100 mile training - how structured?

Rumblefish29er · Jan 2, 2017

I've done a handful of 100k rides with fairly informal training, usually a mix of commuting, a weekend trail ride, and maybe 1 weekday trail ride. Survived them, and placed ok in the novice category. Finish times in the 7 hour range.

I'd like to step up to 100 milers. The problem is I am just not very good at sticking to formal structured workouts, and I've got other obligations and hobbies that compete for time.

I can build up to a lot of weekday volume using commuting. I have a 35 minute way to work as well as a longer 1:30 route. So I can vary that from 70 minutes all the way up to 3 hours per day.

Weekends are a little harder. Most of the time I can sneak out for a 3-5 hour ride on 1 day. I can do a couple longer ones but those require some domestic "politics".

How much total weekly volume in hours should i build up to at a minimum? What would be the minimum length for a training ride to do prior to the event?

My goal is to complete the 100 miler without having to sit on a donut the following week...

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BruceBrown · Jan 3, 2017

Rumblefish29er said:
I've done a handful of 100k rides with fairly informal training, usually a mix of commuting, a weekend trail ride, and maybe 1 weekday trail ride. Survived them, and placed ok in the novice category. Finish times in the 7 hour range.

I'd like to step up to 100 milers. The problem is I am just not very good at sticking to formal structured workouts, and I've got other obligations and hobbies that compete for time.

I can build up to a lot of weekday volume using commuting. I have a 35 minute way to work as well as a longer 1:30 route. So I can vary that from 70 minutes all the way up to 3 hours per day.

Weekends are a little harder. Most of the time I can sneak out for a 3-5 hour ride on 1 day. I can do a couple longer ones but those require some domestic "politics".

How much total weekly volume in hours should i build up to at a minimum? What would be the minimum length for a training ride to do prior to the event?

My goal is to complete the 100 miler without having to sit on a donut the following week...

You can get an idea of what is involved by reading the description of some of the 100 Mile Endurance MTB Training Plans from LWCoaching.com HERE.

From the 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race Finisher Mountain Bike Training Plan's description:

The keystone of this plan is the long endurance ride on the weekend. This ride starts at four hours in week one and gradually builds up in week nine to eight hours. Every long ride in the schedule has tasks to complete to progressively test and perfect your pacing and fueling plan. Calorie, electrolyte and hydration guidelines are included as are the other tactical elements required to successfully complete an off-road century.

Looks like in addition to getting structure in your training, you'll need to work on the détente with regard to the domestic politics.

kosmo · Jan 3, 2017

There is a huge variety of effective approaches to this topic. That said, here's my personal, first hand experience of what I think are key points:

1. You need to get in one long training ride a week. Three weeks and two weeks before a target event, it's good to double up.

2. As you get closer to the race, at least three of these long rides need to be around 2/3 as long as you predict your finishing time to be. Personally, I've never done a real training-paced ride that is longer than seven hours (and usually six).

3. Perhaps the most under-discussed aspect of endurance racing is that I think it is important to structure your training in a course-specific manner. No reason to emphasize one hour climbs if the longest climb on the course is ten minutes.

4. The amount of physical AND mental fatigue you carry into a 100 mile race is critical. Don't overdo things in the week preceding the race. As my mentor counseled me, at that point, "there isn't enough time to gain much, but plenty of time to lose".

5. I'm sure data such as power, Strava, heart rate, etc. can help, but it isn't essential, especially since you've got a huge history of racing. You know how hard you're going, right? You know when you're hovering on the edge of your all-day sustainable pace, right? I prefer this RPE approach. It really helps me avoid mental burnout.

You're going to get a lot of good input from this forum.

See you out there!

sdcadbiker · Jan 3, 2017

If you can get 2 hours per day on your commute, do that as often as possible (three/four times per week?) and try to structure your route to include "intervals" (30-seconds to ten minutes of sustained effort); Strava is useful for that becasue othr people may have created sections on your commute route that you can use for this purpose. If you can get 8 hours per week doing this then you're well on your way. Personally I never train on my MTB for more than three hours at a time, although I'm likely in a minority here; I ride 100 miles on the road pretty much every Saturday, starting early so I can be home before lunch and keep she-who-must-be-obeyed happy. I'm in the same position as you regarding commute routes so, combined with my Saturday century, that's 14 hours or so; I ride MTB with buddies on Sundays but that's just for fun and "extra credit".

JoePAz · Jan 3, 2017

How many hours is your 100 miler? I ask because my first 100 mile mtb ride was a 14.5hr ride. Next year the same "ride" was 11:20 min. The route was changed there were 3 miles longer, but easier. Prep for the first 100 mile 14hr ride was a series of 6-8 hr rides before. Frankly I had no idea how long the 100 would take, but I assumed "all day". The second I expected longer than it took. These were not run at "race pace", but at a more casual pace. Even so 100 miles is still 100 miles, but not all miles are the same. I have completed 40 mile rides that have taken 8hrs as well. What wears you down is a combination of miles and time.

