Training for multi-day event

nammynake

I am taking part in the Schwalbe TransAlp road race next summer:

http://tour-transalp.de/en/eventinfos/general-info/

7 consecutive days averaging 126 km and 2730 m ascent. Starting in Germany and crossing into Austria, Switzerland and finally Italy. Similar to the Haute Route...only much cheaper.

Looking for tips on preparing for the event, and hoping to 'compete' rather than just get round. I have a decent fitness base built up over 3 years, FTP of approx 270 Watts (4.3 W/kg) and happy in the hills. Never done high mountains but spent 6 consecutive days in Mallorca in September taking in most of the bigger ascents (Soller, Puig Major etc).

Current training is one or two weekend long rides (fast group in my club) and turbo sessions mid-week focussing on sweet-spot/threshold e.g. 2*20 mins. Looking to have some proper structure and goals over the next 6 months.

Cheers

jgsi

Had a quick scan of the company that is charging you probably an arm and a leg?
Hardly any details of the nutrition on offer... or help in that direction which I reckon is going to be essential
to get you to the end.
It is about as close to a GT as anyone on here is likely to experience
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2012/05/grand-tour-nutrition/
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/ ... diet-37892
Lots of little nuggets of info on the web.. but a full blown plan, you'll probably need to seek professional help.
I'd worry about the food quality on offer if that is part of the deal.

cyco2

There are plenty of Blogs written by riders who have done this event which make interesting reading. When you did your riding in Majorca did you do any of it with the payload/mileage or more than you would expect to take in your event? Do you have a support crew and spare parts lined up? Have you considered a fast loaded up cycle tour around Wales, for instance. This was posted not long ago (page 2) and was good reading.

nammynake

There are two feed stops per stage but I don't know what kind of food is available. It's not really a major concern as I'm not fussy and can always carry my food in the worst case scenario. The days are not that long.

The TransAlp has been going for years but it's not that well known over here. Was looking for tips from those who've ridden such an event (e.g. Haute Route). I am already in decent shape just wanted to get any tips specific to preparing for 7 consecutive days of hard riding.

All kit is transported throughout the race so you're only riding with pump, multitool, spare gilet etc.

meanredspider

My advice is to make sure you can actually get a good breakfast where you are staying. On the Rat Race Road Trip (440 miles in 4 days), the places I stayed simply didn't have good breakfast stuff - I really wanted porridge or something similar. What I ended up being offer was ham and cheese and orange juice - none of which makes a good start of the day for me.

richa

Nammynake,

I rode the Transalp Road in 2012 and in 2013. My photoblog is here:
http://transalp2012.blogspot.co.uk

This year I rode Transpyr MTB and have entered Transalp MTB for next year.

Firstly, these events are great fun (if you enjoy pushing yourself on the bike that is). Secondly, they are incredibly well organised, which means in the most part you can focus on your riding.

What I would say is there is a range of riders, but at the front there are some fast guys. I would expect 350w++ to be really 'competing'.

Let me know if you have any queries. Happy to comment on my experiences.

bahzob

I've done several events like this. Key things I'd mention:

> If you havn't already climbed long mountains include some "mountain climb" workouts in your training schedule. These are 1-2 hour solid non stop sessions at around top endurance zone/sweetspot level and should give you the feel for the physical effort needed on long ascents, based on your experience from Majorca.
> Continue to work at improving w/kg. The higher this number the easier or faster (depending on how you want to tackle it) you will go. Both sides of the equation count, losing weight is as important as gaining power. Target should be at least mid of the "normal" BMI range.
> Over gear. Use a compact and fit the biggest cassette you can. As the week progresses fatigue will build and this will just be made worse if you are trying to turn too big a gear.
> You will get tired. On days 2/3 you will wake up feeling a bit sore and not sure if you want to get on a bike. Don't worry this feeling goes away quickly once the pedals start turning. In my experience from around day 4 onwards things don't get any worse and you may even find yourself feeling better day by day.
> Do not under any circumstances make any changes to your bike/equipment just before the event.. Every one I have taken part in has people who suffered/dropped out because they convinced themselves they needed a new saddle or otherwise in the days before it started.
>Don't over eat. Yes you obviously need enough to keep you going but if you are getting good support along the route its better to have smaller portions when needed rather than stuff yourself silly at every occasion.
>You will almost certainly get stronger so it's not a bad idea to plan an event the weekend after you return and have had a couple of days rest. You may find yourself setting some new PBs.
>Being comfortable on descents is also important. If you already are great, if not this can be a bit harder as there is really nowhere else quite similar where you can go downhill for 30minutes plus in company. Check out the inet for descending tips and practice as best you can. Key rules are know the correct line, brake in a straight line and look at the road not the rider ahead.

