Climbing |
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The two charts above show my recovery score {left) and my daily strain (right) for the week of training. We pulled the plug on Sunday, as the 12"+ of snow came in so that marks the first day off the bike. As you can see, I had a slow trickle down in overall recovery and a little boost after that Sunday off. Here was that 4 days files and what our relative goal of each was:
However, then the sickness started trickling in. I was doing mostly fasted, morning trainer rides just because it was a recovery week, we were snowed in, and I'm a nerd when it comes to metabolic flexibility. Covid hit me on Friday...so now we take a deep dive there:
Respiratory Rate (the number of breaths taken per minute) rose substantially from around ~14 to just sub 18 breaths. That's about 4 more breaths a minute, multiplied x 60 = ~240 more an hour. Definitely an interesting marker, indicating I was both requiring more O2 while omitting more Co2 and potentially not absorbing/accepting O2 like normal. Also, resting heart rate (RHR) tracked equally.
This is my recovery starting the Friday I got ill; Saturday seemed un-phased and then the wheels came off starting Sunday.
All of this is just to provide a little insight and share my experience with it. I'm now on the mend and watching the metrics climb back up. Again, I just utilize the WHOOP to reinforce where I feel I'm at with training and recovery, but in this case it was interesting to follow the indicators instead.
I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database.
I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database.
Since, I have eased back into training with a delicate approach the first handful of days. Essentially a neighborhood spin day 5 or 6 to 3hrs on the 8th day back. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar experience in the comments below!
TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH TRAINING
As the winter training kicks into gear and many of us are finding our stride, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of your relationship with training.
BALANCE: there is often pressure to hone in on a single objective without compromise. It’s important to be flexible and keep variety in your plan to develop a good foundation. Try different routes, terrain, and workouts. Then mix in events, fun group rides, and use cross-training/strength training to keep things dynamic.
SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast.
RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset.
NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST.
SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast.
RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset.
NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST.
PROCESS: embrace the process of developing this season. It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing (or say you should be doing) and lose your own “north star”. Lean into the notion that you’re building yourself up for competition and that it takes time and patience practicing the right things consistently. Highlight your calendar with important events but don’t be afraid to venture out and expand your abilities. Pick races and events that you truly enjoy, plan weekend MTB getaways with friends or family, and keep it fun so that you keep the pilot light lit for a season of training.
RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you.
RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you.
Altering and Accommodating Your Winter Riding Setup Training in the winter can be a bit of a gamble and lead to compromised rides, lost motivation, or unfortunate situations. However, when prepared for, the winter can be an exciting time to get to chase your health and performance goals. The following article is a rundown of key areas that can be changed to make your winter successful.
Clothing Layering
Layers are the trick of winter riding…too many or too thick and you sweat (no bueno) but too thin and you quickly become frozen. The general idea is to have the ability to ventilate or shed them if needed and still have protection. Starting from the outside in, you can ensure a comfortable ride: wind/water resistance, insulation, base layer(s). The same goes for gloves, too thick and you can’t feel the bars or sweat and too thin and you also can’t feel the bars…but because you’re numb!
Pockets and Bags
This is the perfect segway for storage spaces. As you accumulate layers and food and gear and…well you’ll need somewhere to store all that if it comes to it. Bar bags and frame bags can be helpful here, but also clothing that has pockets is huge. I utilize The Black Bibs “cargo” bibs because the thigh pockets are really accessible and they’re one of THE most affordable brands.
Bike Tires
One of the most important alterations to your set up during the winter can be tires. Depending on where you are located, things can be wet, icy, and often covered in rubble. Not only that, you’re probably doing some long rides and that means comfort is more important. This is where higher volume (which = lower pressure), traction, and protection are paramount. I’ve always switched to a tire like the Maxxis ReFuse in 32cc and ride all winter long on them without a single issue.
