Training & Nutrition - Pre-event regimen

Although no longer a competitive cyclist, I still take the sport seriously and my latest interest is in climbing. Later this summer I hope to climb Mount Washington but before that I have a series of climbs planned starting in Arizona in May where I hope to climb one or both of the signature climbs there--Mt. Lemmon and Mt.Graham.
My query, which applies to competition also, is what type of training schedule do people follow the week before an event--in my case that being a big climb. I assume most riders taper down in the days leading up to event day.
My own plan would be a couple of lactate threshold workouts at the beginning of the week and then a a steady-state ride in mid-week with an easy recovery type ride the day before.
I would be interested in any feedback from the forum.

Brendan O'Sullivan
Mississauga, On

Sounds like this is in the wrong forum? unless you are asking about 1 week pre-event nutrition..

It's a valid question for a training and nutrition forum.

Unless the climb is an 'A' race that you're peaking for, you probably don't want to do a long taper. It'll impact your fitness progression for your peak. Most people have one or maybe two peaks a year.

I do a lot of climbing races. Most races are on saturday which is usually a hard day for me anyhow. I usually do a three day block tue-thurs, recovery or off on friday, and a hard ride on saturday. For C races I will stick with my training plan and do a recovery ride on friday like I would have anyhow. If it's a B race, I'll take thursday off or make it a shorter easier ride than the normal intervals plus two hour group ride. For an A race, I'll go easy on tuesday and wendsday and take thursday off.

If I can I like to do a short ride the day before the race, with a couple moderately hard efforts just to open up the legs.

Are the Arizona climbs races or organized events or are you just going down there and riding? If it's the latter, just go ride. You'll want to maximize your riding while you're there so don't worry about tapering or any of that.

Also, if you can make it over to the eastern sierra in California there are some spectacular climbs there, and the Death Valley Road Stage Race in late May. Most climbing per mile of any two day stage race in north america. It's low key enough that if you just want to have a good time you can buy 2 one day licenses and 'race'.

ericm979

Thanks for the information. Yes, the Arizona rides are solo. I guess I'm taking this business a bit too seriously--after all I'm just a recreational cyclist --the message is just go out and enjoy it--my competitive days are way behind me. Thanks for the reality check--but I would still like to do all these climbs I have planned without stopping.

I've ridden both of those climbs when I lived in AZ. Just make sure you can maintain a z3 or z4 pace for a good amount of time on the training rides and pace yourself on the climbs. They are very gradual climbs, with very little steep parts, just very long, so you should be able to do just fine if you just pace good.

Just put the miles in before you go with as much climbing as possible and I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!

It's a valid question for a training and nutrition forum.

Yep, I forgot this is the "training & nutrition" forum. :)