100Km training plan

miss notax · April 2011

Hello

I have just entered the 100Km Afan Monster in late August - the enormity of which has just started to hit home :shock:

I have probably only ridden about 40 miles over a whole day before, and this is about 62!

I did lots of running last year as I trained for the Great South Run, and I had a training plan to get me to the 10 mile mark. Admittedly I largely ignored it and did my own thing, but it was good to have a 'plan' just in case! Does anyone know if there is an 100Km MTBing equivalent? I can find some road biking ones but that's all. Or should I just ride as much as I can?

All advice very VERY welcome

robertpb · April 2011

To build up endurance you need to do 4-5 hour rides in zone 2, 70-75% MHR each week or more if you feel like it.

Also 2 hour rides in zone 3, 75-80% MHR and 1 hour rides of 80-85% MHR, zone 4.

After a few weeks you'll have improved enough not to worry about the length of the ride in August.

njee20 · April 2011

Just do lots of riding, with lots of hills, and enjoy yourself.

miss notax · April 2011

robertpb wrote:

To build up endurance you need to do 4-5 hour rides in zone 2, 70-75% MHR each week or more if you feel like it.

Also 2 hour rides in zone 3, 75-80% MHR and 1 hour rides of 80-85% MHR, zone 4.

After a few weeks you'll have improved enough not to worry about the length of the ride in August.

Eh?

I am obviously being thick here, but I have no idea what MHR (maximum heart rate???) and all the zones mean :oops:

robertpb · April 2011

MHR as you guessed maximum heart rate.

Zones are what you ride in so you keep to a specific heart rate zone 2 is 70-75%.

So if your max is 180, zone 2 would be 126-135 beats per minute.

njee20 · April 2011

However the reality is that doing 4 hour rides at such a narrow band of intensity is a) very difficult unless you're on the turbo (see b) and b) mind numbingly boring.

On the assumption you want to enjoy it, I'd just focus on getting out lots. Long rides will clearly be key, so don't go out doing 90 minute flat out blasts, but make sure you do long miles.

miss notax · April 2011

Thanks

Is it best to stick to MTBing miles, or should I *shock* dig the road bike out of the garage? I guess as long as it's riding, it doesn't matter so much what it's on?

(Not keen on the road bike - it doesn't bounce and it hurts more than my MTB :?

)

njee20 · April 2011

The risk is that MTB riding becomes a very social affair, you spin up every climb, chat at the top, ride the descent, then stop and chat. So your 5 hour ride becomes about 2 hours actually pedalling, at most!

The MTB can be good training, if you attack the hills and don't stop, as you would on the road.

miss notax · April 2011

njee20 wrote:

The risk is that MTB riding becomes a very social affair, you spin up every climb, chat at the top, ride the descent, then stop and chat. So your 5 hour ride becomes about 2 hours actually pedalling, at most!

Have you ridden with me before? You forgot the chocolate bar stops

Good point well made!!

Thewaylander · April 2011

Bout to say depends on how you ride, last year i was trainign for a 100km (which i missed through an actual hit of flu, couldn't even lift one of my pillows

) and i had to approach riding very differently, No stopping consistant pedalling through climbs and repeated weekend rides of a min about 50km

As Njee says best thing since it's a personal achievment is to jsut get out and ride as much as is possible, and if you struggle with finding the long rides in your area, or time back to back days of riding help a bit i found.

JamieW · April 2011

if your looking for a definate plan, check out trainingpeaks, there are quite a lot on there. Lynda Wallenfels? does a few on there ( i personally use her 24hr training plan)

welshkev · April 2011

i was going to post the same thing in here cos i'm so unfit right now. if you see me fall on the monster will you pick me up?

looks like a load of long slogs are required then :shock:

miss notax · April 2011

welshkev wrote:

if you see me fall on the monster will you pick me up?

Only if you do the same for me!!

I'm doing a 35 mile MTB enduro tomorrow - non-technical on fireroads, but should be an interesting 'test' of my current fitness! I think i'll be happy with anything under three and a half hours..... :shock:

welshkev · April 2011

miss notax wrote:

welshkev wrote:

if you see me fall on the monster will you pick me up?

Only if you do the same for me!!