Fenders
Whether you’re a “hater” or not, fenders work. When it’s often wet or cruddy during the winter, staying dry is a “must” for staying warm. Some fenders can assist in that and take the edge off of what could be a compromised ride by getting wet. They can be EASY to install + use and two brands that I recommend are here: SKS and AssSavers.
Components
This can be the time of year to “down grade” your components or parts that you want to save. For example, you can swap a SRAM XX1 cassette with a GX one for a more durable and element-surviving system.
Nutrition
As the season changes, so should your nutrition plan around training. As my previous article dives into, the base season is a time (for most) where the focus is on aerobic fitness and efficiency on the bike. While it is important to make sure you have the glucose on board for high intensity sessions, you should be reaching for more “real food” or complex energy during the endurance rides. For example, I typically keep things like homemade bars, dates, and bananas in my pockets for LSD (long-slow-distance) rides. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of what’s in your bottles. Although you may feel like you aren’t sweating/losing fluid near as much, you certainly are. Your body is not only trying to keep you warm but is also evaporating into all those layers you have on in addition to breaking down the more complex food you’re eating. I stray from my “rocket fuel”, high calorie drink mixes but still opt for hydration-focused mixes…as water just doesn’t cut it.
Indoor Riding
When in doubt, indoor training can be time efficient, effective, and controllable. Not only that, it can be quite nice to break a good sweat while in the middle of the winter season as you spend weeks bundled up (this is not an objective, science-backed statement… just my subjective one). I’m not one to jump on the trainer if given the choice, but riding inside does offer a very dependable environment for knocking out your training. Now, between smart trainers and online social platforms, indoor training can be quite entertaining as well. Leverage these opportunities to keep your stoke alive and check off important workouts that may be harder to control by going outside. Also, if it’s rough outside, I will sometime either warm up or “warm down” on the rollers; I’m all toasty and can throw on my gear as I head out or thaw out as I come back in.
Quick note: don’t forget about Vitamin D this winter! If you are inside, or more bundled up, it is going to be harder to keep optimal levels of Vit D due to lack of sun exposure. This is a key aspect of health AND performance in athletic folk, especially during this time of heightened immune threat.
Strength
As colors change, temps drop, and many of us transition into the infamous “base" season, it’s easy to feel a bit lost. Fellow athletes, friends, and foes on STRAVA are rolling out the miles and boasting huge days in the saddle while social media pours out content of people "on the grind". Post-season anxiety can build when you feel like you're going back to the drawing board or losing fitness gains from the year, but let’s clear that up: you are NOT. I’m even subject of this myself and find worry creeping in…however diligence, balance, and having a curated approach to training can do wonders for you.
Long, monotonous days on the bike certainly have their place, but there are a few key aspects of training and everything else off-the-bike that are crucial in preparing for the coming season. The first piece of that puzzle? REST. Then, as we make the shift this winter, don't neglect how a basic strength training routine can impact your experience. Let’s explore that.
Strength Training
The benefits of strength training are growing more and more apparent. Whether it be 90min World Cup races or all day gravel expeditions, athletes are steering away from body-typing and the science is reaching the public. We are seeing a push towards time in the gym. Aerobically, everyone can "get fit" fast. However, strength training can dramatically improve overall raw power, repeatability, injury prevention, and (wait for it) even aerobic fitness! Strength training is actually quite variable in and of itself and is also super time efficient. Going into the gym and lifting heavy is actually great, but it’s something that has to be built up to. A lot can be done in your home with simple, basic moves while hallenging your body with dynamic and varying exercises, building core strength, and touching up on your upper body. This full body experience is what enables your body to work properly. Supplementing some dynamic work in like this does loads for activating important muscles throughout your body AND improving imbalances. However, lifting heavy things is where the magic happens for us non-weight-bearing endurance athletes. Guess what? This becomes especially important with aging.
