3 weeks ago I paid for trainer road, did an FTP test and completed the plan builder for a ~100 mile gravel race in March. I expect that would take me ~6 hours. I was surprised that the longest workout in the entire plan was 2.5 hours. I figured if I am training for a 6 hour ride, some of the workouts would be closer to the event length. I know I can change workours ad-hoc, but I want to use the AI/custom plan builder, the output just seems too low. Any tips for people training for similar length events?
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A 2.5 hour trainer ride can be the equivalent of a much longer outside ride - some say 2x - in load terms.
That said, it is always, imo, very helpful to have completed your event distance / time prior to the event. If you can do that on the actual route / very similar terrain, even better. Lots of things can happen in 6 hours on the gravel that can’t happen in 2.5 hours on the trainer.
If you can fit in some longer outdoor rides, I say you should. Do them at steady / endurance pace, learn fuelling / hydration, learn optimised bike position / setup and bike handling etc.
If you really want to up the duration of your TR rides, add volume at either end of the workout at endurance pace (say <65%FTP) at first and do it carefully and gradually.
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Right on the money @ivegotabike !
It’s so cool that you’ll be completing a 100-mile gravel race, @sethberg! Those types of races are one of my favorites.
Your plan will consist of workouts that train the energy systems used in long-distance events to establish and reinforce the endurance needed for the 100 miles. Your training plan will maximize the efficiency of your hard work with workouts that target specific energy systems. By completing targeted and time-efficient workouts, you can strengthen the appropriate energy systems while avoiding the massive fatigue that comes with extremely long rides.
That said, as @ivegotabike, it’s always recommended to go on a few long endurance rides before the event, to test out hydration, nutrition, gear, etc… You can take any TrainerRoad workouts outside using your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. While it’s not necessary to replicate 100 miles, you can learn a lot by spending 2-3-5 hours in similar race day circumstances outside.
Here is a blog post you may find helpful:
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You don’t necessarily need to train the full length for an event. I did the Marmotte which including getting to the start and back to the camping and neutralised section took over 10h on saddle whereas my longest ride before was just half that. But see if you can get a couple of 3.5-5h rides done on similar terrain before the event
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