Finding The Balance

Trying to determine how much riding you need to do when training for an ultra-event can seem like guess work for many riders.  Putting together a program for yourself should start with looking at the whole picture of your lifestyle (work, family, etc.) and perhaps writing a few things down so that some order can be put into place.  At what point should you take your long rides to and how often should you do them?  I’m asked these questions often along with how far a rider needs to go in order to be confident in their main event and the distance it covers.   Keeping perspective of achieving your goals will help to make it more fun so that you can put meaning into your training along the way.

Start by asking yourself some questions and put it down in writing when considering your training plan. Below are a list of questions that you can start with.

How much time do you have available in a given week?

Be realistic when you consider how to go about your training.  Many riders will try to do make up days when they miss a workout and this can lead to doing too much too soon or simply creating an inconsistent riding schedule.  Consistency will take you far when you commit to a plan.

How many weeks do you have to train before your event?

Be sure to allow enough time so that you’re able to write recovery into the plan effectively.

What is the terrain that you will be racing on going to be like?

If you live where there are no hills consideration as to how you will ride hills should be taken into account while preparing with your intensity.

Do you have any existing injuries that would limit you?

If you already have an existing condition that would heal with some rest it is wise to let it heal before starting a training plan.  Training with an injury will eventually lead to a chronic condition that can take many weeks to recover from.

I often times have an ultra-rider come on board who wants to do the same thing year round with one thing in mind,  increase their volume.  At the same time I’m given the task of trying to help them get stronger and faster.  It usually takes some negotiation of scheduling before I’m able to convince them to allow for less volume so that we can put some focus on intensity. Most coaches agree that training volume is important, but training intensity is even more important.  Research has shown that training with intensity is a vital component of cardiovascular improvement and will continue to improve Vo2 max as well as other physiological components when written into a program along with recovery.  Knowing how much and how often to inject intensity into a program can make things even more confusing when training for an ultra-event.  Mixing too much intensity with too much volume can lead to injury and burnout quickly.   An improved cardiovascular system makes for a more efficient athlete which in the long run will allow you to improve your overall performance.  Little or no improvement will be made if recovery isn’t a part of your program on a regular basis.  Learn how your body reacts to the different stress placed on it with different types of workouts.  This is where a coach can be helpful.

Many ultra-cyclists use distance and speed as a gauge for their fitness.  It’s easy to understand why when training for an event that could take up to several days to complete.  Long slow distance improves the muscles capacity for receiving and processing oxygen, conserving stores of glycogen, and metabolizing fat for energy.  This adaptation occurs as the body responds to the amount of stress placed on it through the days, weeks, and months of training.  But, at what point does the body stop responding in a positive way and start to break down when the only goal is to do more miles?  Having a plan with some sort of reason other than how many miles one puts in for a given day, week or month will help you make gains more effectively. Riders of different strengths and ability will react differently from the stress of a given ride or workout. For example, two riders may complete a century in the same time, but if one rider is stronger than the other it will be less stressful on the stronger rider.   This is where group riding can have an adverse effect on a given rider over a period of time.

Assessment of your fitness will help to determine a point of reference to establish training ranges with, and can be used for comparison as you train through the year.  This can be done through field testing or lab testing.   When determining how much volume to apply to your program different factors come into play with age, genetics, riding experience, work, etc.  Mapping out a program that has a few key points will help you use a system that should help you move forward with progression.  Each training day should have a purpose in mind with the training plan.  Knowing how your body recovers will help you to understand how much you should do for optimal training adaptation without over-training.  Putting realistic goals in place will help you train between events so that you’re not overwhelmed by the big event of the year.  This will help you determine what type of intensity for each given event you should be training with.  If you train properly along with good nutrition and recovery you should be on your way to improving your performance on the bike.

Trying to put a routine together for an ultra-distance event can be overwhelming to athletes whether they’re new to this type of event or not.  A one size fits all doesn’t necessarily work when training for an event especially for an ultra-event.    Following a program just because it worked for someone else may not be the best program for you.  Finding the balance of what will give you the best possible performance of your goal event can be done through mapping a process together that fits into your life and following a schedule that is designed for you specifically with each goal in mind.

Carbo Loading? Now? You Betcha!

By: Steve Born

The calendar still reads 2011 as I write this, and with many of your ultra distance rides/races not occurring until the early-to-middle part of spring 2012 (or later), you might be thinking, “Carbo loading?  Now?  Are you crazy?”

Hear me out, though.  I have no doubt that my rationale is sound and that, if applied, you will experience noticeably higher quality in your training leading up to the ride/race, as well as better performance in the rides/races themselves.  Oh yes, while you’re at it in the

Goal Setting

                         

Finding a way to cycle your season for ultra-racing is an essential part of your overall training program and will give you a way to perhaps look at your periodization plan with a clearer perspective.  A good way to start would be to choose one event that you would like to do your very best at, and build your year around that given race. It’s a normal thing for any athlete to want to do well in every event that he or she does.  I’m often confronted with this as a coach, but it is unrealistic to set your sites on winning every race you enter.  This is part of the competitive nature that comes with any type of racing whether it’s an ultra-race or not.  Most athletes struggle with this one issue, but once they commit to and realize that every race does not need to be about beating the clock or

Coup de Cascades is now a RAAM qualifier AUG 18th & 19th 2012

By Kelly Kyle – Redmond Rousers Rotary President,

It is now official, we are a RAAM QUALIFIER!  Coup de Cascades is on the map, racing forward, making history!….come join in the FUN, this next year.