My Go-To
Some key aspects of my strength routine are to include those that are targeting stabilization muscles and/or isolating a body part to prime my body + core work – like including a balance pad and doing single leg activities (these are usually a variation of Split Squats, Pistols, Single Leg Dead Lift, or others). Then, I dial in those traditional workouts like front and/or regular squats and deadlifts mostly. I usually make circuits that include an upper, lower, and core exercise to get solid rest between. Tossing in core exercises in between sets is super easy to do and helps add that little bit of attention to the full core. As far as upper body, it is often neglected by cyclists because they feel they “don’t need the weight”. Mountain bike racing and gravel demands a lot from your upper body…and if you can’t answer that demand then the riding becomes sloppy. This can ruin your recovery throughout the race, leave you trailside picking yourself up, or just wasting energy making up time.
Progression
You want to start LIGHT – and if you’ve never done strength training, then body weight may be all you need. The general plan is to work from sets of ~3 x 15 with light weight to 3-4 x 10-15 with moderate weight to the magic range of 4-6 x <10 reps. This is the power-building phase.
CONTACT ME PLEASE if you would like a bit more info or want to get an idea of a good routine to follow – I'd be happy to help!
*For a bit more on strength in the gym and the science behind it, I highly suggest this podcast by Mark Sisson and Jacques Devore.
player.fm/series/primal-endurance-podcast/126-jacques-devore
As colors change, temps drop, and many of us transition into the infamous “base" season, it’s easy to feel a bit lost. Fellow athletes, friends, and foes on STRAVA are rolling out the miles and boasting huge days in the saddle while social media pours out content of people "on the grind". Post-season anxiety can build when you feel like you're going back to the drawing board or losing fitness gains from the year, but let’s clear that up: you are NOT. I’m even subject of this myself and find worry creeping in…however diligence, balance, and having a curated approach to training can do wonders for you.
Long, monotonous days on the bike certainly have their place, but there are a few key aspects of training and everything else off-the-bike that are crucial in preparing for the coming season. The first piece of that puzzle? REST. Then, as we make the shift this winter, don't neglect how a basic strength training routine can impact your experience. Let’s explore that.
Strength Training
The benefits of strength training are growing more and more apparent. Whether it be 90min World Cup races or all day gravel expeditions, athletes are steering away from body-typing and the science is reaching the public. We are seeing a push towards time in the gym. Aerobically, everyone can "get fit" fast. However, strength training can dramatically improve overall raw power, repeatability, injury prevention, and (wait for it) even aerobic fitness! Strength training is actually quite variable in and of itself and is also super time efficient. Going into the gym and lifting heavy is actually great, but it’s something that has to be built up to. A lot can be done in your home with simple, basic moves while hallenging your body with dynamic and varying exercises, building core strength, and touching up on your upper body. This full body experience is what enables your body to work properly. Supplementing some dynamic work in like this does loads for activating important muscles throughout your body AND improving imbalances. However, lifting heavy things is where the magic happens for us non-weight-bearing endurance athletes. Guess what? This becomes especially important with aging.
My Go-To
Some key aspects of my strength routine are to include those that are targeting stabilization muscles and/or isolating a body part to prime my body + core work – like including a balance pad and doing single leg activities (these are usually a variation of Split Squats, Pistols, Single Leg Dead Lift, or others). Then, I dial in those traditional workouts like front and/or regular squats and deadlifts mostly. I usually make circuits that include an upper, lower, and core exercise to get solid rest between. Tossing in core exercises in between sets is super easy to do and helps add that little bit of attention to the full core. As far as upper body, it is often neglected by cyclists because they feel they “don’t need the weight”. Mountain bike racing and gravel demands a lot from your upper body…and if you can’t answer that demand then the riding becomes sloppy. This can ruin your recovery throughout the race, leave you trailside picking yourself up, or just wasting energy making up time.
Progression
You want to start LIGHT – and if you’ve never done strength training, then body weight may be all you need. The general plan is to work from sets of ~3 x 15 with light weight to 3-4 x 10-15 with moderate weight to the magic range of 4-6 x <10 reps. This is the power-building phase.
