Oh crap, I just signed up for Death Ride

[gnat23]

I've been watching the Tour of California, I heard the stories about Mt. Hamilton, and I just bought Chris Carmichael's "Food for Fitness" book. Inspiration hit me flat across the side of the head.

That's it, I'm gunna get GOOD this year. DAMN good instead of just plodding. So I put my finger on July, and I'm going to start NOW to train for Death Ride. I feel like I'm going insane. But wow.

Luna Chix, are you guys doing the hill series again this year? *bounce!*

Any other tips or tricks to get started would be awesome. I feel dumb looking at these numbers.

-- gnat! (so the PREP periodization phase starts soon, right?)

[melissam]

The only words of wisdom I have for you are these:

Go get 'em, Gnat!!

Perhaps you'd like to join me in this year's mantra:
What have I gotten myself into this time?!

Looking forward to hearing how you tear up the Death Ride,
Melissa

[Starfish]

I feel like I'm going insane.

I feel your insanity!

I'm signed up for a ride with a similar distance and elevation gain, and I can't quite believe it.

But, we can do it!

[Brandy]

Awesome...you can do it! There's nothing like registering for something that's a little out of your league to make you shift into serious training mode.

For me this year, it's...


Mulholland Double 202 miles and 16,500 of gain

Heartbreak Double 202 miles and 15,500 of gain

and my goal event of the year...

Everest Challenge
Day One 120 miles, 15,465 feet of climbing
Day Two 86 miles, 13,570 feet of climbing

[Starfish]

Wow, Brandy, those are some SERIOUS rides!

[jobob]

I'm signed up for a ride with a similar distance and elevation gain, and I can't quite believe it.

But, we can do it!

You betcha!

[Starfish]

Mountains are our friends.

[smilingcat]

Death ride is fun!!!

HONEST!!

It is really beautiful up Ebetts. be sure to take warm and wet weather gear just in case. I've ridden that ride in sleet/ice and other years I've melted from the heat and cooked crisp in the thin alpine air.

Still its one really beautiful ride and well supported.

smilingcat

[maillotpois]

gnat - it's a great ride.

we coach a team in training group for death ride. we train in marin, sonoma and napa. I would be happy to suggest some good training rides for you.

did you enter the lottery, then? good luck!

[Brandy]

Any other tips or tricks to get started would be awesome. I feel dumb looking at these numbers.

-- gnat! (so the PREP periodization phase starts soon, right?)

Start building your base now. This was a hard phase (mentally) for me to embrace...and I still slip and hammer every so often. Keep your eyes on the goal though!

[Vireo]

I've been watching the Tour of California, I heard the stories about Mt. Hamilton, and I just bought Chris Carmichael's "Food for Fitness" book. Inspiration hit me flat across the side of the head.

That's it, I'm gunna get GOOD this year. DAMN good instead of just plodding. So I put my finger on July, and I'm going to start NOW to train for Death Ride. I feel like I'm going insane. But wow.

Luna Chix, are you guys doing the hill series again this year? *bounce!*

Any other tips or tricks to get started would be awesome. I feel dumb looking at these numbers.

-- gnat! (so the PREP periodization phase starts soon, right?)

gnat-- Let me be the first to congratulate you on taking on a ride that you actually have to train for. On the other hand, allow me to put your fears to rest. This is a VERY well supported ride. In addition, there are thousands of people out there doing the event at the same time you are. This event is much easier than people make it out to be.

My suggestion is to find a good (min 6% grade) 7 mile climb and go out and climb it once, twice, thrice and so on. It may take time to build enough endurance to do three in a day but keep working on it. You will have to do five ascents the day of the event. Do the climbs at low to moderate intensity. Speed is not important--- technique is much more important.

Good luck and you will do fine.

I have included my race report and recon ride report from the day before the event.

[Brandy]

Hmmm...you're making this ride sound downright easy, honey.

[maillotpois]

The ride's not that bad, he's right. Great report.

One thing I would add, however, is that if you live at sea level, try to take a weekend and ride at altitude to see how that affects you. Some of the riders we coach who are very strong are humbled by the altitude. You simply don't know how it will affect you until you ride there. GI issues, dehydration, etc. all are exacerbated by the elevation. Personally, I find it very difficult to eat solid food at altitude - everyone's different, though.

So that's one suggestion I'd add.

We take our group out a month before the event and have them ride some of the passes. (Not all - you want something unexplored for event day. )

[gnat23]

Good point about the altitude. Coming from SF (sea level) and then jumping up to 6000+, I did the mammoth century last year, and found that I was gasping for air at about 60 miles.

(mind you, I hadn't trained for a century at all, so it could have been *that*, too)

Thank you SO SO SO much for the advice and encouragement! I'm going to spend all of March working on mostly cadence and endurance miles, and come June, it's DRILLS TO THE HILLS.

I'm excited tho! Even if I don't end up with a spot on the ride, I'm thrilled to have some crazy goal in mind. I work well with specific goals! And by the time Mammoth comes around in September, I shall be fiddle-fit!

-- gnat!

[maillotpois]

The elevation at Mammoth will be a good test for how you do at altitude. Death Ride goes a wee bit higher, though. Get some friends and go camp at Grover Hot Springs in June and ride the passes. That will be great prep. There's usually a group of Luna Chix folks there around the same weekend we do our altitude camp (first weekend in June, I think it is the 6th or so) - at least there have been the last couple of years. And if you go the weekend we do, even though you're not riding "with" us, you'd be assured of SAG support - we're pretty generous with our SAG because we think it's good publicity for TNT.

If you want some possible training rides in Sonoma, Marin and Napa which will get you ready feel free to let me know!