I'm doing a 35 mile MTB enduro tomorrow - non-technical on fireroads, but should be an interesting 'test' of my current fitness! I think i'll be happy with anything under three and a half hours..... :shock:

i did a 30km enduro in feb and it took me around 3 hours!!!! ok, there was i think 1200m of climbing but even still i need to improve my fitness

Danny-T · April 2011

Perhaps we need a team Afan Monster training plan for all us "seemed like a good idea at the time but I've just realised how bloody far this is" people :P

miss notax · April 2011

I think sales of energy gel's are going to increase rapidly in Southampton!!

welshkev · April 2011

Danny-T wrote:

Perhaps we need a team Afan Monster training plan for all us "seemed like a good idea at the time but I've just realised how bloody far this is" people :P

i know, it's a bloody long way :shock:

maybe in a couple of months we should meet up and see how far along we are to success

miss notax · April 2011

miss notax wrote:

I'm doing a 35 mile MTB enduro tomorrow - non-technical on fireroads, but should be an interesting 'test' of my current fitness! I think i'll be happy with anything under three and a half hours..... :shock:

Well, did 37 long miles (an extra 2 - the cheek!) in 2 hours 50 mins

Not technical at all, but that's the furthest I have ever ridden in one go by a long shot. I'm not sure my legs are going to work tomorrow..... :?

The questions is, could I have ridden an extra 25 miles or so more....?!!!

weeksy59 · April 2011

It's not just the length for the Monster (as stated in the other thread)

If you think of the top of Skyline or Wall as the highest point of the right, you'll climb top to bottom 5-6 times in the 75km route. 3 of the climbs are straight forward, bottom of the valley to the top of the peaks... no messing, no downs, just climb climb climb... lol..

I find your average 40 miler no real issue where i train, simply because there's no hills that take an hour to climb round here.... an hour.... 5 times in a day LOLOLOL....

I'm not trying to put anyone off this, 2 of my mates did the 75km, one of them was fairly fit for 50 (but fatiish) the other is a fit lad, younger but had barely trained for the Monster. They finished the 75km in about 9 hours or so.

weeksy59 · April 2011

p.s.. i'm happy to head down to Afan before hand if you want to see 1-2 of the climbs that are not the usual Afan routes ? There's one which is near the top trial centre which is a bloody epic climb... long, steep and hard... would be VERY good training to go and climb that 2-3 times in a day... (although quite dull i admit)

miss notax · April 2011

weeksy59 wrote:

p.s.. i'm happy to head down to Afan before hand if you want to see 1-2 of the climbs that are not the usual Afan routes ? There's one which is near the top trial centre which is a bloody epic climb... long, steep and hard... would be VERY good training to go and climb that 2-3 times in a day... (although quite dull i admit)

I would be very interested to know where the climbs are.... We are usually there about once a month I guess

I had better get climbing then!

weeksy59 · April 2011

First one.... Come down the path past the entrance to Whites (as though carrying on down teh valley to other centre)... follow that and you see a football pitch type area on the right (Before you reach the bridge).

Straight over the field and the entrance to climb is on the right i think. Windy windy fireroad that goes to the top. It's mostly on the side of Whites and goes close to the Boardwalk trail and the exit to the one just before that...

weeksy59 · April 2011

Other one is down the fire road next to Bryn Betwtss whatever camping/cottages, this is the final climb up to the finish, all road/fire road and quite tough at the end of the route.

jmillen · April 2011

miss notax I apologise in advance for the posting without any actual advice other that what everyone else has said....its just about getting the miles in your legs, and some hill practise I think would come in very useful

I'm going to admit defeat to the 100, and sign up for the 75k I think

weeksy59 · May 2011

How's everyones training going then ?

I'm doing regular 100km rides now, about once a week. Learning lessons each time about how hard or fast i should be going, how often i need to eat/drink and how often and how long to rest for.

I think in some ways, it's not all about the riding the distance for the legs... but for the overall preparation.

miss notax · May 2011

Regular 100Km rides? Crikey, i've not ridden that far yet :oops: :shock:

On or off road? How long is that taking you?

I am trying to ramp up my riding but haven't got to that stage yet.... Did about 38 miles off road last weekend, and am trying to do one long ride at the weekend (plus riding during the week). I might try and chuck in a 100Km road ride this weekend then, just to see what its like!

weeksy59 · May 2011

Offroad (mostly Ridgeway so not terribly technical).

Depends who i'm riding with as to time, 6 hours-8 hours. Yesterday was about 6 hours.

I've now realised that in last years event i DEFFO went too hard too early on.

miss notax · May 2011

Hmmm, well the gauntlet has been thrown down so I think I can see a 100Km ride coming on this weekend!!

If I can't move this time next week I am holding you entirely responsible weeksy59

weeksy59 · May 2011

LOL thanks for that, at the end of the day, we all have to do it in a few months time... might as well get used to them now.

Just checked, yesterday seems to have been about 55miles.

Forgot the GPS watch but used some route mapping software and comes in about that.

Danny-T · May 2011

@weeksy59, out of interest how long did you take for last years event?

weeksy59 · May 2011

Last year i only managed the 75km

My time was about 7hours 35 i think. I'd have to check back to the results if they're somewhere... but pretty close...give or take a minute.

I'd say i'm currently at a higher level of preparation than i was last year... but to be honest i think maybe 10-15 mins overall at the VERY most...

Although this year i will be doing the 100km.

100Km training plan

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