CONTACT ME PLEASE if you would like a bit more info or want to get an idea of a good routine to follow – I'd be happy to help!
*For a bit more on strength in the gym and the science behind it, I highly suggest this podcast by Mark Sisson and Jacques Devore.
player.fm/series/primal-endurance-podcast/126-jacques-devore
As the weather turns and the Holiday season ramps up, things can get a bit busier than normal and workouts will be missed. Focus on the Quantity of your Quality. This week’s article is on how to find your rhythm and manage the unpredictability of training during the Holiday season.
Whether it’s office meetings, family gatherings, or travel, it’s easy to get out of rhythm with your training plans. Often we counter these mishaps and obligations with more stress on “making up for it” however possible. This is something I’m all too familiar with and because of that I want to share my insight from both a personal and coaching perspective.
Adaptability
This is the keystone of managing your training plan. We want to stick as closely to our plan and make it work with our conditions, yes, but we don’t want to create stress around deciding not to follow it. This means to be adaptable in the sense of keeping your GOALS for the week in mind while choosing the best way to accomplish them. Is the weather looking down Sunday through Monday? Then maybe you stretch out that ride on Saturday with expectation of being indoor or training in the gym later. You’ve then challenged yourself on the endurance front, took advantage of the good weather, and can enjoy a warm short session inside with family.
Limiters: Time vs. Energy
There are two main limiters to consider when things get busy: time or energy? If you are limited by time, then that is how you have to maneuver training plans. It may be best to condense workouts to be more specific, swap with a strength training or cross-training day, or get into a ride routine that is blocked off. If you are limited by energy, then you have to consider the fact that things main arise throughout your day that drain your energy and thus making consistency in your training harder.
Train Hard, Rest Harder
Training makes you slow. Recovery makes you fast. What? Yes that’s right because training breaks your body down. The recovery periods, days, and modalities are how you rebuild and compensate for that work. There is a time to toughen up and get out the door, but there is also a time to slow down. As training accumulates, it becomes more and more important to pay attention to how you feel and how you are recovering. Additionally, you will have more on your plate and should allow yourself the freedom to take a day off. Your body knows no difference between physical stress (training) and mental stress. Be mindful of your energy levels and when you have to/can go hard then go hard; when you need to go easy, then GO EASY.
Controlling the Controllable(s)
Last but not least, control what you can…don’t fret what you can’t. This one is what I have to remind myself weekly (probably daily). It is so easy to get caught up in what your buddy is doing, what you can’t do, or what’s in the way. Compartmentalize your schedule up into things that are “controllable” and “uncontrollable”. This piggy-backs the ‘Limiters’ section earlier in the article. Family meals, travel time, and weather may be your “uncontrollable” items that are going to happen regardless; plan your training around that. Are you on the trainer most winter nights? Then focus on efficient + structured rides that are “bang for buck”. Are you snowed in a lot and cross training with skiing or something else? That is great – you have the chance to develop your musculoskeletal system in beneficial ways that will help long term development and health. I have learned (largely in part to clinical sports psychologist Kristin Keim) that no matter what, control the controllable(s). That being: focus only on what you can do and put your mental and physical energy into that. Above all, enjoy your process.
Whether it’s office meetings, family gatherings, or travel, it’s easy to get out of rhythm with your training plans. Often we counter these mishaps and obligations with more stress on “making up for it” however possible. This is something I’m all too familiar with and because of that I want to share my insight from both a personal and coaching perspective.
Adaptability
This is the keystone of managing your training plan. We want to stick as closely to our plan and make it work with our conditions, yes, but we don’t want to create stress around deciding not to follow it. This means to be adaptable in the sense of keeping your GOALS for the week in mind while choosing the best way to accomplish them. Is the weather looking down Sunday through Monday? Then maybe you stretch out that ride on Saturday with expectation of being indoor or training in the gym later. You’ve then challenged yourself on the endurance front, took advantage of the good weather, and can enjoy a warm short session inside with family.
