Solo 24hrs mtb race

Training
1

I just signed up to TR and currently doing the sweet spot mid volume 1. I was wondering which training plans to go with after. there’s quite a few option of base,build,specialty plan and I’m new to training. I usually just ride my bike, but I thought havin a training plan for my first 24hrs race would be a good idea! The race is at the end of June 2019.
Thanks for your help!

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2

I am also going down this road for the fifth year, I have just finished sweet spot mid 1 and moving to mid 2. Then into general build then cross country marathon, then repeat marathon. Will also be doing a fair chunk of work commute and weekend mtb long zone 2 rides.
Will be my first year with TR as other years ive done ride LOTs. Dont forget strength stuff and you will fine

3

The Ideal progression for a solo 24 hour racer would be:

Sweet Spot Base I and II
Sustained Power Build
Century Specialty

This is the progression we recommend for all of our ultra endurance athletes such as Dirty Kanza athletes, Leadville Athletes, and 24 hour racers.

I hope this helps!

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4

I just learned that my first 24 hour solo race will be in 5 weeks. I have done SSB 1 & 2 and now had a 3 week break. Would you recommend Sustained Power Build now or another SSB 2 (abbreviated) to get ready? Thanks!

5

I would do a high volume sustained power build. I am no expert but you are low on time and need the volume.

Mike

6

Thanks!

7

As I look at the sustained power build to me it mimickes an ssb plan but just more intense and some closer to race pace efforts. I am assuming it’s not an “A” race for you since you just found out about it. So should give you a indicator if what you have done is working. But definitely refer to Bryce on this. He has steered me towards the exact plans and I do mostly 6 hr mtb races with a 12hr sprinkled in. No 24’s though.

Mike

8

If you are doing it for fun and your a solo racer the very very best thing that you can do is simply expand your base, and dial in your nutrition / hydration plan. have fun and enjoy the ride.

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9

Thanks!

10

Sustained Power Build would be your best option :slight_smile:

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11

Hi @Bryce! Do you think that there is an advantage to go with Traditional Base instead of Sweet Spot base for ultra-endurance mtb? Also, how does one extend the traditional base program? In the plan description it say it TR recommends extending the traditional base by 2 weeks for the ultra-endurance athletes.

Thank you,

12

@Bryce probably has recommended the best TR training progression for you. However, while I have never done a 24hr event, I have done plenty of GFs with 10kft+. The thing you I believe that you need to include in your training plan is regular (weekly, if possible) long rides (6hrs+, if possible). This serves multiple purposes, including physical and psychological adaption to ultra-endurance riding and developing/dialing in your nutrition plan.

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13

How does the Century Specialty and Cross-Country Marathon compare. My typical race is 100-180 km MTB?

14

For DK and Leadville, this seems to make sense given the amount of gravel. What about for 12-24hr lap races that have technical, punchy climbs? In previous years, i have just walked them, even on the first lap as a way of minimizing the effects of such high torque efforts. Would a different plan progression be recommended? Or should I just replace one of the higher IF rides in the Century Specialty plan with a fast MTB ride that replicates these efforts?

15

Century is designed to be a more steady state approach, while the Marathon XC has a bit more “punch”.

I’d recommend reading through this article I wrote to determine which plan is best for you, I’ve tried to distill down which plans are best for which types of racers :slight_smile:

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16

I assume these are solo 12-24 hour efforts, is that right?

On a mountain bike race where the efforts will be more variable, taking a:

SSB I & II
Sustained Power Build
XC Marathon

approach could be a good option to prepare you for the more varied efforts associated with mountain biking. You still may wish to walk on extremely steep sections though, because regardless of how well you’re trained, those efforts will really wear you down over the course of 12-24 hours.

Good luck this season!

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17

Hi @Bryce,

thanks for the recommendations, following that plan right now.
I will have 5 100mi races on consecutive weekends this summer - admittedly not perfect, but it’s the hand I was dealt. :slight_smile:
Anything you can recommend to prep for these efforts? I’m not racing any of them to win but rather finish in a respectable time (usually at least the buckle cut-off), so I won’t focus too much on the punchy stuff. I’m ramping up my outside/MTB volume with longer rides on the weekend, but curious if you have any other tips.

Thanks!