The heart rate based training program is definitely
the core of the entire plan. But that alone will not be enough
for success. There are many other factors that need to be
included in the overall training plan. The race conditions,
duration, distances and physical stresses need to be trained
for, practiced and simulated to assist both your mind and body
to be successful.
The two most daunting aspects of a multiday stage race is
the distance that needs to be covered everyday and the fact
that it needs to be done repeatedly on consecutive days. The
longer the distances and the more days there are the greater
the challenge. Following a suitable training program will
without a doubt build the fitness for this challenge. However
it is most often the mind that needs the most training to
overcome these two obstacles. Everyone starts out not really
believing that it is possible to complete such a challenging
event. This is why it is important to complement a training
program by including some additional training elements. The
overall training plan should prepare you mentally and
condition your body to deal with the long distances and
repetitive days. It is not really practical, possible or even
necessary to simulate the entire event, but simulating some
key elements of it will go a long way to building confidence.
Go the distance
The best way and the only way to prove something and to
believe, is to see it for yourself. You need to believe and
even better know that you can go the distance. So what you
need to do is find and design the
hardest ride that you can
think of by trying to simulate the hardest day that you expect
to encounter at the event. Maybe just make it that little bit
harder or longer.
I will never forget the very first time that we did this
big ride. When we did our
first Epic 2005 one of the
challenges was how would we be prepared for Day 2 144km 2700m
of ascent. We had to know what we would feel like after riding
this distance and we wanted to know that we could do it. So we
put together the toughest day that we could think of. It was
160km and 2110m of ascent. We really did not know what to
expect and were quite prepared not to make it back. So we had
a backup in place, just a phone call away. We set out first
thing in the morning and made good progress and felt good at
our turning point where we started to head back. With about
90km done we started the tar climb up Hekpoort. And it was the
middle of the day. It was slow hot and we were getting tired,
but we made it up. It was however the last 20km of flats that
seemed never ending. We had started to feel pains that we had
never felt before, both my feet felt like they were on fire
and I was completely drained. We never gave up and made it
back in under 8 hours eventually, we were shattered! Poor
Albert still had to drive home, I just lay around for a few
hours and eventually started to feel human again after about 2
hours. We did this ride another two times before the event. On
the third time we finished it 30 min faster than the first
time, there was a noticeable improvement and our heart rates
were lower and we felt much better and recovered more quickly.
So I went into the 2005 event knowing that there is no day
that I cannot finish. Mentally I had been there and physically
I knew what it would feel like. So when I felt it I knew what
it was, why I was feeling it and how I would deal with it. I
had gone the distance before.
Doing it over and over
Riding day in and day out is also a daunting prospect if
you have never done it before. Knowing how you feel after a
one day event and how long it takes you to recover, makes the
prospect of riding the very next day seem almost impossible.
Once again simulation and practice to prepare your mind and
body for the continuous riding is critical.
I had always done one day races, with one of the rewards
being that after the race I could just rest for a few days.
Especially the next day when you could sleep in and take it
easy. But with multi day events you have to get up and do it
all again. So I started to ride the very next day after any
race event that I did. The biggest challenge was the mental
one, to get up the next morning with a sore body and tired
legs and go for a ride. However once I had done it a few times
I started to realise that it was actually fine, yes there were
pains but somehow you just get on with the job of pedalling
and once you are warmed up it starts to feel fine.
The next challenge was to go the distance for several days
in a row and that is where training camps come in. We put
together our first training camp by ourselves, over a long
weekend in December we planned 4 days of riding. Again we
tried to put together the toughest days that we could and so
we included our Big Ride as one of the days. The experience of
having ridden the day before and then the day after the Big
Ride and surviving, made me start to believe that maybe this 8
day event was actually within reach.
We also attended one of Spinmans training camps in
Dullstroom. Here we got the chance to do some good climbing
training and to meet some of the other riders to compare
notes. It was a valuable experience, as we could measure our
progress against some of the other riders. This experience
again built some more confidence and we started to feel
comfortable that we were going to make the 800+ Km of riding
for our first Cape Epic.
Every year since then we have been hosting our own
training camps.
Climb like a mountain goat
Mountain biking really is all about climbing and descending
and even more so when you are doing a stage race like the Cape
Epic where there are big mountain ranges to cross. Spending an
hour or two or three on a mountain pedalling and/or walking to
get to the top is not uncommon. The climbing on a typical Cape
Epic day is often double that of an average one day marathon
race. These long climbs take their toll on your legs and they
mean more time in the saddle.
The ability to climb comfortably and consistently is a real
benefit in completing the tough long days. The secret is to be
able to get over the climbs without spending too much time
above 80% of max heart rate. If you are able to do this then
you will find yourself having enough energy left over to
complete the days comfortably and not suffer from cramping and
very sore and stiff legs. This should be practiced in training
by adjusting your climbing speed so that you climb at a
comfortable and controlled heart rate. It takes discipline and
patience to climb like this and you need to resist the
temptation to try to get over fast with lots of power. As you
continue to practice this technique you will find it becomes
easier as your fitness increases.
Every year as we prepare for the Cape Epic we apply these
training guidelines. In addition to our
heart rate training
program we do some really Big Rides, we attend training camps
and we make a point of doing long tough climbs. It is a recipe
that proves itself time and time again.
If you have specific questions or comments then
contact us, or discuss and
share your experiences and advice for others to see at the
Epic Guide Discussion.