Limiters: Time vs. Energy
There are two main limiters to consider when things get busy: time or energy? If you are limited by time, then that is how you have to maneuver training plans. It may be best to condense workouts to be more specific, swap with a strength training or cross-training day, or get into a ride routine that is blocked off. If you are limited by energy, then you have to consider the fact that things main arise throughout your day that drain your energy and thus making consistency in your training harder.
Train Hard, Rest Harder
Training makes you slow. Recovery makes you fast. What? Yes that’s right because training breaks your body down. The recovery periods, days, and modalities are how you rebuild and compensate for that work. There is a time to toughen up and get out the door, but there is also a time to slow down. As training accumulates, it becomes more and more important to pay attention to how you feel and how you are recovering. Additionally, you will have more on your plate and should allow yourself the freedom to take a day off. Your body knows no difference between physical stress (training) and mental stress. Be mindful of your energy levels and when you have to/can go hard then go hard; when you need to go easy, then GO EASY.
Controlling the Controllable(s)
Last but not least, control what you can…don’t fret what you can’t. This one is what I have to remind myself weekly (probably daily). It is so easy to get caught up in what your buddy is doing, what you can’t do, or what’s in the way. Compartmentalize your schedule up into things that are “controllable” and “uncontrollable”. This piggy-backs the ‘Limiters’ section earlier in the article. Family meals, travel time, and weather may be your “uncontrollable” items that are going to happen regardless; plan your training around that. Are you on the trainer most winter nights? Then focus on efficient + structured rides that are “bang for buck”. Are you snowed in a lot and cross training with skiing or something else? That is great – you have the chance to develop your musculoskeletal system in beneficial ways that will help long term development and health. I have learned (largely in part to clinical sports psychologist Kristin Keim) that no matter what, control the controllable(s). That being: focus only on what you can do and put your mental and physical energy into that. Above all, enjoy your process.
You are not alone. Gravel racing has become one of the most popular cycling events in the country because it offers something for everyone. Gravel events have emerged as a way to offer riders of all skill and ability levels the opportunity to race off-road, in a more traffic-free environment without the need for an advanced mountain bike skill set. This idea birthed what is essentially a “mixed surface” version of fun, big road rides and fondo-style events. There are a variety of distances to choose from—15 miles to 100 or more.
What
Gravel races typically touch on two terrains: pavement and gravel. And occasionally some single track. It is normally mass start and fairly casual on the rules, with each race having it’s own variety of gravel roads. Thus, it is unique in that each and every person brings a different setup. They typically have provided feed/sag stations where you can pause and fuel up.
Why
This mixed-surface discipline has attracted the likes of World Tour pros, retirees, first time racers, and cross-discipline athletes. The emphasis on camaraderie, individuality, and the overall experience over the typical fight-for-every-spot attitude has driven people in the gravel direction. It offers flexibility and a chance to accomplish your own goals on any given day.
Where
The gravel side of racing is popping up left right and center across the states. While the Belgian Waffle Ride and Unbound events are the “pinnacle” of gravel, you can find them about anywhere now; everything from one-day events to multi-day stage racing!
What to Expect
Be ready for a wide variety of bikes, athletes, expectations, and levels of seriousness…
Categories
Most offer broad categories, everything from “open men” to age-specific categories can be found. Some have pro fields and some don’t, but generally they all start together – and that is rad.
Pace
Intentions are made clear pretty quickly – pros going for the big prize will typically set off to break the group up and thin things out. After that, you can assess your goals and expectations and find a pace. Most of the time, these events split up into many chunks. Be mindful of the route and demands to come, these are usually long days where rationing energy pays off.
Strategy
Again, this is up to the discretion of the athlete. Strategy will depend if you are there to “compete” or “complete”. Find your groove or group and be intentional about your plan for the day.
