Hi folks,
I just signed up for this years Harpoon H2H (June 16); a rather ambitious 148 mile ride from Boston to Windsor VT. Can anyone suggest a good four-month training plan? Or, which I imagine is more likely, a general approach to these next 4 months? I anticipate at least two solid months of aggressive stationary trainer time.
I am starting with a good running base, but average cycling base... I record a lot of saddle time but have never really focused on it. I'm shooting for 19mph (2-3mph slower than most of my 50+ mile standalone rides)
Thank you!
P.S. anybody else riding it?
It is a tough, tough ride.
It is a tough, tough ride. Not so much the terrain as it is just a long way to go in one day. I did it last year on a really dry, hot day. The biggest thing you will need is a solid handle on your nutrition plan. Make sure you are locked in when it comes to fluids and calories. Again the terrain is not too bad aside from one monster climb that comes just before the century mark. Most of the riding for the first half are quite side routes (aside from getting out of the city) and the second half are more wide open two lane highway type roads.
I guess the best bit of advice is to just make sure you can sit on that seat for 9 hours. Make sure whatever bike you are riding, whatever shoes and kit you are wearing are comfortable and do not cause you any issues. The longest ride I did going into it was one or two centuries and I was also training for Lake Placid IM so my base was there to be able to handle the duration. Also if you don't have buddies doing it, make some. Get on the website and ask around and get into a group that you will have a good time with. I thought it was going to be a semi-casual ride and once we got out of the city it was a sprint to the kegs so to speak. The setup is great, their are plenty of aid stations but by no means is it a charity ride. Pacelines will go by you doing 22-24 mph up hill and they will not stop to help you if you flat either.
Top ten tips:
1. Know how to change a flat
2. Log alot of saddle time
3. Lock down a solid fueling plan
4. Do it with a group that will stick together
5. Don't ride the first 80 hard
6. Don't linger at the aid stations
7. Make sure your comfortable
8. Have at least 2 to 3 full bottles of H2O with you at all times
9. Prepare for the inevitable bonk
10. DRINK A LOT OF RECOVERY BEERS
Tons of really good info
Tons of really good info over on www.ultracycling.com for what ever long shenanigans you plan.
Killer advice. Thank you! 4
Killer advice. Thank you!
4 months out, what did your daily trainer time look like?
Well B2B def was not my
Well B2B def was not my focus, but my logs from this time last year had me on the bike about 4 to 5 hours a week. Again looking back at my logs I did a Half Iron 2 weeks before and the weekend before did a 9 hour brick workout. However if B2B is a focus ride/race for you I would def build the mileage slowly and not get bogged down with thinking you need to do much more than a 100 or 115 mile training ride before hand. Again the big thing is going to be your tolerance for sitting on that bike for 9 hours. If is not a big focus for you and other races are, then by all means follow a IM type bike/run build and just trust that weekly volume will be helping you to your goal of doing an event that is 8+ hours. This season I am doing a marathon in May but am training for it by doing a full Ironman build. I care about doing well at the marathon but my ultimate goal for the season is crushing Ironman Cozumel in Nov. So to accomplish the bigger goal I need to train like an Ironman athlete year round. If you need some are looking to do some long rides I live on the South Shore and will be logging a ass load of bike miles this spring.