I'm considering doing a time trial in May of 2008. The event is called the Wintergreen Ascent and it basically climbs from a valley floor to the top of a mountain at a ski resort. The average grade is something like 8 percent, but there are a number of tough 15 percent (and maybe steeper sections). There are no flat spots. There is no downhill.

I'm not sure of the total distance, but the best riders get it done in a little more than 30 minutes. There are certainly those who take an hour or even more.

I know I can help myself by losing some weight, and I know the adage "head for the hills" makes sense in a general way. And, of course, building lower back and core strength is a given. But does anyone have advice on creating an honest-to-goodness, day-by-day or week-by-week training plan?

Thanks for your thoughts.

what's the event distance?

What's your current training load?

Do you work full-time?

Is that in Virginia? I think I looked into that before.