Courses
Every course varies. For example, BWR has a 130mi version in Utah with less than 8k vertical feet. Meanwhile the North Carolina edition is sub 100mi and 11,000 vertical feet. Not only that, the surfaces are WILDY different. You may be on hardpack dirt that you can run a road bike on while the next event has eroded and chunky roads you’ll be wishing for suspension.
Similarities and differences
The effort in a gravel race is most similar to a Gran Fondo event. Longer mileage than MTB races, more technical than road races, and an overall emphasis on durability. This is a perfect segway for how to come prepared…
What
Gravel races typically touch on two terrains: pavement and gravel. And occasionally some single track. It is normally mass start and fairly casual on the rules, with each race having it’s own variety of gravel roads. Thus, it is unique in that each and every person brings a different setup. They typically have provided feed/sag stations where you can pause and fuel up.
Why
This mixed-surface discipline has attracted the likes of World Tour pros, retirees, first time racers, and cross-discipline athletes. The emphasis on camaraderie, individuality, and the overall experience over the typical fight-for-every-spot attitude has driven people in the gravel direction. It offers flexibility and a chance to accomplish your own goals on any given day.
Where
The gravel side of racing is popping up left right and center across the states. While the Belgian Waffle Ride and Unbound events are the “pinnacle” of gravel, you can find them about anywhere now; everything from one-day events to multi-day stage racing!
What to Expect
Be ready for a wide variety of bikes, athletes, expectations, and levels of seriousness…
Categories
Most offer broad categories, everything from “open men” to age-specific categories can be found. Some have pro fields and some don’t, but generally they all start together – and that is rad.
Pace
Intentions are made clear pretty quickly – pros going for the big prize will typically set off to break the group up and thin things out. After that, you can assess your goals and expectations and find a pace. Most of the time, these events split up into many chunks. Be mindful of the route and demands to come, these are usually long days where rationing energy pays off.
Strategy
Again, this is up to the discretion of the athlete. Strategy will depend if you are there to “compete” or “complete”. Find your groove or group and be intentional about your plan for the day.
Courses
Every course varies. For example, BWR has a 130mi version in Utah with less than 8k vertical feet. Meanwhile the North Carolina edition is sub 100mi and 11,000 vertical feet. Not only that, the surfaces are WILDY different. You may be on hardpack dirt that you can run a road bike on while the next event has eroded and chunky roads you’ll be wishing for suspension.
Similarities and differences
The effort in a gravel race is most similar to a Gran Fondo event. Longer mileage than MTB races, more technical than road races, and an overall emphasis on durability. This is a perfect segway for how to come prepared…
Training
How to prepare for the variety of gravel…
Foundation
Most gravel races will have definitive features that separate the groups and/or allow the “cream to rise to the top”; ie significant climbs. However, some can be rolling and accumulate elevation over time. While those are very different, the demands are similar from a physiological perspective. You need a broad base of aerobic fitness with which to rely on. This “foundation” is crucial to one’s ability to handle the fatigue over time. Regardless if your race has three large climbs or 100 short ones, being able to spend more time in an aerobic (oxygen/mostly fat utilizing) state saves muscle glycogen.
Match Demands
With that being said, study your big goal’s demands and try to match or simulate those in training. If you are targeting Steamboat, for example, then you know it has two massive climbs. Spend time developing and extending your ability to ride at a higher aerobic pace (ie. Sweet Spot and Threshold work). Try pushing those 3 x 10s into 3 x 15, 2 x 20, 3 x 15, etc. If you are comfortable in that realm, and your event has more punchy features, dedicate some time to repeatability and/or intensity…so push that power up vs making it longer.
Skills
Gravel can be technical, despite what some may say. It is a loose, moving surface. So take time to get comfortable on your equipment riding on similar surfaces and (specifically) practice with your weight placement for cornering more effectively.