Rumblefish29er · Jan 4, 2017

Good info everyone. Thanks.

Most likely I will shoot for the Shenandoah 100, so there is plenty of time to get in a long weekend ride routine. Smaller chance I go for the High Cascades 100 since my brother may be doing that.

So the semi-structured plan:

Start with 2-3 hour weekend rides, build to 7-8 hour rides by mid-summer.

Total weekly volumes will start at 5 hours (including the long one) and build to 12-14ish, using mostly commuting w/intervals make up the balance.

Inevitably weather and schedules will get in the way, so I'll make up time as needed running and on the rower.

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sdcadbiker · Jan 4, 2017

Rumblefish29er said:
Good info everyone. Thanks.

Most likely I will shoot for the Shenandoah 100, so there is plenty of time to get in a long weekend ride routine. Smaller chance I go for the High Cascades 100 since my brother may be doing that.

So the semi-structured plan:

Start with 2-3 hour weekend rides, build to 7-8 hour rides by mid-summer.

Total weekly volumes will start at 5 hours (including the long one) and build to 12-14ish, using mostly commuting w/intervals make up the balance.

Inevitably weather and schedules will get in the way, so I'll make up time as needed running and on the rower.

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Sounds like a plan! Good luck.

Timon · Jan 4, 2017

I'm of the belief that you need little to no structure.

The most important thing is simply riding A LOT. Structure brings "i need to do this today....i need to go this hard for this long....i need to save myself for x/y/z tomorrow....oh no i was sick and only did 2hrs this week, how am i ever going to make up for it and get back on track" which can just add stress and take the fun out of it. It works for some people who may have that mindset and need that spreadsheet or whatever to hold them accountable, but definitely not for me.

Make it simple, imho. Ride long on weekends, commute and/or ride shorter on weekdays. If you ride short, ride hard and push yourself to create adaptation. Go after some strava KOMs or whatever drives you. If you ride long, ride it at a reasonably hard endurance pace....which should be taxing and you should be nice and numb at the end, but still able to recover in a few days. I also think it's important not to stop much on the longer rides. It's easy when you set out for a long one (especially with friends) to stop every 10 miles for a snack, take in the view, stop for 20min halfway through for lunch...etc. I don't think your long rides need to mimic race conditions precisely, but you need to teach your body what it's like to be in the saddle for 8, 10, 12 hours without stopping. Stop time in endurance races is HUGE.

Long training rides I think ~75 miles while carrying gear/water. Using pit stops (briefly!) and only taking the bare essentials on race day is worth something, and you get some decent adrenaline from the last 10 miles or so.

Rumblefish29er · Jan 4, 2017

For the weekday rides, what are your thoughts on shorter interval/hill workouts versus volume?

For the earlier months, I think easier volume is king, but I am thinking that as the weekend rides start to get longer, shorter interval workouts during the week might be a good way to mix it up. Or no, volume is still king?

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Fleas · Jan 4, 2017

nomit said:
...If you ride short, ride hard and push yourself to create adaptation. ....

^^^Yes!

Rumblefish29er said:
For the weekday rides, what are your thoughts on shorter interval/hill workouts versus volume?

For the earlier months, I think easier volume is king, but I am thinking that as the weekend rides start to get longer, shorter interval workouts during the week might be a good way to mix it up. Or no, volume is still king?

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Sorry if I'm butting in...
For me, "real" intervals are about race pace hammering. That doesn't seem to be the priority for a 100 miler. I'm sure it will help your climbs and recoveries, though. On a commute, I would do constant pressure pedaling (maybe even big gear mashing at lower cadence) on the way there, and intervals or climbs on the way home when you have maybe more flexibility on your arrival time and route.

I like the informal approach myself, AND I like variety. You'd never catch me doing hill repeats. I'd just be riding to the next hill. I would plan my route to include climbs, and when I rode in traffic I was pretty much racing: drafting, passing, beating the traffic lights.

On the long rides, I would focus more on cadence, steady output, and efficiency.

-F

mackdhagen · Jan 4, 2017

I've done Shenandoah 3 or 4 times and and did high cascades (when it was called the crusty) years ago and every time just use my race fitness leading up to it. I average about 10-14 hours a week and similar to you i really only have the opportunity for 1 3-4 hour ride on the weekend and/or race (crits, road or MTB XC) plus a smaller 1-2 hour the next day. Everything else was just mid week races, commuting and occasionally a 1 hour training ride mid-week. I did try and do a big 4-6 hour MTB ride that month leading into it but did not do it every time.

I would make sure you bike fit is dialed (especially saddle) and as others have mentioned the month before start testing out your race day bike set up, nutritional needs etc.
For all the 100 milers i make a little handle bar cheat sheet with eleivation profile, distance between AS's and other features. Just split that SM100 into 6 sections and it'll go fast.

