Oh crap, I just signed up for Death Ride

[jobob]

That's sick.

[roadie gal]

The Death Ride is a GREAT ride!! Beautiful... well supported...

All I can say is ride hills, ride hills, ride hills...

[Trek420]

If you signed up for the DR lottery & your name doesn't get drawn, there's always the Mt. Shasta Super Century in early August - 135 miles and 16500 ft of climbing. whee.

Plus you get to ride with Starfish & me.

After that you could do Bike Against the Odds right here from Oakland. The Century has 10,000 ft of climbing. Wheeeeeeeee Most of the descending is in the last few miles. It's like a climb all day then fly straight down.

[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!

[Vireo]

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!

One of the reasons why I think this ride isn't "that tough" is...the incredible support. If you haven't read my report here is how it breaks down.

At the bottom of each climb there is a fueling station then there is one at the top, where you get a sticker (I think) verifying you completed the climb, and then at the bottom of the climb you have another fueling station. So think about this, you will climb about 8 or so miles with two full water bottles and then when you crest you refill and refuel (drinking while descending essential skill) on the descent and then begin the next climb with two fuel water bottles. So worse case scenario you are climbing at 6-8 mph and it takes you an hour and one bottle to do the climb--easy to do.

Experiment in training how many calories you can digest per hour. This number will be key in maintaining a consistent energy level. When you climb you will expend more calories than you can replenish --that's not the number we are trying to consume. What you want to find out how many calories you can digest and still climb with "intensity" (you don't want to be out there all day either). It is in July and you can have heat issues. So experiment with 200 calories an hour, then 250 calories, then 300 calories and so on...

All you have to do is pace yourself. They don't post times and so you don't ever have to worry about someone checking how you did .

[Vireo]

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!

Am I reading this right? You aren't going to start climbing until June?

[gnat23]

Er, no...! I mean, I'm starting to build up my base now, and increasing mileage and altitude each week to get to where I need to be for July. I just shake my head every time I see my plan for the weeks of June, because the numbers look ridiculous to me right now! "That's not human!" I think. I'm sure it will be fine once I get there if I stick to plan, but man, that month looks like more miles and climbing than I did all last summer. I'm trying to psyche myself up for it!

-- gnat!