Corrieyairack training?
lvquestpaddler
Posts: 416
Has anyone done this race before? The first 9 miles look like an average 10% gradient most of the way with a few small flats and descents to streams, and a lot where it will be walking time! I'm not too concerned with the descent over the peak, not going to kill myself trying to gain a few seconds and will be wheel changing for the road section.
Can anyone advise a plan to get into shape so I can pedal most of the uphill? I run a 32T x 32-11T single chainring setup, my theory being if in a granny ring gear I'm better off walking/running. But will need to be fit/strong enough to pedal 32-32.
I need to shed about 10-15kg in the next 20 weeks and am on a proper controlled diet, walking the dog in the hills at the back of Kincraig(yes, I live at the finish point!) 6-8 miles a day at least 3 times a week.
I figure that if I continue walking until April and introduce HIIT training of sprinting whilst out with the dog from now, hopefully by then I'll have lost a fair bit of the weight. At that point I'll be trying to start upping the cycling, road and mtb for endurance(when the weather allows!!).
Should I do bike intervals at the same gradient ie 1km at 10%, coast back down, repeat?
I'm hoping the hillwalking at the moment will be giving me proper leg strength coupled with injury proofing rather than try to run overweight or do limited range of motion gym work.....I realise that the key is the power:weight ratio and that's what I need to change drastically 8)
Can anyone advise a plan to get into shape so I can pedal most of the uphill? I run a 32T x 32-11T single chainring setup, my theory being if in a granny ring gear I'm better off walking/running. But will need to be fit/strong enough to pedal 32-32.
I need to shed about 10-15kg in the next 20 weeks and am on a proper controlled diet, walking the dog in the hills at the back of Kincraig(yes, I live at the finish point!) 6-8 miles a day at least 3 times a week.
I figure that if I continue walking until April and introduce HIIT training of sprinting whilst out with the dog from now, hopefully by then I'll have lost a fair bit of the weight. At that point I'll be trying to start upping the cycling, road and mtb for endurance(when the weather allows!!).
Should I do bike intervals at the same gradient ie 1km at 10%, coast back down, repeat?
I'm hoping the hillwalking at the moment will be giving me proper leg strength coupled with injury proofing rather than try to run overweight or do limited range of motion gym work.....I realise that the key is the power:weight ratio and that's what I need to change drastically 8)
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Comments
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Hi Paddler,
I've done this race once before (took me 4hrs 44 Mins) and I was by no means the slowest. I've also signed up to do it again this year. Your training really needs to equate to your approach. If you just want to complete or you want to be in the top 20.
It is a hard race - no two doubts about it, not sure what the down side is like now but when I did it the last time the only way to describe it is a dried up river bed Lots of boulders and very uneven).
From a training point of view, the Walking will help and if you're doing that length of walk you may be able to do the Garva Bridge to the top of the pass to get an idea of what the down side is like. (If you dont know already)
I would definately do some hill training and also some 3 - 4hr rides so you get used to that length of time in the saddle. I'm currently in the gym twice a week and out on the bike for an hours ride twice a week and looking to up this considerably on the run up to the race.
I couldn't comment on gearing etc but I will be running a triple up front and 32-11 out back0 -
Cheers for that- been considering doing the road leg of it as training anyway but good advice to go to the summit from this side on foot to get an idea!
The key will be whether I can climb the long side with 1:1 gearing. I've heard the switchback descent is well ruined, no real track now to speak of. Another issue closer to it is whether the 1x9 on slicks is high enough geared for the road. May be a case of splitting two cassettes, an 11-34 and 11-32 and putting together a road one with 11,12,13,14,15,16,18,21,24 and an off road of 11,14,17,20,23,26,30,32,34
If this is the solution then I could up the chainring to 34T to improve road gearing yet keeping the 1:1 off road.....(strange how one cassette is mainly "odd" and the other "even" numerically!)
The official slant is 17miles off road, 26 on road. According to memory map it's 13.5/30, and only 4 miles or so are off road down the other side to the changeover. The hillwalking has to be good anyway cos if it comes down to it and I'm pushing should be able to do the distance no worries!0 -
Well Big Ads did it in 4:05, a brilliant time and he's knocked a whack off his last time. I did it in 4:36, well chuffed with that too, no wind whatsoever from the usual SW either so the road section was unassisted. Trailrakers at 45/50psi handled the descent brilliantly, and all I can say is that thank F I took the HT bike and not my rigid or I doubt I'd be able to type this...
A totally awesome and hard race though, still buzzing!0
