This weekend was the first of what I hope will become the new normal training weekend through the winter--back to back 100+ mile rides. I'll be posting an overview of my training plan in the next month or so, but the first phase is to make the double long ride, and 8-10 h ride the "new normal" before the traditional road racing season starts in AZ. The road season is in full swing here by February and March. I plan to use the racing, and mixing it up on the group rides as the quality as I think trying to focus on both structure intervals and ultra-long rides is too much. The Tour of the Gila in early May, will be the centerpiece of the early road racing season, before transitioning to the final preparation for RAW. I raced in the very first Tour of the Gila in 1987, its always been a special race to me.
Saturday was a most excellent team ride with my Tucson Masters Cycling buddies on the Picture Rocks loop, which contains some fun short climbs. Doing my 5-6 h rides with the team ride embedded in the middle was a key part of my Hoodoo-300 training, giving me some quality, and break from the solo monotony.
The dietary lessons continue. I have found I average only about 80-85 g of protein a day. I should be up closer to 100-120 g a day, so I have a ways to go. Then today--lessons learned and learned again. With the fun and excitement of the group ride, I only ate 1400 calories (and a 250 calorie breakfast) for a 3400 calorie ride. I paid for that over the last 20 minutes or so. While I am trying to drop 2-3 lbs before the regular road racing season, crash dieting on the weekend long rides is not the way to go about it. I finished up the ride with a 58 degree ice bath in our pool, refreshing the legs, and icing a slightly achy knee.
Standing up the organization and logistics for RAW 2019 is continuing. Its a really big component of a successful attempt, and I hope to get the organizational components in place early so that I can focus on training, and the crew can focus on planning. I expect to have at least one, and perhaps two sponsor announcements in the coming weeks. I'm really excited about both of them. More to come...
Day 15, 197 d 19 h, 21 m to RAW 2019.
2 Comments
Tyler Munroe
11/26/2018 03:46:54 am
Keep me on the list, I love to follow this! When i do the 100 mile Mtn Bike races I usually eat 1000 calories in the morning and then 350 cal per hour consisting of Gu and sports drink. I weigh more than you though. Check out Paleo for athletes as there is a good endurance diet section in there. Keep at it dude.
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Eric C Pearce
11/26/2018 07:33:08 am
Thanks for the suggestion...I'll take a look. Even the scientific literature is pretty thin on mult-day events like this. Getting close to a caloric balance is really hard.. you need a small truck following and feeding.
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Eric PearceMy interest in ultracycling dates back when I first started seriously riding a bike in college in the early 1980s. This is my RAAM story preparing to compete in the Race Across the West in 2020 and RAAM 2021. Archives
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