Equipment
Most courses I have experience with (or have seen) are conducive to a bit bigger tires than most expect. You may be able to get by with 32cc for example, but something in the range of 36-44cc is ideal. The bigger tire allows for lower pressure, suppleness, and comfort.
Nutrition
Fortunately, most of these events provide their own feed/sag stops for free food, refills, etc. Study the map and know where these are on the route, you can often carry less due to the amount of feeds. However, if you are specific with your fuel type, you may also be able to send things to these stops. Be prepared though, the weight of a hydration pack or extra bottle is negligible compared to bonking, running out of fluids, and suffering poor performance from that.
These long races are often an eating contest, staying on top of fueling “early and often” pays dividends. As a rule of thumb, you want to keep anywhere from 40-90g of carbs coming on board per hour. Most elite athletes may be able to handle that upper end, due to training the gut, but the goal is to stave off your body from pulling out its muscle glycogen reserves. Practice: there isn’t much else to say here, if you don’t practice it, you won’t know if you can handle it. Develop an adequate and individualized plan to help your fuel your race. Most people need to spend time working on carbohydrate and fluid intake to know what they can handle…you have to train the gut, too!
How to prepare for the variety of gravel…
Foundation
Most gravel races will have definitive features that separate the groups and/or allow the “cream to rise to the top”; ie significant climbs. However, some can be rolling and accumulate elevation over time. While those are very different, the demands are similar from a physiological perspective. You need a broad base of aerobic fitness with which to rely on. This “foundation” is crucial to one’s ability to handle the fatigue over time. Regardless if your race has three large climbs or 100 short ones, being able to spend more time in an aerobic (oxygen/mostly fat utilizing) state saves muscle glycogen.
Match Demands
With that being said, study your big goal’s demands and try to match or simulate those in training. If you are targeting Steamboat, for example, then you know it has two massive climbs. Spend time developing and extending your ability to ride at a higher aerobic pace (ie. Sweet Spot and Threshold work). Try pushing those 3 x 10s into 3 x 15, 2 x 20, 3 x 15, etc. If you are comfortable in that realm, and your event has more punchy features, dedicate some time to repeatability and/or intensity…so push that power up vs making it longer.
Skills
Gravel can be technical, despite what some may say. It is a loose, moving surface. So take time to get comfortable on your equipment riding on similar surfaces and (specifically) practice with your weight placement for cornering more effectively.
Equipment
Most courses I have experience with (or have seen) are conducive to a bit bigger tires than most expect. You may be able to get by with 32cc for example, but something in the range of 36-44cc is ideal. The bigger tire allows for lower pressure, suppleness, and comfort.
Nutrition
Fortunately, most of these events provide their own feed/sag stops for free food, refills, etc. Study the map and know where these are on the route, you can often carry less due to the amount of feeds. However, if you are specific with your fuel type, you may also be able to send things to these stops. Be prepared though, the weight of a hydration pack or extra bottle is negligible compared to bonking, running out of fluids, and suffering poor performance from that.
These long races are often an eating contest, staying on top of fueling “early and often” pays dividends. As a rule of thumb, you want to keep anywhere from 40-90g of carbs coming on board per hour. Most elite athletes may be able to handle that upper end, due to training the gut, but the goal is to stave off your body from pulling out its muscle glycogen reserves. Practice: there isn’t much else to say here, if you don’t practice it, you won’t know if you can handle it. Develop an adequate and individualized plan to help your fuel your race. Most people need to spend time working on carbohydrate and fluid intake to know what they can handle…you have to train the gut, too!
Final Notes
The gravel scene is expanding rapidly and the events pose an opportunity to try something new, test your fitness, and have one fun day on the bike around friends. They can often be fun on a whim, but if you want to come prepared and feeling like you are equipped with the fitness and mentality to handle them, having a coach or specific training plan can make all the difference. Having oversight on the day-to-day optimizes your time and energy to come to that start line ready.
