Mungu Grit training

[HO]

To those who has done a Grit, what would you say is a good ‘average’ of training hours a week to be ready?

[mecheng89]

@TyronLab

[TyronLab]

Haha, @mecheng89 I'm the worst example to use! 

TL;DR: Have a strong cup of HTFU as the start gun goes off and you'll be fine.

If I can give you any sort of advice @HO, your legs get you to 160km, your stomach, your bum, and more importantly, your brain, gets you the rest of the way. There are many people that are much more knowledgeable about periodization and load and tapering and and and than me, they can chip in there.

As someone that got through the Cradle one in 49h42m on two weeks' notice, having not ridden a triple digit distance in the nine preceeding months, where a lot of guys and gals that were fitter / stronger / better kitted than me didn't, I can tell you that their minds, bums or stomachs gave out not their legs.

What I can advise is to be sure to know your body. How does it feel when you drink too little, what happens when you only drink water or juice? What makes you naar or bloated when you eat it, how often should you eat? Be ready to get along with mostly just normal food and water, maybe an Energade. If you can only function (or, to be honest, think you can only function) with a specific brand's specific flavour of specific supplement you're gonna have a *** time no matter how fit you are.

Also, no matter how well fitted you are to your bike something is gonna hurt somewhere. Be that as it may, you should be able to sit and pedal with occasional out of the saddle easy grinds for 3-4 hours without your hands or bum or neck or whatever feeling sore. If that's the case, adjust your fit or contact surfaces to remedy it well in advance.

Also be very aware that riding a 3 hour 947 and a 3 hour off road dawdle have very different demands on your body. Taking slower / easier rides means you end up putting more weight through your sitbones vs. supporting your weight with your legs during harder pedaling. Choose a rough route and sit and pedal, easy, for 3-5 hours without stopping. Don't touch a piece of tarmac. If there's no trail or path, ride in the unkept veld at the side of the road until you get to your chosen piece of gravel. Don't sprint, don't wheelie, don't do a little bit of threshold work, just sit and pedal and feel what it feels like. 

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by TyronLab

[TyronLab]

If you want some numbers here's what I did. If you're doing more than that, and you're a tough SOB, you'll finish:

[HO]

Good advise. Thank you!

[MORNE]

5 hours ago, TyronLab said:

If you want some numbers here's what I did. If you're doing more than that, and you're a tough SOB, you'll finish:

I’m actually in awe looking at your relative ‘lack’ of prep.???

You must be the epitome of a diesel engined cyclist…just ticking over km after km 😅.
Not even the same realm, but can similarly do literally nothing for 2 months and then go ride a 100km without to much effort, not even drink a bottle of water….but 500+ after what seems like any normal weekend warrior’s normal weekly riding?
Well done sir👌

This inspires us normal folk haha.

[TyronLab]

37 minutes ago, MORNE said:

I’m actually in awe looking at your relative ‘lack’ of prep.???

You must be the epitome of a diesel engined cyclist…just ticking over km after km 😅.
Not even the same realm, but can similarly do literally nothing for 2 months and then go ride a 100km without to much effort, not even drink a bottle of water….but 500+ after what seems like any normal weekend warrior’s normal weekly riding?
Well done sir👌

This inspires us normal folk haha.

Haha, thus the tough SOB disclaimer in my statement. And that should give some more context to my previous statements in my story. I am by no means a prime physical specimen. But what I can confidently say is that I can keep a pretty positive mental outlook in tough circumstances, and that I'm a relatively tough SOB. That's what gets you through more than I think any amount of training could.

Look, this is all relevant to finishing, not winning.

[MORNE]

4 minutes ago, TyronLab said:

 

Look, this is all relevant to finishing, not winning.

[dave303e]

18 hours ago, TyronLab said:

If you want some numbers here's what I did. If you're doing more than that, and you're a tough SOB, you'll finish:

it would be interesting to see further back on this. Let me guess you ride 2-3 times a week every week for probably a good few years?

I have seen similar, people who are always just on maintenance with no major gaps in training, they just do 2 - 3 rides a week every week for year on year. They usually end up with a solid base when it comes time to race they don't need much to step up in a big way. Someone who has been literally on the couch for 3-4 months will not adapt nearly as well as someone like you. So it is all relative. Thankfully a mtb is a lot more forgiving than running so something like munga grit is doable for a lot of people given a big teaspoon of htfu. 

[TyronLab]

Your wish is my command! All the way back to November 2020. My last triple digit ride before the Grit was December 2020.

You're 100% right though. I average 2-3 rides a week, taking a week or so off every two / three months due to work / family / holiday etc, and have been riding that way since mid 2018 when I started cycling again. I did try to ramp up my riding consistency and load towards Jan 2021 as I was entered into the Transbaviaans with a pretty strong group, but when that was cancelled I stuck to just riding for fun. 

I was set on this path some time ago, but after the Grit I'm cemented into it. I ride bikes to have fun. I want to be fit enough to have fun when out riding to enjoy myself and not feel like I've been through the wringer every time (unless I choose to put myself through it). I want to be fit enough so that if an opportunity to do something cool / epic / adventurous presents itself I can at least attempt it. I want to keep drinking beer and eating pizza and not die at 45 due to being a fat schlub, so that keeps me riding. But structured training and dumb indoor riding, just for the sake of going from 4000th to 3200th in the 947 seems utterly pointless to me. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by TyronLab

[Spy007]

doing the grit this year but also a Non finisher of the 2019 hell at 875km.

 

did many many miles in prep and my body just gave in. but as i also do audax rides it helped my training.

Last year was set to do the 600km after doing teh 200 300 400 Audax and at 140 my mind went Snap and said.

WTF and it was the first time i had to call a friend to come and fetch me. I put it of to not feeling well en a many excuses but it was just that my mind said nope.

However. for Me as everyone is different.

I did to may long rides and can not get myself now to do even 60km ride. as someone who went lets go do 200km i know cant face that.

I finally got myself right and did the rapah 500 in 4 days with a 230km and 150km ride chucked in and that was the final straw. For this year haven't even hit 1000km yet and where i use to look forward to a 8+ hour ride now i cant even get myself to go do a 3 hour one. Think fast one on the gravel bike has been my longest ride this year.

 

It is a mental thing and it is real. so be car full. probably doing the grit with little long distance training and know it is going to hurt but that is what it is.

 

But as i ramble on be careful the long stuff can bit hard and it is not fitness related. an they leave scars that takes time