FatTed

+1 Bahzob, here is an article about descending
http://www.flammerouge.je/factsheets/doidescend.htm

bahzob

Couple of other tips.

> When it comes to climbs forewarned is forearmed. The best piece of advice I ever received was before I climbed Alpe D'Huez by some folks who warned me the hardest part is first 2km, after that it gets easier. This made me a lot more relaxed when I first hit the bottom of the climb. Others may be different, e.g. Galibier and Tourmalet both have an evil last km that can be a real morale sapper if you don't leave a little extra in the tank.

I'd recommend checking out the profiles in Climbbybike or elsewhere, print them off on some small cards and stick them on your handlebars so you know what's coming. One thing that is strange about doing lots of big climbs is how "easy" 5% feels after a few km of 8% and vice versa. If you know this in advance it helps.

Another useful source is the youtubes by a couple of Italian guys. They have produced guides to many famous climbs. If you don't have a VR turbo watching these while doing a hard sweetspot session is pretty close to the real thing (and you may learn some Italian to boot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDxdawsAEFE&list=PLVU8cPY68YrkoYNzZh3RXmzhLvOIzMoAM&index=3

Final tips:

> Advice from Chris Froome and many others. Climbing a mountain is like eating an elephant, best done in small slices. Forget the fact it is "x"km long at "y"%. Just do 5-10 minutes then reset and repeat. Km markers are handy for this, give yourself a little reward of a drink/nibble.few rpm off each time you pass one. If things get really hard reduce the amount of time you look ahead. Worst experience I have ever had I resorted to counting the white stripes on the side of the road 1>10 then back to 1 again until the top.

> If the summit looks miles away, look back at how far you have come. One of the biggest rewards climbing a mountain is how quickly you gain height. The town you climbed through a few minutes ago quickly becomes a spot in the distance and seeing this happen is a great morale booster.

DeVlaeminck

Stay off the front!

wavefront

bahzob wrote:

I've done several events like this. Key things I'd mention:

> If you havn't already climbed long mountains include some "mountain climb" workouts in your training schedule. These are 1-2 hour solid non stop sessions at around top endurance zone/sweetspot level and should give you the feel for the physical effort needed on long ascents, based on your experience from Majorca.

> Continue to work at improving w/kg. The higher this number the easier or faster (depending on how you want to tackle it) you will go. Both sides of the equation count, losing weight is as important as gaining power. Target should be at least mid of the "normal" BMI range.

>Being comfortable on descents is also important. If you already are great, if not this can be a bit harder as there is really nowhere else quite similar where you can go downhill for 30minutes plus in company. Check out the inet for descending tips and practice as best you can. Key rules are know the correct line, brake in a straight line and look at the road not the rider ahead.

Think these are very good tips, and are exactly what I'm already doing as part of my training for next years Haute Route. I'd add that you need to make sure your plan helps you improve your recovery times - be it, recovery between efforts (climb, after climb) and recovery after each day. Look at your nutrition and start working out what works for you to help you stay on your bike, and what helps you recover enough for the next day.

crossed

This is a pretty handy post as I've just checked here for training tips for doing a similar multi-day ride in the Alps next year.
I think our ride works out with very similar mileage/climbing averages.

What's the best way to approach training for the climbing? I live in the Surrey Hills area so would it be sensible to get some good routes with plenty of climbing and just keep tapping away at them to try and improve my climbing and descending skills?

richa

Crossed wrote:

This is a pretty handy post as I've just checked here for training tips for doing a similar multi-day ride in the Alps next year.
I think our ride works out with very similar mileage/climbing averages.

What's the best way to approach training for the climbing? I live in the Surrey Hills area so would it be sensible to get some good routes with plenty of climbing and just keep tapping away at them to try and improve my climbing and descending skills?

Which event are you doing?

crossed

RichA wrote:

Crossed wrote:

This is a pretty handy post as I've just checked here for training tips for doing a similar multi-day ride in the Alps next year.
I think our ride works out with very similar mileage/climbing averages.

What's the best way to approach training for the climbing? I live in the Surrey Hills area so would it be sensible to get some good routes with plenty of climbing and just keep tapping away at them to try and improve my climbing and descending skills?

Which event are you doing?

It's not an organised event as such, the route has been organised by a friend and takes us from Geneva to Garda taking in Stelvio Pass along the way :shock:

nammynake

Thanks for the hints guys. I'm hoping for a week in Mallorca in April which will serve as a good top up to my training and allow me to measure my progress. Really can't wait !