This week represents the completion of the second block of training for our Cape Epic campaign. What we thought was a hard first block of training has turned into an even harder, more intensive block of training to prepare our bodies for the intensity and day-to-day rigour of riding a MTB fast.
With a lot of the basics in place - bikes, race kit, sponsors and thousands of kilometres and vertical meters of building an endurance base - this phase has been about building intensity and the strength required for racing. In addition to this, the holiday season is over and we needed to fit this training into our normal lives - work, family, kids back to school etc.
Every new training block starts with the dreaded threshold test - the maximum exertion (power) you can put yourself through over 20 mins. This gives us, and more importantly our coach, a line in the sand so that we can measure our progression over the course of our training. These tests hurt, and are supposed to. They signal the start of what is to come and the real work of building intensity and strength.
A basic week consists of riding 10min intervals at maximum power, hill repeats up the steepest hills that we can find (25-35% gradients), increasing our tempo levels by riding at the hardest sustainable pace possible for long durations, and of course time for recovery. All this and we haven’t made it to the weekend yet!
Fitting this in to our working lives, is a challenge, with very early mornings and late evenings required to fit the required sessions in. An example of my typical Tuesday is:
5:00am Wakeup
6:30am Fly to Melbourne for work
Work all day
5:30pm Fly home
8:00 - 8:30pm Arrive home (Hello wife & kids - goodnight)
8:30 - 10pm Threshold Session on the Trainer
Making the most of every minute of the day
The commitment required from our families is enormous - more than I had ever contemplated. The time sacrifice is one thing, but our entire lives are currently governed by the Cape Epic training program. On top of that, the job of supporting us with meals, household chores, and dealing with our training highs and lows is massive. Without our wives, Fiona and Taryn, what we are doing would just not be possible.
The weekend, you guessed it, greets us with even more riding and intensity - this time represented by two 4-5hr MTB rides. Unlike the previos training block, this is not just about getting ‘time in the saddle’ but putting into practice real race-oriented riding. Saturday is race simulation day, which basically means we ride as if we were racing - intense, no stops, with short intervals of recovery. We practice everything we need to do on race day from drinking, nutrition, to repairs and closing down breaks in the field. This is backed up on Sunday, by a long 4-5hr ride at sustainable pace, to train the body and legs to ride tired and focus on some more technical skills. We can't complain, though: after all, we are on our bikes and have ridden some amazing trails at every time of the day - more riding than others would do in six months!
An all too familiar sight – BT (The Driver)
Sunday afternoon and Monday is all about recovery - and believe me we need it. I never thought much of the recovery theory, and have always been an advocate of just training harder. What we have learnt is that you can’t train harder unless you recover ! As our coach reinforces every week:
“…the body makes its changes during the recovery period. The better you recover, the better you train, and the more your fitness improves”
A well earned break
To support this recovery is also diet. Unfortunately for me that means no more beer, and a focus on getting the right, fresh unprocessed foods back into our systems after every ride. Yes the grocery bill has gone up, but I feel so much better for it. I don’t think you could sustain this level of exertion without eating right! My only vice being chocolate - but everybody needs a little extra sugar for energy, right?
A healthy diet is critical to recovery
All in all, this month has been exhausting for us both but also personally satisfying. We are both training at levels that we have never been at before. We have developed a trust and a knowledge of our joint riding abilities to know what we are capable of, and it is more than the sum of two individuals. With a little over a month to go, we are both anxious about what is to come. We received an email this week, advising that race numbers will be printed next week. The reality is setting in: we are one month away from riding the hardest but most exhilarating MTB race there is - The Absa Cape Epic.
The benefits of riding off road
A final note to all those supporting us in every which way. We appreciate your words of encouragement and support, your home-cooked dinners, your coaching advice and experience, committing your time to ride/train with us, your appreciation for the little time we have left in a day, your flexible working hours, and for providing us with the best products and services available.
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