Panic training for a January Event - which workouts to replace with MTB rides?

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Hi Folks

I’m a newbie to Trainerroad and, to be honest, have done very little structured training in my past, and the last time was years ago.

I’ve been a Trainerroad user since the end of September as I was on a waiting list for a 24 hr race in January (I am UK based so it’s a toughie with the weather). I was already ‘training’ at this point - as in, going out to ride longer, hilly miles alongside social stuff and did an 8hr B race just about the time the Wahoo Kickr arrived. I didn’t have a break after the B race and got sick not that long after. Now I am feeling pretty good aerobically, albeit with really tired legs but I am not sure for how long.

My questions really stem around what indoor rides to replace with external mountain bike rides. I understand that structure needs to take priority to a point, but there are massive training benefits to being outside on the mountainbike.

  1. Riding position adaption (the mountainbike is not going on the wahoo - I don’t have time for the faff of changing bikes over so the roadie is on there at the moment)
  2. Equipment checks/testing
  3. Remaining part of the mountainbike community
  4. Most importantly, maintenance of technical skills, especially on the shorter travel bike with scary XC tyres

Initially I started on a mid volume plan but didn’t know what to swap out, then I went to a low volume plan that I am now on, and I am doing that alongside my usually very intense (way more intense than anything the TR software has given me so far) Wednesday evening ride (varies between 1.5 and 3 hrs of tough hills and tough descents) and a social weekend ride - varies a lot with intensity but is normally around 3 to 4 hours.

As I was only on the waiting list for the event, and didn’t think I’d get in, I just thought stuff it, I’ll see what level of stress I can handle and if I start to blow, I’ll back off, have a break and restart base for a big event in the summer next year. So far I have been handling it, but I am not sure how long for or whether I would benefit from more rest, My FTP was underestimated initially by the ramp I think too - first time on a kickr with no fan was probably not the best test but Adapative Training has just bumped it up a little.

More importantly…I got an invite to the event so now I am committed and there is no room for error as it’s only a few months away. I need to focus on sustained power and will be pacing slow and then slower. My goal for this one is a solid 24 hrs of riding - I have unfinished business there.

My concerns are

  1. I am not really doing any Z2/endurance kind of stuff, other than what the plan has in for me on the recovery week next week
  2. Which workouts do I swap out to make sure I don’t get overtrained/blow up. I can rejig the calendar, but the build phase coming up has Vo2 stuff, threshold, sweetspot etc - do I just pick a different one each week to replace? The next block is mid volume - should I drop it down again to low volume and continue trying to cram everything in/use alternatives, or leave as mid volume and just swap out workouts for outside stuff?

Like 99% of us, I have very little time to train and both my job and homelife are very active physically so resting is a rare treat. As the training ramps up with the FTP increase and moving to the build phase, I think something will have to give, I just don’t know what!

EDIT: Oh and I’m also a 46 yr old female well past my prime and have the joys of untameable hormones to cope with.

I’m hoping all you highly experienced and super fit people can give me some pointers :slight_smile:

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If your event is a 24hr endurance event and you are doing little/no endurance training, I would suggest you should change that asap.

Doing as much Z2 as possible would be my suggestion, whether inside on the trainer or outside. Make sure you get used to the bike you’ll be riding for the event is critical but can be done nearer the time.

Good luck :slight_smile: 24hrs on a bike doesn’t sound like an easy event.

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I’m pretty bad at mountain biking so I understand your concern about maintaining technical skills, but I find that I can keep feeling comfortable on the MTB with quite short focused sessions.

If you want to build fitness and maintain skills It sounds like you could drop the intense Weds night ride (which sounds like an utter smash-fest and is probably fatiguing you a lot for the rest of the week). Replace it with a targeted endurance /Z2 workout and try to do a weekly skills session - if you have something like a fireroad climb and singletrack descent then you can easily spend half an hour or so taking it easy up the climb and really concentrating on skills on the singletrack.

Also, you don’t say what type of plan you selected, or how technical the race is going to be. A few people on this thread suggested Gran Fondo (but more for road events I think) Cycling Planning, Training, & Analytics - TrainerRoad

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Thank you for your input everyone - much appreciated.

@Thomas_Rigden thanks - you are right. I think I will start adding more solo Z2 stuff at a weekend rather than always heading out with a group ride. I’ll try and fit a couple of audaxes in between now and January too.

@timb34 you are so right, I don’t really know why I was worried about the technical aspect - a few short sessions will keep my eye in. Descending is probably my strongest point anyway. If I am being honest with myself, I think I was more worried about getting out of the loop on our awfully technical trails at home than the event itself. I just need to focus on what’s important for a couple of months. It’s reasonably technical, and they can throw in surprises, but nothing too challenging. The biggest problem will be if it’s sheet ice or snow (anything can happen in the north of Scotland in January!) but I have stud tyres to deal with that. Plan is sweetspot base, sustained power build, cross country marathon speciality. I am not sure about the speciality tbh, maybe a Gran Fondo would be better. The course is so up and down though, like most MTB events, even when I am absolutely shattered, I’ll have to find power from somewhere to make the climbs.

@eddie - thank you. I think you have definitely told me what I needed to hear - now is the time to focus for a few months. I am writing this, on a very wet Wednesday, with my feet up on the sofa. Part of me feels guilty for shying away from riding this evening as heading out in awful weather is such good mental training, but if I am honest, I know deep down I need to catch up a bit with recovery. I will also cut down dramatically on the hard unstructured riding, although not give it up completely - if I do head out on a Wednesday smash-fest, and I am very busy with site work, I’ll drop that Thursday Sweetspot session.

I am lucky to have a few steadier friends who I will easily be able to maintain endurance power with, so I can still get some social time in with these folk. I have a couple of uplifts booked so I’ll keep those in for tech practice too.

Thanks everyone :slight_smile:

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Do NOT add a really intense Wednesday evening ride on top of the intensity that a LV plan will already give you. If you’re doing an intense outdoor ride, that has to take the place of one of your workouts, not in addition to it. The LV plan gives you a good amount of intensity on it’s own.

If it were me my focus would be adding as much Z2 / Endurance volume as possible at low FTP% so it doesn’t impact your workouts. A 24 hour race will be Endurance / Tempo and you should be avoiding going above threshold wherever possible.

As for plan, I’d think Gran Fondo would be the one you should choose for your event, not XCM, and let plan builder handle it.

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Is it this event?

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You ride audax, and this may be obvious, but get out in rubbish weather (if you have the time when it turns up) and test your clothing and equipment choices when you can. Then when you ride the event, you’ll be ready for the worst it can throw at you.

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Yeah that’s the event :slight_smile:

I definitely need to HTFU and get out in the bad weather more. I am soft as a soft thing at the moment :rofl:

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Thank you - I am making changes in like with your suggestions

Out of interest, why would you say Gran Fondo rather than XCM?

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The main reason is that Gran Fondo has been recommended here by TR Staff for similar races (e.g. Leadville) as the best plan.

If you think about it, I actually think that Base and Sustained Power Build are the most important, adding as much low endurance volume as you can take. Looking at the profile of your event, you’re going to be in Endurance and Tempo Zones and trying to avoid any efforts over threshold.

Get out for some LONG, easier weekend rides and time in the saddle, it’ll help.