Training for ENDURANCE events

I have told a couple people I would put together some tips on training for endurance off road events. Skyway Epic isn’t too far away but this information could probably be applied to any number of long distance gravel or mountain bike races.

I will break this down in bullet point format to make it easier to read and also be pretty general with advice. It is more important to understand the principles at play here than just follow a pre done plan. Success in bike racing is rarely an accident so get to work...just don’t forget to have fun with it.

• Track your nutrition. Write down how many calories, ounces fluid, and electrolytes you had per hour. Include what you ate pre ride AND during the ride. Document what worked and what didn’t. Try a variety of food or food type products. This is probably the biggest failure point for riders in long distance events.

• Terrain specificity is important. Do your long rides on similar terrain to your goal race. This includes surface type and elevation. Figure out how many feet of climbing there are per mile and get close to that. Get at least one ride a week off road, preferably two. Road or trainer is fine for intervals and what not. 

• Try to make about 80% of your training time easy/Endurance pace over a week. Use the other 20% for either Tempo, Threshold, or VO2 Max intervals. Or a hard group ride. As far as what type of intervals to do, change it up every 6-8 weeks. Move from the LEAST specific intensity to the MOST specific intensity as race time approaches. 

• Typically your long ride will be at a Zone 2 / Endurance pace but try to get one at race specific intensity every few weeks. For a race that will last 6 hours, try to build your long ride to 3.5-4 hours. For races of 9-12 hours, try to build to a 6 our long ride. Back to back 3-4 hour long rides can be very effective also. 

• Do some basic strength and mobility work 2 days a week. Squats, lunges, pushups...simple. 

• Are you an awful bike handler? Do you lose time on downhills? Do you crash and get badly hurt every year? Get a hold of Lon Cullen with Singletrack Skills and take some classes. Most riders need this. 

• Know the course, know how to read maps. Don’t depend on others to drag you around. 

• Know how to work on your bike! Take a class or have a friend teach you. Self sufficiency is a must for long events. Pack basic flat and bike repair tools and know how to use them. Similarly, keep your bike in good working order. This sounds obvious...but I have raced enough to know how much it gets missed.

• On race day, don’t try new things! Period. As far pacing goes, make a plan and stick to it. Pay attention to how hard you are breathing and be honest with yourself. Lots of “I don’t know where I went wrong” issues begin with the first hour of a 9 hour race ridden at threshold heart rate. Don’t do that. Be careful who you ride with. I don’t ride in groups with sketchy bike handlers or negative thinkers. This will bring the whole group down.

• Have race goals, but keep them process oriented. Meaning set a goal to pace correctly and eat 250 calories per hour NOT to finish top 10. 

• If you are really lost, get a coach that knows this stuff. I like Lynda Wallenfels and Jason Shearer. If you are local and want in person coaching, hit me up and I can help. I am not certified yet but have been in this a long time and know what to do. 

Nutritional CONSIDERATIONS for uLtra marathon training and racing

This is a quick synopsis of a major paper from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It was published in late 2019 and I’d suggest reading it all yourself but I’ll run through some of their Evidence Statements here! 

🔹A primary focus is simply eating enough daily calories and a macronutrient breakdown of 60% carb, 15% protein, and 25% fat is suggested. 

🔹There is insufficient data to support the use of ketogenic diets. 

🔹Some fasted morning low intensity sessions may be beneficial. 

🔹Protein intakes can range from 1.6 g/kg/day up to 2.5 depending on training volume. 

🔹Drinking to thirst is fine for day to day hydration. 

🔹Weighing before and after training is good to determine fluid replacement needs. 

🔹150-400 calories per hour during racing is suggested. As race duration increases, more savory foods are often helpful. 

🔹Fluid intake during exercise can range from 16-28 oz per hour with 500-700 mg Sodium per liter. 

🔹Race nutrition should be practiced in training. Avoid having under 200 cal/ hour. 

🔹Caffeine improves performance due to its stimulant properties, especially in overnight races. 

🔹Don’t use Advil or other NSAIDS while racing. Period. 

🔹There is limited data to support the use of supplements such as ketones, MCT oil, or vitamins during racing. 

The seated calf raise: are you missing out?

Why bother with this often ignored weight machine? Why not just stand up and do calf raises?

The Soleus muscle!

The soleus is the hidden workhorse of the leg. It is covered by the easily visible gastrocnemius but contributes a huge amount of the force needed for running...and walking. The image and chart below really make this message clear. Running is ALL about the soleus!

Seated calf raises are the best way to work the soleus (the knee needs to bent 80 degrees or so for this goal) with the weight machine pictured being probably the easiest one. Standing calf raises really are not enough on their own but are better than NOT doing calf work. You can also use a smith machine or simply put some weights on your lower thigh near your knee. How much your ankle moves will depend on your anatomy and mobility but I think 20 degrees dorsiflexion (heel down) to 10 degrees plantarflexion (heels up) is a pretty decent starting point.

I mentioned runners here, but honestly this is worth doing no matter what sport you are into. My point is…even if you are a swimmer or cyclist, you are also a walker! Strong calf muscles are important as we age, which we are all doing. Soleus weakness shows itself in decreased walking speed and balance in older folks. I have heard some concerns over concerns of “imbalances” from exercises like this in isolation but this just isn’t true based on the research I have seen.

I would shoot for 3-4 sets of 4-10 reps with 2-3 minutes rest between sets. For the first few weeks, 3 sets of 15 reps with moderate weight is good to get used to a new exercise. Go fairly heavy after that, it should be tough to finish the last couple reps of each set. Based on current tendon research, go slow here. 3 seconds up. 3 seconds down.

The Seated Calf Raise is also a great example that really valuable exercises can be a bit simple and boring. No bosu ball, activating anything, or fancy special technique. Just get the work done. I bought this machine from Facebook marketplace for $75 with some careful searching. There are plenty of them around. I have been using this for three months and really glad I have it.

Credit to @mickhughes.physio and @montanarunninglab for their frequent mentions of machine based strength work!