plug away easy, enjoy the scenery type climbs.  On the TDR your attitude about climbing is much much more important than your ability to climb.  Of course if you plan to do a sub 20 day race then the ‘ability’ part comes much more into play.

All that said, as sthig points out there are a few truly tough sections.  My advice on the few really tough sections is to simply plug away at a proper pace per your individual capabilities—IE do not be afraid to walk if that’s what is needed and whatever your pace don’t dig yourself into a pain cave just to avoid walking.  

[sfuller]

I'm in the process of getting myself ready for a 2015 TD attempt. I'm in Iowa. It's slightly hilly here, but there's definitely not mountainous and I don't have any 3+ mile climbs to test myself on. Right now, my TACX trainer is my friend to simulate extended climbing efforts. I can set it to simulate a certain amount of slope and adjust my gearing so I can ride a long climb, or I can tell it that I need to maintain a certain power output no matter what gear I'm in. I'm also planning on taking a trip out west to get some additional altitude training in this summer.

[THE LONG RANGER]

I thought this was an interesting article, and I'm looking forward to reading the book that's mentioned. Apologies that it's centered on ultrarunning, but there's good stuff to think about when thinking about doing the Tour Divide  

http://www.irunfar.com/2014/02/your-ultra-training-bag-of-tricks-head-games.html

The idea that it's supposed to be hard, shouldn't be understated. When you're racing, you're doing an amount of the route that's been planned by the creators to be done, at the slowest race pace (that's still a, "race pace"), in three days. And then, never taking a break.

I like the idea that it's practically impossible to train for such an event, but that you should just focus on what's possible. So, if riding a trainer is possible, do it. If you can't get to a hill to climb, don't worry about it. Don't worry about what's out of your control getting ready for the race, or during the race. Just take it as it comes. Be prepared as much as you can and no more.

One other thing to think about is the difference between fitness and craft. Fitness is all those numbers: how fast you can ride 100 miles, your Vo2 max - yadda yadda. Craft is being able to understand how to operate in a self-supportive manner on the route as comfortable and efficient as you can. You'll def. want to be a master of your craft, which takes some time and experience. Fitness comes and go. Do what you can - do what's possible. Being a master of your craft means spending less time and energy to do the same thing, than someone that's sorta winging it. I almost want to say that getting some bigger days in there doesn't necessarily mean going faster on the course at all, but just being more efficient when you're off the bike and just riding a little more. An hour more each day over two weeks makes a pretty be difference. "I'm getting stronger, the longer the race goes", can be interpreted as, "I'm kinda figuring out my craft". The other magic thing you'll realize is that once you're fatigued, you don't really get a lot more fatigued after day #3. You're just sort of achey and that there's good days and bad, but it's not like you have a, "fatigue gauge" that you'll hit bottom on. Well, as long as you find that, "go forever" pace - that's why many people's technique is long hours, pretty slowly, w/little sleep and not, "one huge FAST day; rest a day: repeat" No one does the latter.

Hill climbs are an interesting topic, but you can boil them down to a little bit of fitness and a good amount of mental game. You can see the enormity of a hill climb up to the pass and that can be enough to psyche you out. It can be draining to realize you're going up the thing so slowly, when you'd rather be banging out miles on something relatively flat.

The only advice I got is that the hill climb will indeed end and that there's a road there for a reason: to provide an easy way over whatever you're going over. Path of least resistance and all.

Except for the connector trail in the Flathead, which follows the fall line, which is stupid-dumb.