Trans Iowa V9 Planning

[Boney]

I know its not bikepacking per se, but its the next event I'm really amped up about. V8 left me feeling like a candy @$$, so I'm especially anxious to get things right this time. I'm sure there's a decent number of folks on this board who are racing; who's in and what are your plans for being ready for 325 miles of gravel this spring?

[scooteremu]

Alright, so I am in. I was just going to wing it with my nutrition being twinkies but thanks to the union, that aint happening anymore.

But a more realistic approach has me doing about 6 days a week of varied riding. Usual Saturday and Sunday long rides. Most are pace days and Tuesday and Thursday are speed work. Also hill repeats. Basically, there is a Long Distance Cycling book by Burke that I am using. It only has a plan for a double century but I am limited somewhat on long distance time. I think the longest ride is 10-12 hours and I plan to do a couple of overnights with my from Craig (also racing) so it should be fun. Just have to figure some nutrition.

A lot of outside riding but when the weather is terrible...off to the trainer...blah.

Other than pacing correctly and doing hill repeats, I find it to be mostly mental.

Dave

[sfuller]

Scooter's training plan sounds fairly similar to what I did for The Dirty Kanza last year, and similar to what I plan on doing for TI this year. Not sure on the bad weather training, it will depend on how bad "bad" is. I might try and substitute a snow bike ride in here and there to keep my sanity.

Steve

[paul78]

I'm also making the trip from the UK for Trans Iowa ... I did Dirty Kanza this year.

My training is gonna be much the same as above and same as it was for DK200 ... a century pretty much every weekend and turbo sessions mid week ... will try to get in at least a few double centuries and one ride of race distance or more... other than that will make sure my nutrition is dialled and so is my bike set up.

Its gonna be awesome !!!

[hikernks]

I heard it through the grapevine (ok, facebook) that JayP is racing both the Trans Iowa and the DK this coming year.  

sfuller and paul78 - Thanks for coming to the DK this year, and I hope you enjoyed Emporia!  Paul, sorry the airlines lost your bike, but then again, not everyone gets to race on the Warbird prototype!

[THE LONG RANGER]

Well, Jay P is on the race roster Trans Iowa, Dave Nice, too!

http://transiowa.blogspot.com/2004/11/race-roster.html

I was contemplating sending in a postcard, but then take a look out west and think: "naaaaaw" I have very interesting plans for the summer

The One Speed Open in Fort Collins is in a few weeks, if any chaps would like to meet up there,

http://onespeedopen.blogspot.com

[hikernks]

I was contemplating sending in a postcard, but then take a look out west and think: "naaaaaw" I have very interesting plans for the summer

I've heard Southern California is nice that time of year. ;-)  On a completely unrelated note, the DK is two weeks before the TD.  Since you're a vet, yes or no?

[paul78]

hikernks, yeah was pretty lucky to score a loaner at DK200 this year ... awesome race and awesome people

Looking forward to catching up with people at Trans Iowa

[THE LONG RANGER]

I've heard Southern California is nice that time of year. ;-)  On a completely unrelated note, the DK is two weeks before the TD.  Since you're a vet, yes or no?

Sounds like a good idea, given your location! I'd just make sure that 200 miles is something you could regularly do fairly "painlessly", if you had no pressing engagements, rather than it being The Longest You've Ever Ridden, Ever. Then, if you could actually go at a race pace on the DK, I think you'd find that helpful training for the TD, especially the first day, where it seems possible to rev yer engine and get past Sparwood, and before you switch to Diesel Engine Beast Mode after week #1.  

I did my long, multi-day rides, upwards of 400-odd miles about 3 weeks before the TD (#1, #2). Just get enough good rest beforehand - it won't be hard, as there's probably a million little things to get ready for. But don't forget to ride your bike - you wanna taper, not totally stop riding. Just keep it < 100% and test all that gear out. Let your body heal, but not, "forget".

[hikernks]

I did the DK this year and finished, just wasn't sure of a 200mi race was advisable 2 weeks before the divide, but I guess it would be about perfect to end on.  Now if I can get the boss to give me one more day off for another bike race.  THAT'S gonna be the real endurance test, haha!

[scooteremu]

This is a question for anyone but is everyone just doing all their riding on the ride of choice for Iowa? I tend to ride the 26er on Wednesday, maybe some Friday and certainly Saturday and Sunday. Since I am traveling for work on Tuesday and Thursdays, I hope on the trainer with my tri bike and throw down some intervals and hill repeats, etc. But I am a time crunched rider and I am thinking that some Saturday long rides would be easier on me and the family if I rode the tri bike for the distance mentioned in my plan. My plan has Saturday listed with an avg 15mph while riding the 26er so you can see the difference if I do the same ride on my tri bike. Obviously this is something for when the weather is looking really good in the spring when the hours tend to ramp up but since I am not going to ride my tri bike at Iowa (but would be a sweet try), would this be a bad idea and really hurt in my in the long run?

I see myself getting in the distance and that would help but could I do hill repeats while out there while throwing down a big gear to mimic the conditions? To get the most out of the distance covered, I do plan on my last two rides being exactly with the big 26er. Sorry for the rant, I am a little under the weather.

Dave

[fotooutdoors]

I base my training (not for this ride in particular) on ride time coupled with perceived exertion.  So if I go out and ride hard for 2 hours on some singletrack with my fargo, I will cover 15-20 miles.  On the road, 2 hours riding hard is mid 30's for me.  In my training, they "count" the same, though I generally try to do more of the types of rides I am training for leading up to the "main event."

So, in my lightly educated mind, you are cheating yourself out of some of your workout if you take your tri bike out for an interval ride of 20 miles if that 20 mile workout is based around your less aerodynamic 26er.  Of course, if you want to ride the tri bike to mix things up, take it out, but realize that your distance should be based on how long that 20 mile interval ride would have taken on your 26er.

[scooteremu]

What was the least amount of hours (longest ride wise) put in for this event that anyone did? I am looking at doing it in 2014 but I think I am going to cut back my hours towards the longest ride. It kind of drove the family a little batty that I was gone for so long. Might have to go with some careful planning.

[Boney]

I think my longest ride pre-TI was like 140 miles. I don't plan on doing things much differently next year.

[scooteremu]

I have read from other posts that riding is riding. I think its a little more feasible if I go out on my road bike and ride for 7 or 8 hours max for a few weekends than taking my MTB(what I plan to use at the TI) and ride for 10+ hours. Family gets a little ticked. But I do plan on using both during the winter when the trainer gets a little boring. Agree?

[sfuller]

My longest ride was approximately 7 hours and 110 miles. That was the Sunday before TI. Most of my long rides were in the 4 - 6 hour range, and they were mostly on pavement (I used the same bike I used for TI, but with a different set of wheels/tires. I did a lot of 2 hour interval sessions of various difficulties on the trainer in my basement. I had about 194 hours of seat time and just shy of 3200 miles (real and trainer combined) before the race.