Training & Nutrition - 5 days 450 miles

As the title states, I'll be doing that ride in the middle of July. I did something comparable to it last year (minus 50 miles ). This year I'd like to increase the mileage and speed. So, I've got four months and a decent base. I just got back from a moderately paced 50 mile ride and I feel great. I'm looking for a four month training plan. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Short answer: http://www.ultracycling.com/training/training.html

Cheers!

Are you riding solo, or is this a tour? I would add some interval training rides or do them on the trainer, depending on where you live and weather. Do some out of saddle drills (work up to 5 min each X3 with some rest in between, then add length and # of reps to simulate hills). Other than getting more long rides in, sounds like you'll be set. Increasing the mileage is the easy part, just ride more. Intervals are the way to go to get fast(er).

much obliged

It's a tour, but the group splits up rather quickly and I'll be riding most of it with only one other guy. I guess I should have been more specific with my questions. 1. How many miles per week? 2. When should I peak with intensity and mileage? 3. When should I begin to taper?

It's a tour, but the group splits up rather quickly and I'll be riding most of it with only one other guy. I guess I should have been more specific with my questions. 1. How many miles per week? 2. When should I peak with intensity and mileage? 3. When should I begin to taper?
If you are riding five straight, I would train for this too. On May 1st, I'm doing 8 days straight of 750+ miles with long days of around 115 miles. Then, 3 more days in a row of 250 miles after one rest day. I'm doing intervals and hill training drills right now, mainly on the trainer due to crap weather. This month and April, I will ramp up my miles and do some longer rides consecutively (say 5-6 days in a row, with 2-3 hrs minimum and at least one long ride of 90-100 miles).

I will want to get 500-600 road miles in before the ride starts and I will start a taper about 10-14 days before, depending on how my legs are feeling. You could probably get away with 250-300, and taper 7-10 days before. Again, YMMV, depending on your fitness level and how your legs feel. Hope this helps.

Very helpful, thank you.

Taper?

I am doing 400+ miles in 6 days in April. I have done this one for years now. I have done tours with more miles in less time.

I never bother to taper. I suppose you can but this is not a one day event. So I think the benefits of tapering are pretty limited.

Quite a bit of the trick on these rides is pacing. Anyone in good shape can hammer on a long ride pretty well and often ride hard on a long ride on the next day, but what about the next one and the one after that?

I have seen people come into camp on the 3rd day of rides and collapse. They miss dinner and the next day they are done. The trick is to not get into the situation where you get beaten up more and more each day to the point where your riding goes into a downward spiral.

Of course, you have to train for these things. Try to get in some longer rides before hand like 70+ miles and better yet put in a couple of those back to back.

Interval training is decent for increasing your power. If you do not push yourself in your training, you will not get faster. But do not limit yourself to interval training. Short fast bursts really do not cut it on a 90 + mile ride. Being able to maintain a pace over that distance is much more important. So train at some longer rides.

Holy cow! I would never imagine that was even humanly possible! I did 170 miles over 5 days last year commuting for a full week and I was wiped! Way to go & good luck again this year! You're an animal!

Taper?

I am doing 400+ miles in 6 days in April. I have done this one for years now. I have done tours with more miles in less time.

I never bother to taper. I suppose you can but this is not a one day event. So I think the benefits of tapering are pretty limited.

Quite a bit of the trick on these rides is pacing. Anyone in good shape can hammer on a long ride pretty well and often ride hard on a long ride on the next day, but what about the next one and the one after that?

I have seen people come into camp on the 3rd day of rides and collapse. They miss dinner and the next day they are done. The trick is to not get into the situation where you get beaten up more and more each day to the point where your riding goes into a downward spiral.

Of course, you have to train for these things. Try to get in some longer rides before hand like 70+ miles and better yet put in a couple of those back to back.

Interval training is decent for increasing your power. If you do not push yourself in your training, you will not get faster. But do not limit yourself to interval training. Short fast bursts really do not cut it on a 90 + mile ride. Being able to maintain a pace over that distance is much more important. So train at some longer rides.

The general idea for tapering before an event (or race) is to allow some recovery of the muscles. To each their own, but I don't want to go into a multi day event tired and having just ridden a century or metric within a week of the start. Especially when I'll be riding 8 days straight and the shortest day is 85 miles (my daily mileage will be like this; 116, 110, 96, 85, 94, 99, 103, 101, rest day, 105, 76, and 75). I think the taper is my case is essential, but also whether you do it before a race or a multi day tour.

But again, as I said before YMMV and each person has their own training regiment.

good luck dude! Me and some friends are looking to do a similar ride this spring so i'll be watching this thread intently lol

The general idea for tapering before an event (or race) is to allow some recovery of the muscles. To each their own, but I don't want to go into a multi day event tired and having just ridden a century or metric within a week of the start. Especially when I'll be riding 8 days straight and the shortest day is 85 miles (my daily mileage will be like this; 116, 110, 96, 85, 94, 99, 103, 101, rest day, 105, 76, and 75). I think the taper is my case is essential, but also whether you do it before a race or a multi day tour.

But again, as I said before YMMV and each person has their own training regiment.

I agree that some rest & time off before a ride like this would be beneficial. I rode a solo tour last Sept. Mileage over 5 days was 104, 110, 106, 100 and 56. Road an unloaded organized century in 6 hours on my touring bike the day after getting there. Never would have pulled that off if I hadn't used the week prior for some rest & slow, fairly short rides. Have fun on your ride!

If you don't taper before a 6 day 400 mile ride, how many weekly miles are you doing prior to the ride? Another related question: Does the 75% rule apply with tours? In other words, let's say you want to do a five day 500 mile ride. A few weeks prior to the ride should you do a five day 375 mile ride?

No, I don't taper. On a tour, you have to get up and do the miles one day after another. Don't get me wrong, I don't go out and do really hard rides right before the event. But I do the same mileage.

I vary in the number of miles I do per week depending on my schedule. Right now I am doing about 200 miles per week. Other years I have done over 300 miles per week.

The thing is that you need to get to the point where you can do a long ride each and every day.

I have known people who have done a quad century (centuries on 4 successive days) with no training at all, as strange as that sounds). They rode very slowly (avg of about 12 mph) and stopped at very possible opportunity to eat ice cream. That does not sound pretty but to each their own.

Thanks, Pat.