The Owner of RAAM Race Across America, Fred Boethling, has now given us the go-ahead as an official RQ – Raam Qualifier for next year.  Fred came to Redmond yesterday from Colorado and visited our Redmond Rousers Rotary meeting.  He told us some history of RAAM and some of the passion and dedication of the racers, committee and officials.  RAAM is know to many as the hardest BIKE RACE on the planet.  He had praise and cudos for all involved at the undertaking of our 1st year,  Coup de Cascades.  Last year’s Race was started and organized by a handful of dedicated people.  Some were Rotarians, some

Ultra Survivor – David Bradley

David Bradley - Jim Finger Photo

When it comes to Ultra Racing, David Bradley has been there.  Furnace Creek, Sebring, Race Across Oregon, TX Time Trials.  He’s raced them all.  David is also highly recruited for the other side of the windshield.  For years David has crewed for racers all over the country including several RAAM crossings.  In his spare time he created the route book for Race Across Oregon and Hill Country 600k.  David is in demand.  It all makes for an impressive ultra race resume.  But what makes these accomplishments even more impressive, even unbelievable, is one not-so-simple fact.  David has cancer.

In what seems to be a common story, upon graduating from school, David took about a 20 year break from cycling.  He grew up on bikes ripping around the

Training For Ultracycling Events

Jim Verheul - JBVCoaching

UltraRaceNews is proud to introduce Jim Verheul of JBVCoaching as our newest site contributor.  Jim will be sharing his Ultracycling training and coaching theory derived from a long and diverse cycling background as a racer, race official, race promoter and coach.  Welcome Jim!    

By Jim Verheul,

Friends and clients often ask me if ultra cycling events are good training for ultra cycling events. The answer is yes, and no, depending on your experience level.

First let’s draw an arbitrary line, and say that anything that takes you over 6 hours to complete is an Ultra Race.  Let’s also limit the discussion to solo events, not team events.  For some riders this makes a metric century an ultra event, for some a double metric, or 200K on a fast course, will take over 6 hours.  I am defining the effort from the riders point of view, mentally and physically.  To do this you have to accept the premise that your body does not have a GPS or an odometer, it doesn’t know distance.  It knows how hard you worked (intensity) for what duration (time).  It could be 20 miles up a 10% grade or 100 miles dead flat.  If you put out the same power at the same

Women’s 200 mile and 12-HR Road Records Validated

Maria Parker

Maria Parker’s 200 mile and 12HR road record attempt previously reported  here at UltraRaceNews has now been formally certified by the UltraMarathon Cycling Association (UMCA).

The new 12HR record came just 8 weeks after Sandy Earl broke the mark that had prevailed for almost 20 years.

Decision Points– A Race Recap

Story by Jim Gourley,

I spent most of last week talking about how I’d approach the 12-hour time trial championships in Coachella Valley this weekend.  I went with the intention of winning, and came up with a plan to do just that.  So, how’d it go?

Not according to plan.

Jim Gourley is the military athletes columnist for Lava Magazine online, and writes on equipment engineering issues for their print edition. He is also a contributor to 220 Triathlon Magazine.

As a matter of fact, very few things went according to plan.  It would be taking the easy way out to say “I learned a lot” and skip out on the messy details.  And we all know I don’t do anything the easy way.  The truth is that I did in fact learn a lot, but the best way to learn is by making mistakes.  So, to be perfectly honest, the best way to characterize my race would be “a two-wheeled catastrophe.”  Other terms that came to mind were “a perfect storm of tenacity and blind ambition,” “a tangible yet fragile opportunity dashed against the invincible surface of my ego,” and my personal favorite “stupid is as stupid does… and stupid hurts.”

But I also analogized the race to a space mission, and as I was driving home I listened to a radio report about a group of researchers who recently completed a 520-day stint in isolation to simulate a mission to Mars.  It made me think of the whole experience in the exploration context, and that’s when I decided to format the narrative of this report according to the decisions I made and their consequences.  Ultra-cycling is still an extremely small sport and community, and I hope it grows because I genuinely enjoy it and think others will as

Fillinger and Searvogel Dominate at The 6-12-24 Hr World TimeTrial Championships

At 6pm Saturday the field of riders crossed the start/finish line for the last time bringing the inaugural 6-12-24hr World Time Trial Championships in the Coachella Valley of Southern California to a close.   Ian Fillinger from Kamloops, BC Canada took top honors in the 24hr race by hammering out a very impressive 432.6 miles.  In the 12hr race, Kurt Searvogel from Sheridan, LA out distanced the rest of the field with 249.4 mile race total.

Ian Fillinger - Lena Caton Photo

The 24 hr Race

The 24hr race began Friday at 6pm rolling out with a small race field of four riders.  Joining Fillinger in the 40-49 age group was RAAM Vet and accomplished ultracyclist David Hasse from Fond Du Lac, WI.  Hasse was going it unsupported as he did earlier in the season when he won the HooDoo 500 voyager division in Utah.  Rounding out

Inaugural 6-12-24 HR TimeTrial Championships This Weekend

The start/finish line of this first time event is located in the small town of Thermal in Southern California’s Coachella Valley.  Race Across AMerica (RAAM) riders and crews who pass near this area in June are intimately familiar with where this town get’s it’s name.  Local temperatures routinely rise to scorching levels of 110-120+ degrees with blast furnace like winds during that time of year.  Given that the calendar has reached the month of November,
riders of the Time Trial Championships will get