JoePAz · Jan 4, 2017

nomit said:
I'm of the belief that you need little to no structure.
...oh no i was sick and only did 2hrs this week, how am i ever going to make up for it and get back on track" which can just add stress and take the fun out of it. ...

but you need to teach your body what it's like to be in the saddle for 8, 10, 12 hours without stopping. Stop time in endurance races is HUGE.

I agree with much of this. Riding is fun and structure can take the fun out of it. For me it does. So I don't structure, but I do ride with some idea of what I have in mind. I have a 100 miler coming in 2 weeks, then 4 weeks after a 24 hr race - 4 person team so it flat out then I have to get back into endurance mode for 300 mile bikepack rack in april. I do need to adjust my riding to best prep for the efforts, but not really months out. I have few "training" rides planned, but that is about it.

Do however learn what your body will do on long rides. For me I have learned that for really long day rides I am at my best when I ride for 2hrs or so and then stop for 2-4 minutes to eat and then move on. If I don't stop to rest the muscle feel it and I slow down. If I stop too long I get cool down and I feel it and have trouble getting rolling again. The effort/fueling/resting is a big thing to learn and everyone is different. I have not mastered this for my 3-4 day 300 mile race yet, but I am working on it.

mackdhagen · Jan 4, 2017

JoePAz said:
I agree with much of this. Riding is fun and structure can take the fun out of it.

Very true! Only the top 2-3% of racers are really gunning for, and have a shot at a top spot and maybe only 1-5 people are going after NUE points.. As competitive as i am in XCO, road and CX, for 100'ers i just like to survive in comfort, enjoy the ride and day and have fun. Training is part of that though. Going into a 100 miler very under trained or not prepared suuuucccckks. Being half way trained and pacing yourself, and ensuring that you don't have bad saddle sores or bike fit issues, lets you enjoy the race.
SM100 is so epic, with quality ST you gotta soak it in and enjoy the ride.

solo-x · Jan 4, 2017

I'm another in the camp of "not much structure required". I also don't feel that huge volume is necessary. I do think there is value in the occasional long ride, but 4-6hrs is the upper limit of what I'd do during training. You'll avoid requiring lengthy recovery using this approach but still get to learn how your fit works over long hours in the saddle and nail down your pacing, fueling and hydration.

If you do end up going with lower volume, you have to make up for it with intensity. That's not a good combination when doing a 4-6hr ride on Sunday and trying to get a ride in on Mon and Tuesday as well. Likewise, a proper HIIT session the day before a 6hr ride is a poor idea as well. I would look for a minimum of 2 days of rest between HIIT sessions and/or HIIT and LSD sessions.

Good tip on the cheat sheet. I find that little things like that are great distractions for me as I can keep my brain busy calculating my segment splits and various averages.

JBarn · Jan 5, 2017

Great advice here. Thanks! Getting ready for my first 100 mile at Mohican.

Based back in the days when I did running ultras ( including the Mohican 100), the long run/ride on the weekend is esential.

Most of my ride time is comuting also.... time to get out for the early rides on Saturday to get back at a decent time to keep the Mrs Happy

DualRollers · Jan 5, 2017

I did a 55 mile race last season with basically no riding for a little over a month leading up to the race, due to local trails being shut down from rain. I can't say I had a ton of endurance built up before the rain hit either.

My point being: you can get super in depth with your training, but what are you trying to achieve? Do you want to finish Top 5, or do you want to be able to tell yourself "I finished a 100 mile race and it was awesome". If you just want to finish and push yourself a bit, it's my opinion that you just need work up to doing long rides that you enjoy. I have days where I am not even training for anything, but I enjoy loading up my pack and setting out for a 50+ mile ride just for the hell of it. I feel that those rides help me more than anything when it comes to racing. I am not focusing on anything but being on my bike, learning my pacing, feeling out how much food I need to be eating, etc without the pressures of "my training regimen says I need to get X miles in X amount of time today".

leeboh · Jan 5, 2017

Mixing in some longer road rides?

mark_b · Jan 6, 2017

Ive done the high cascades 100 in 2015 and 2016 great event, course, organising and Bend is a cool town. My training is typically. Road based 150-200 mile max per week with a 100. Mile single ride each weekend from April onwards with one 500 mile week during Easter when I going riding in Mallorca. The above puts me in 10hr finish time for high cascades top 3rd of the 40. Semi old man category. I then flew up to do Singletrack 6 stage race great event also

Go for it

100 mile training - how structured?

Rumblefish29er

BruceBrown

kosmo

sdcadbiker

JoePAz

Rumblefish29er

sdcadbiker

Timon

Rumblefish29er

Fleas

mackdhagen

JoePAz

mackdhagen

solo-x

JBarn

DualRollers

leeboh

mark_b

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