Do you want unstoppable endurance? The kind where you feel comfortable pushing yourself the entire ride or race without worrying about cramps or bonking?
Contrary to popular belief, the key to endurance is not in just riding long, it is in how you train. If done right, you don’t need to do as many long rides, or even super long rides.
Our athletes have won some of the hardest and longest events such as Unbound and SBT Gravel (12 hours and 7 hours) by doing rides no longer than five hours preparing for them.
The trick is focusing on three components rather than total time on the bike.
The three components are:
1. Efficiency (in the zones you train)
2. Strategy (in applying the zones the the terrain)
3. Fueling (matching the needed carbs and hydration to the strategy and efficiency in zones)
Simple right?
So work the zones in your workouts that will directly correlate to that strategy you will need to use to perform the way you want to in your race while practicing fueling them the way they need to run their best.
Creating efficiency in your zones is more about consistency than anything. They will work like you want if used and fueled like they are meant to be. Strategy is everything! Know how long you can ride in your zones, know the challenges of the course and know the outcome you want. Craft a zone plan for each feature of the course. Finally, fuel the zones the way they need to execute the strategy. Understand the carbs and hydration needed to fuel your strategy!
Alright, make your plan and go and win your endurance!