The gravel scene is expanding rapidly and the events pose an opportunity to try something new, test your fitness, and have one fun day on the bike around friends. They can often be fun on a whim, but if you want to come prepared and feeling like you are equipped with the fitness and mentality to handle them, having a coach or specific training plan can make all the difference. Having oversight on the day-to-day optimizes your time and energy to come to that start line ready.
Nutrition around training can seem like a daunting, complex issue. However, there are a few simple rules you can follow to clean it up and that will allow you to develop positive habits.
- Fuel the Work: meet the demand at hand with the proper fuel. Don’t skimp on your meals around big training days. Be pre-fueled, keep the energy coming in, and prioritize the recovery window to maximize adaptation over time. Then, adjust the staple meals throughout your day to accommodate your goals.
- Flexibility: for intense days/intervals/races, the energy demands will be largely CHO and thus the fueling should be. In addition, keeping it simple on these days is helpful for utilization. On the other hand, I balance the longer, endurance days with more “real food” that are a bit more complex and sustaining and having the ability to function without simple sugar dumps is crucial to longterm development.
- Hydrate or diedrate: training in the blistering summer heat day in and day out will wear a body down. Try to pre-load If you can, by having an electrolyte mix or tabs on hand before your training; this can reduce the impact the heat plays on you as training starts. Keep the fluids coming in during training/racing AND make sure to keep electrolytes coming in post training. It’s easy to just drink water, but only having water may did you into a hole.
- Practice your Plan: don’t just hop into events ripping tabs off of untested products. Try these things out in your training days and see what, how much, and when they work.
The reason we call it cornering and not "turning" is because the act is more comprehensive than just turning the handlebars. It's weight placement, line choice, angle, speed, and balance all mixed together. The best way to conquer corners is by using your hips to "open up" to them. The analogy I like to implement with the athletes I work with is thinking of having little spotlights on your hips. Imagine they have to point into the trail to light the way. When you approach a corner, open up the inside knee towards the turn and allow your hips to point/shift to it. This gets everything lined up while you use bike-body separation to displace the weight! Boom!
As spring approaches, so does the beginning of most peoples' race season! Simultaneously, workouts tend to –or at least should– begin to become more specific and intense in nature. This is the perfect time to do some "spring cleaning". What I mean by that is dialing in the energy systems, effort, and requirements specific to your events. Here's what that might look like for the various facets with which we train:
- OTB (on the bike): begin to include one to two days of intervals in your week that tax your body's ability to ride at its maximum sustainable power (often called VO2/CP/Climbing Repeat/etc.). Shift some days from aerobic endurance miles to race-specific ones. In other words, short intervals that are really tough but repeatable: the ones that help you "deal with the burn". Ex.: 3-6 x 3-5min effort @98-100% effort.
- Strength: shift workouts in the gym/at home to more explosive, power-oriented moves. Instead of slow and heavy lifts, we want to focus more on the ability to move faster. Some examples of this may be box jumps, weighted squat jumps, and/or plyometric-style movements.
- Fueling: you might have been able to get away with a lack-luster nutrition plan while pedaling around accumulating miles through the winter, but once you start adding interval training and/or races it will be quickly exposed! The commonality among scientific research on this subject states that around 60g of carbohydrates an hour is the upper limit of what most people can tolerate...and it is beneficial the closer to that you can get. Start practicing your nutrition habits pre, during, and post training to dial in what works for you AND to train your gut (so that come race day you don't have GI problems trying to shove gels down your throat). Especially after hard workouts, aim to get a 3:1 carb:pro ratio food in some form as soon as you can.
- Skills: don't forget them! I like to create a circuit for mountain bike workout days so that while I'm resting between intervals I have to really focus on descending technique. Come race day, you'll be noodle-armed and cross-eyed and won't want to forget those skill cues.
Author
Carson Beckett, 22 // UCI MTB Racer // Coach // // Student // Outdoor Enthusiast
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