I just started training for an offroad mountain bike race. It is 63 miles with 11k feet of climbing. My goal is to, well, just finish before the 12.5 the cutoff time. Ideally, I think a 9-10 hour finish is reasonable, so I'm training to ramp up to 66% of that duration.

I started specifically training for this last week. I have 9 weeks to prepare for this.

I've adapted an 8wk century plan for my purposes. I don't know my lactate threshold, so I am basing intensity off of theoretical Max HR.

Key:
LD- Long Day (75% MHR sustained)
HD- Hill Interval Day (intervals at 87% MHR, resting until 65% MHR, repeating until specified duration)
FD- Fast Day (at 75% MHR except for during the noted increased threshold)
RD- Recovery Day (1 hr @ <60 % MHR)

Every week consists of LD, HD, FD, two RD, and 2 days of complete rest.


Week 1 FD: 1:00 w/ :20 @ 80% MHR
LD: 1:30 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:00 @ 87% MHR for 60s intervals

Week 2 FD: 1:00 w/ :30 @ 80% MHR
LD: 2:15 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:00 @ 87% MHR for 75s intervals

Week 3 FD: 1:10 w/ :40 @ 80%MHR
LD: 2:45 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:00 @ 87% MHR for 90s intervals

Week 4 FD: 1:10 w/ :50 @ 80% MHR
LD: 3:15 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:15 @ 87% MHR for 60s intervals

Week 5 FD: 1:15 w/ 1:00 @ 80% MHR
LD: 3:45 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:15 @ 85% MHR for 75s intervals

Week 6 FD: 1:20 with 1:10 @ 80% MHR
LD: 4:30 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:15 @ 87% MHR for 90s interval

Week 7 FD: 1:30 w/ 1:15 @ 80% MHR
LD: 5:15 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:30 @ 87% MHR for 75s interval

Week 8 FD: 1:30 w/ \1:15 @ 83% MHR
LD: 6:00 at 75% MHR
HD: 1:15 @ 87% MHR for 90s interval

Week 9
Mon Rest day
Tues LD: 6:30 at moderate effort (75% of max heart rate)
Wed FD: 1:30 with 5 x 45" @ 85%
Thursday 1:00 @ 65%
Friday Rest day
Sat 1:00 @ 65%
Sun Race!

I have some specific questions, though I'm open to all criticism/suggestions of this plan:

* I kind of made the Fast Day criteria up on my own, so I'm looking for some suggestions there or something to replace that. Should I replace that with a Threshold Interval? Maybe something like 7 x 4' intervals @ 85% MHR with 4' rest, and ramp up from 1:00 to 1:30 total duration over the course of the 8 weeks?

* Does the Week 9 ramp down look good?

* Roughly what should my HR be during race day? ~70%?