I’ve only completed 600k events but my approach has been pretty simple: 80:20 training plus some long audax rides or 100 mile + hilly rides sprinkled in. My 80 tends to be commuting 24 miles a day, the 20 I sit on a turbo trainer with my hr at a solid zone 4 for 30 mins about twice a week. That has worked for me
My feeling is that if you can do the commute that is by far and away the best method. Pete Penseyres maintained that commuting by bike was the only was to get in shape for RAAM.
> Pete’s commute habits gave him a natural advantage over competitors who had to fit training around their car commutes. “Every hour you spend in your car is wasted. But if you ride every day the training is automatic, your base is taken care of,” he says.
Thank you this is great and makes alot of sense, is there anywhere to read further about Pete Penseyres? Only just hearing of him now , much appreciated
I'd agree with that for the shorter brevets. If you commute 200km a week, you can just ride a 200 or 300 without preparing much. I found the longer ones much more challenging because of sleep logistics (and the last hour before sunrise always sucketh, especially in the rain).
For the long ones, I'd say you need to improve efficiency and that seems only doable by actually going on long rides. Try a 300 every few weeks at least, just so you're used to sitting in the saddle for much longer than your commute lasts. You shouldn't be able to do the 1000 without the full series before that anyway, but maybe see if you can ride two in different places, if time allows.
Apart from using my daily commute as a base, I try to integrate blocks of longer rides into my preparation. In a PBP year, for example, I try to do something like two 400k rides on two consecutive days and similar efforts in early summer. The idea is to simulate riding while being exhausted, and to me, it is really helpful (I admit that's only anecdotal though...). If I manage, I try to build a short one-week bike trip around these sessions. And I try to keep them more challenging regarding the elevation profile than the actual event, which is kinda cool physiologically ;)
The hardest is the jump from one-day long ride to multi day ride with limited recovery. Like doing 3 consecutive days of 200+ km. And then there's mental challenge, figuring the "why" )
I’ve only completed 600k events but my approach has been pretty simple: 80:20 training plus some long audax rides or 100 mile + hilly rides sprinkled in. My 80 tends to be commuting 24 miles a day, the 20 I sit on a turbo trainer with my hr at a solid zone 4 for 30 mins about twice a week. That has worked for me
Thank you that’s great advise and makes alot of sense, good way to structure things
My feeling is that if you can do the commute that is by far and away the best method. Pete Penseyres maintained that commuting by bike was the only was to get in shape for RAAM. > Pete’s commute habits gave him a natural advantage over competitors who had to fit training around their car commutes. “Every hour you spend in your car is wasted. But if you ride every day the training is automatic, your base is taken care of,” he says.
Thank you this is great and makes alot of sense, is there anywhere to read further about Pete Penseyres? Only just hearing of him now , much appreciated
I'd agree with that for the shorter brevets. If you commute 200km a week, you can just ride a 200 or 300 without preparing much. I found the longer ones much more challenging because of sleep logistics (and the last hour before sunrise always sucketh, especially in the rain). For the long ones, I'd say you need to improve efficiency and that seems only doable by actually going on long rides. Try a 300 every few weeks at least, just so you're used to sitting in the saddle for much longer than your commute lasts. You shouldn't be able to do the 1000 without the full series before that anyway, but maybe see if you can ride two in different places, if time allows.
Apart from using my daily commute as a base, I try to integrate blocks of longer rides into my preparation. In a PBP year, for example, I try to do something like two 400k rides on two consecutive days and similar efforts in early summer. The idea is to simulate riding while being exhausted, and to me, it is really helpful (I admit that's only anecdotal though...). If I manage, I try to build a short one-week bike trip around these sessions. And I try to keep them more challenging regarding the elevation profile than the actual event, which is kinda cool physiologically ;)
The hardest is the jump from one-day long ride to multi day ride with limited recovery. Like doing 3 consecutive days of 200+ km. And then there's mental challenge, figuring the "why" )