55km +3000m in 7hrs - Training

[ambintw]

Hi,

I've entered a race in three weeks: 55km with a 3000m ascent.


There's a time limit of 7 hours and it has dawned on me that this looks unlikely. Here are two recent rides:

1) 75km +2300m ascent: 8 hours

2) 110km +1500m ascent: 7 hours [much steeper hills]


Q) What exercises, tips can you give me to help me achieve my goal of 7 hours or less?

Q) What should I be eating in the days before the race? How many days before should I be "stocking up" on fuel?

Q) What's the last day of a long run before the race so that I don't effect my performance on the day?

Q) Any tips for a good breakfast on the day of the race? How many hours before the start?

Q) Any super foods you recommend? [I often take bananas, nectarines, egg salad sandwiches, and Trail Mix bars.]

Q) Gels: Are they recommended? Anything I should look (out) for?

Q) If I started with 600cc iced water & 700cc sports drink: how many hours/km do you think that will last - about?


Thanks for your help,
Andy


Here are some more details:

* I'll be riding a 14kg mountain bike [I know a road bike would be better]
* I only started using cleats [Shimano SPD] last Monday
* Nutrition: lost total power on ride #2 and I now realize I simply wasn't eating/drinking enough
* We'll be starting at 5am so it'll be a cool 25C when we start and as the day warms up, I'll be higher up so it'll stay around 25C or less at the top.
* I'm 180cm tall and weigh 74kgs
* I have plenty of cycling friends here that fall into two groups: total athletes and only need a drink and a banana; or ones that like stopping all the time for coffee and noodles. I'm somewhere between the two groups.
* Although everyone's different, learning from your own experiences would give me a good starting point.

 

[chris-s]

With three weeks to go, there isn't a lot you can gain fitness wise in that time, the usual period quoted is six weeks for gains of any significance.

Your body can only store a finite amount of energy/carbs anyhow, something like 2000 calories (ignoring fat resources), so a couple of pasta meals the few nights before, porridge for breakfast, nothing too heavy or high-protein the night before. The day before, starting drinking water and lots of it, hydration will have a bigger impact than what you eat. On the day, I would eat some porridge and maybe a banana a couple of hours before setting off, and continue with the hydration. Once your body starts working hard, the stomach doesn't want to process large amounts of solid food.

I wouldn't do any hard/long rides during the week leading up to the event, just short easy rides to keep the legs working. Get some good nights sleep in the preceding days.

Gels and powders are good to take, but make sure you can stomach them before hand. Sometimes it's nice too have a little of something more solid, say a banana or a piece of cake. Some gels/powders are purely isotonic and other products include carbs to give you an energy boost, some with caffeine or gurana (sp?) as a stimulant.

As for how long your water will last, really couldn't say, but that amount wouldn't last me. The last big ride I did was the Dartmoor Classic, 100 miles with over 3000m climbing and I got thru something like 6x750ml bottles (mixture of plain water/carbs) plus a couple of tins of coke and I still didn't pee until I got home six hours after the event. Drink continually, not when you feel thirsty, even just a mouthful or sip every ten minutes or couple of miles.

Chris

 

[amaferanga]

That's a lot of climbing over that distance, but then you only need to average a tad above a brisk walking pace to get round in 7 hours. I guess it must be offroad? If you lost power on ride 2 then eat and drink a bit more than you did then. Make sure you take on electrolytes as well as food and water and save the gels for emergencies.

 

[ambintw]

Thanks Chris for such a comprehensive answer.

Yes, I'll work on my hydration before the event. Hydration is probably the key factor because I rarely ride during the daytime in summer due to the heat. Yesterday was 35 C and the last hour back home along the lowlands was particularly punishing.

I generally ride at night, but that's not conducive to long runs.


And thanks to Amaferanga for the tip on electrolytes. It's straight up a mountain and although the gradient isn't that steep [compared with my usual routes], it's just a relentless climb without breaks. Then the thin oxygen will start kicking in at about 3000m and the sun burning through the thin atmosphere. I'm sure I can make it to the top, I'd just like to make it before the 7 hours.

 

[rualexander]

Where is this?
Sound's like it should be ok, given your two other ride times.
Liquid intake will be the big issue I would imagine.

 

[ambintw]

RuAlexander,

I'm from Yorkshire, but I live in Taiwan.


Yes, I think I can do it, and it's best to be prepared.

 

[VamP]

Just to echo, based on your other times I think you'll be fine. Keep doing what you're doing, it's too late to make useful changes. Take it easy the week before, eat plenty of carbs day before, and as big a breakfast as you can manage. Stay hydrated. Have fun!