It was perhaps a little daft, but I’ve worked outside my whole life so have a pretty good sense of actual risk.
Hopefully going to do the Yorkshire Dales 300 route over 3 days next. Will play it by ear weatherwise though. There are a few shortcuts if necessary.
Just home from a 3 day bikepacking trip. Really specific training for the Alps as it turned out.
Day 1: 8hrs riding, approx 2000m climbing
Day 2: 11hrs riding, approx 2600m climbing
Day 3: 3hrs, approx 700m climbing.
Weather; dry and cold day 1&2, wet day 3. Overnight temps down to minus 5. Chilly bivies!
Terrain: lots of hills! Surfaces included rough and rocky, gravel, grassy, boggy, tarmac. Some hike a bike, but mainly ridable.
Bike: hardtail mtb with full bikepacking bags, plus small rucksack. 4 water bottles. Heavy!
Summary: fantastic trip doing most of the Yorkshire Dales 300km route (find it on selfsupported.com)
Felt very relevant training for tough mtb racing as it served as a reminder that when you’re faced with a massive climb and you’re already exhausted, you can’t just say “enough!” You have to just settle in and get it done.
When you’re utterly spent, and feel you can’t do any more, you can still somehow find another 6 hrs in your legs.
Climbing rough terrain is completely different to riding on the turbo. There is absolutely no flywheel effect. Miss half a turn of the cranks and you stop.
When youre gassed on a climb, you still have to focus on line choice and give bursts of power to get over obstacles.
Sometimes pushing is faster than riding!
Staying relaxed on technical downhills is a skill that comes with time on the bike. Was far faster by the end of the trip.
Bike riding in beautiful places is absolutely fantastic!
That looks like a great trip.
Last summer I did some riding in Yorkshire and its really stunning.
The idea of a bivy is nice but think a warm bed is more my style! Looks amazing though. Do you carry everything or find places to stop for a warm meal etc?
From a training perspective I think you are spot on, indoors is great but for the type of riding we are going to be doing there is no substitution for getting the miles in on the technical terrain.
Carried stove and dehydrated meals but did manage to find a couple of cooked meals en route.
It’s funny. I have no problem forcing myself out of a frost covered sleeping bag to tackle 10hrs of slow, arduous riding, yet struggle to get on the turbo for even a recovery spin.
I want to be able to do a solid block of TR training now but seem to lack the mental fortitude.
Great trip 
plus the benefit of some added endurance in your legs.
I’m thinking of doing a “softer” 
version of your trip in June. A double coast to coast over the weekend with the overnight in a guest house.
I reckon if I was aiming to maximise my training benefit, I would stay in a guesthouse. You’re never going to get great sleep in a bivy bag or tent.
My big goal now is to do a solid 3 months of TR workouts on Tues, Wed, Thurs and two 5hr rides on weekends. If i manage that then I’ll be super fit by June.
3 night plus 10 hours at the weekend should certainly get you into shape!
Will you do early starts at the weekend to get them in? Same as everyone, time is my big issue.
@UKCarl Are you planning an off-road c2c in a weekend? That sound like a pretty hefty undertaking. did it 1 way last summer in 3 days and that was a hefty undertaking. I hadn’t trained so would hope to get through it quicker now but a double!
Skipping the TR sessions to try and get some outdoor riding in this week. Looking quite soggy so might stick to the lanes
Have been thinking about trying to up my miles a bit and this has reminded me to ask.
I have an easy commute 2-3 miles depending on route which I can do off-road with a couple of little single track sections. I can extend it through local woods and park. Is there any benefit to slowly upping my miles by supplementing my TR sessions with 30-45minute endurance pace loops on my way home?
I always previously though, too easy so no value but with all my new found knowledge I am wondering about it!
I’m a real early bird and love watching the dawn so will often be riding by 5am. Means I can be home for breakfast at 10.
I’ve always done a lot of volume. I just love riding.
I acknowledge my approach isn’t optimal for ‘gains’ (god I hate that term), but it feeds my soul. I’m training for the Alps so I can be fit enough to soak it all in and enjoy the trails and scenery.
I’m aiming for very short 30-45min sessions during the week if they are threshold or above. Just something to keep me ticking over until the weekend.
Train Now is useful for this.
Hey Alan. I go through periods of doing a 45min dawn ride 5 days/wk just to be out in nature. Nothing strenuous. Always amazes me how much it improves my fitness. I’ll sometimes run instead of riding. Everything helps I reckon.
That’s good to know about the regular short rides. Will start adding in an extra loop and see how it goes.
I managed to get a last minute day off and out for 70km. From home to Leith Hill tower and back. Was pretty grim trail conditions in areas but this training certainly is working. I am beating times from 10 years ago without trying.
Have taken a lot from the podcasts in terms of nutrition on the bike and recovery drinks after.
Normally after that route I am hanging on for the last few climbs home but felt great at the end.
Hey that’s great to hear. I always hear Amber saying ‘don’t diet on the bike’ in my head when I’m riding.
Can I caveat my advice on short rides by saying don’t let them compromise your main training. It can be easy to be just that little bit too tired to want to put in a turbo session if you’ve already been out that day. Keep an eye on yourself.
I’m satisfied with my week. Managed 45mins threshold on Tues, 2hrs endurance Wed and 45mins vo2 tonight. Hope I am keen to ride locally on the weekend. Can feel a bit of an anticlimax after a trip away.
Went on my cycling club ride this morning. Put myself in the fastest group and lit the touchpaper! It was flat out for 4hrs. Think I’ll do these quite regularly. Fantastic training as I really had to focus on fueling and digging deep.
Might not do it on the gravel bike with pannier rack next time though. 
Nice effort. Am I right in thinking you are based in the South Downs? What club do you ride with?
90 min SS session for me. Nothing as strenuous but had a couple of tough days Thursday/Friday and a late night Friday as well so resting up a bit.
Has anyone started looking into traveling to the start in Lienz? I am struggling to find an easy way to travel. It seems to be London to Salzburg then a couple of trains but getting to the start on in 1 day might be a bit of a struggle from what I can see.
I’m a bit North of the South Downs. Ride with Southborough and District Wheelers.
I’ve given up trying to work out a way to get to my race (The Alps Epic) by public transport. Eurotunnel not allowing bikes was the biggest hurdle. Just going to drive there with an overnight stop.
Have you started looking into travel for the event? From the UK it looks like its really tough.
No direct flights to Salzburg other than a 7am on the Friday from Stanstead
Going into Munich seems like it would result in a long train/bus journey