Questions from a newbie about preparing for a long-ish gravel race

[Cardio Goth]

Some context: I was lucky enough to get an entry to The Rift - a 200km gravel race in Iceland in July. I’ve never done a mass start event, or a gravel ride anywhere near as long as this. In the last 18 or so months, I have ridden 200km+ twice but those rides have been been flat and mostly paved, and I’ve accumulated a fair amount of volume during the period.

Due to life circumstances, most of my training at the moment is indoors and I’m wondering to what extent I’m going to be able to prepare effectively to meet my goals for The Rift (Goal 1: Finish. Goal 2: Finish + enjoy it. Goal 3: Finish + enjoy it + finish under 12 hours).

At present, I’ve been basing my training on Garmin’s Unbound Gravel 200 training programme, which is a 15 week plan averaging around 10 to 11 hours per week, including some longer rides, with most of the efforts in Zone 2 / 3.

Given that I don’t always have time for longer rides, I’ve tried to make sure that I’ve met / exceeded:

a) The intensity goals by completing the ‘core’ of all of the workouts so far

b) The total amount of time per week, even if this means two 60 minute rides per day, or skipping rest days in favour of zone 2 rides

As an example, over the last 26 days of the plan, I’ve spent approximately 43 hours training / riding, the break down being roughly:

• 18 hours in Z2
• 18 hours in Z3
• 6 hours in Z4
• The rest spread across Z1, 5 and 6

The longest ride was around 78kms, mostly on gravel, at a pretty decent pace (faster than my goal pace for The Rift) which didn’t fatigue me too badly, and the rest have mostly been around 1 to 1,5 hours indoor. I haven’t taken any rest days (I don’t normally), but I do tend be able to manage fatigue and intensity by feel quite well.

My questions for the collective Hub hive mind, given that I’m a complete newbie at this:

1. Am I being stupidly over-optimistic by thinking that training like this for the next two months plus a few longer rides is going to be enough?
2. Is 12 to 13 hours per week enough volume?
3. Should I be focusing on changing the split of time in zones? I’m not overly fatigued at the moment, and the mix does feel like quite good bang for my limited buck
4. Should I be doing anything else?

[The Ouzo]

I'm as far from a coach as you can get, but all my reading has told me that skipping rest days is more detrimental than doing less mileage/time.

I'm sure someone with heaps more knowledge than me will chirp in here soon

[MORNE]

nah...if @TyronLab can do 500km+ munga grit with 3 leisurely rides a week under his belt...you can do 200km for sure.

😊

especially if you have done 200 before. I think the biggest thing with any new distance milestone is experience? i want to try a 200 soon. my max is like 130 or something. but I didnt ded as @Jewbacca will say...so im sure if i put some cement in my water bottle (like @DJR would say)...ill be fine. You'll be fine. Just don't spend the next months on the couch eating chips.

Edited May 5, 2022 by MORNE

[Jewbacca]

If you aren't going to race it and just want to finish comfortably mid pack with a smile, don't sweat the science too  much.

Consistency is key and as @ouzo said, rest is just as key. 

My take is to do 3 weeks 'on' and one week 'off' (as in still ride but ride less. Much less. Or surf or do pilates etc) active rest without putting stress on the body to recover from but without being idle.

Honestly, unless you're at 6% body fat and at the pointy end, consistency, rest and diet is key over time. 

It's difficult to 'cram' train for anything successfully. 

[Cardio Goth]

7 minutes ago, MORNE said:

nah...if @TyronLab can do 500km+ munga grit with 3 leisurely rides a week under his belt...you can do 200km for sure.

😊

especially if you have done 200 before. I think the biggest thing with any new distance milestone is experience? i want to try a 200 soon. my max is like 130 or something. but I didnt ded as @Jewbacca will say...so im sure if i put some cement in my water bottle (like @DJR would say)...ill be fine. You'll be fine. Just don't spend the next months on the couch eating chips.

I think @TyronLab is an outlier, to be honest.

Prior to the first 200+km ride I did, the longest ride I'd done was 100kms, so you'll be completely fine. A lot of it is just hardening up and dealing with the inevitable pain that comes from unexplored territory (like my knee that started hurting 120kms in..).

[MORNE]

3 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

It's difficult to 'cram' train for anything successfully. 

except eating contests?

[Cardio Goth]

15 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

If you aren't going to race it and just want to finish comfortably mid pack with a smile, don't sweat the science too  much.

Consistency is key and as @ouzo said, rest is just as key. 

My take is to do 3 weeks 'on' and one week 'off' (as in still ride but ride less. Much less. Or surf or do pilates etc) active rest without putting stress on the body to recover from but without being idle.

Honestly, unless you're at 6% body fat and at the pointy end, consistency, rest and diet is key over time. 

It's difficult to 'cram' train for anything successfully. 

Thanks for that @Jewbacca, it actually makes me feel better because my current volume isn't that much more than my normal training volume - it's just a bit more targeted (i.e. less Crossfit and running and more time on the bike).

I'll take your and @ouzo's advice and take a few rest days, even if it feels completely anathema to me.  

[The Ouzo]

4 minutes ago, RandomEuro said:

even if it feels completely anathema to me

made me use google for this

[Jewbacca]

rest and recovery is honestly where it's at. 

Most amateur 'athletes' are overtrained, tired and constantly fatigued.

When I'm training for something 'Big' I get all my long, big effort base stuff done at least a month before the race. 

From there I just get out, enjoy the last few weeks stress free and make sure I go in fresh but active.

My long/big is not what other people regard as long/big, so most people could/should give themselves 2 weeks or 10 days to recover actively and get that zing back before the event.

[_David_]

You are very lucky, I'm jealous! The Rift is definitely a bucketlist event. 

[Spafsack]

Hope you did not get the free entry from Taun B 😲😁 Besides that, have a blast.

[Cardio Goth]

11 minutes ago, _David_ said:

You are very lucky, I'm jealous! The Rift is definitely a bucketlist event. 

I'm very aware of that. I (virtually) camped out to get an entry and it's why I want to make sure that I can do justice to the costs and efforts required to get there and ride it. 

Just now, Spafsack said:

Hope you did not get the free entry from Taun B 😲😁 Besides that, have a blast.

Thanks!

[Cardio Goth]

33 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

rest and recovery is honestly where it's at. 

Most amateur 'athletes' are overtrained, tired and constantly fatigued.

When I'm training for something 'Big' I get all my long, big effort base stuff done at least a month before the race. 

From there I just get out, enjoy the last few weeks stress free and make sure I go in fresh but active.

My long/big is not what other people regard as long/big, so most people could/should give themselves 2 weeks or 10 days to recover actively and get that zing back before the event.

My head says that you're completely right. Now I just need to override the imp on my shoulder saying 'more is better'!  

[Mamil]

I have no doubt your trailing will be more than adequate and would agree with the others comments about rest. I would also say if anything and from what I have read and found for myself through trial and error over the last year's, there's a bit too much zone 3 in there and maybe cutting that down and spending a small fraction of that time at the higher end might make you even stronger.

 

Enjoy the race!

[TyronLab]

4 hours ago, MORNE said:

nah...if @TyronLab can do 500km+ munga grit with 3 leisurely rides a week under his belt...you can do 200km for sure.

😊

 

"These machine stories have really gotten out of hand..."

[MORNE]

Own it. You 100% deserve it.