Race Plans
Build on over 7 years of experience and coaching athletes for these races, these races plans use the structure of training that has proven successful for the unique characteristics of each race and the preparation you need to do for the race.
The training plan is a pre-designed plan based on benchmarking each race but it's not a one-size-fits-all. You will be tested and the plan adjusted for you.
These races need a good deal of race prep and to guide you through the planning, I've developed an online module with resources, a workspace to structure your planning and where I can overview what you are planning.
As part of the online module, there is a forum for group discussion, along with a monthly group call - usually based on the phase of planning you are currently working on. Prior to the call you can pose the questions for the call.
By streamlining these plans within a group setting, I can make them more affordable for you and hope more athletes get access to coach-led training for these races.
In additional to the monthly group call, there is an option to buy additional 1:1 calls.
Why just the mega races?
It's where my passion lies and I've done many of the races myself. I know how much effort is needed to train and prepare for these races. The training is stressful and knowing the plan is tailored for a specifc race and it's specific demands offers me peace of mind when I'm training for a big race, so I wanted to offer this to more bikepackers.
The mega races include the Tour Divide, Transcontinental, The Mountain Races (Atlas, Hellenic, Taurus and Silk) and Via.
TCR and Silk Road Mountain Race, for instance, need a different approach, different planning and different kit. By using a systematic plan for both training and preparation, I know we will have covered everything that's needed for the race. It's hard to cover everything in a 1 hour call and for these races there's often a lot to thing about and talk about on a coaching call.
Bikepacking proven
The race package offers a progressive training build working towards the race and is designed specifically for each race. The training blocks are bikepacking proven to ensure the volume of training you do is sufficient to complete your race but not excessive to put you into an overtrained state - a common problem for many bikepackers.
It's not a one size fits all plan
This is not just a one size fits all plan, during the initial phase of the plan there are some fitness tests which allow me to adjust the plan to your current level of fitness and historic training volume.
The training is delivered in 4 week blocks and the next block will be adjusted based on your performance in the previous block.
6 months plans
The races plans are 6 months in duration. This fits in with the announcement by race organisers of who got a place in their race.
Pre-race modules
To ensure you are training at the right level before you join a Race Plan, I've designed a Foundation Module. There are two fitness levels within these Modules to ensure you are training at the right level. If you are planning on doing a Mountain Race, your Foundation module will include strength training.
Dual module race prep
The Mega Race plan uses a dual module system.
- Training Peaks - planning and executing all the workouts you will do to get race fit. The plan is developed with a specific race in mind and proven through years of development for bikepacking specific races at both mid-pack and front of the race successful finishers.
- Off the bike planning - this 'course' walks you through all the planning you need to do for the race.
- It includes selected resources so you're not overwhelmed with what is on the internet.
- A workspace to keep your planning in one place which I can also view.
- Your progression through the plan so we can both monitored your progress through the planning process to ensure you stay on track.
TransContinental
Getting a place in TCR is the easy part. Planning the route to avoid the banned roads is the challenge and needs a methodical approach to cover all the planning aspects for the race. Couple this will the training and it doesn't take much to become overwhelmed.
This plan aims to help with this process, keeping you on track with your planning along with the workouts you'll do on the bike. The plan is progressive, focusing on getting you endurance ready before the race.
How long do I need for this plan?
My recommendation is to do the Foundation module (over the northern hemisphere winter), starting in October or November. Then you can move onto the race specific plan once your race is confirmed (normally in January). The In-limbo Module is 3 months and the race plan is around 6 months.
The plan will be delivered in blocks of 1 month so you can focus on the next few weeks of training and planning. To keep you on track, parts of the plan may not be available after the fact so it's best to keep with the pace of the training and planning.
Tour Divide
The big one on the bikepacking calendar needs a good deal of research and training to knock this one off. Bank on 9-12 months of solid training where you can build your endurance capacity, research and prepare all your kit and learn the mechanics of being completely self-reliant in some very remote areas.
This plan will break down the tasks at hand and deliver actionable items within the training plan to keep you working through everything you need to complete before you unleash yourself into the wilderness.
How long do I need for this plan?
Budget on 9-12 months to train and prepare under this plan. Anything less and you are cramming in what you need to accomplish. If you've done the Foundation module you can get away with a little less time on this plan. But you may miss key deliverables that have already been set in the plan. If you sign up with less than 7 months of training before the race, you'll need to sign up for the Advanced package to support the planning process for this race..
The plan will be delivered in blocks of 1 month so you can focus on the next few weeks of training and planning. To keep you on track, parts of the plan may not be available after the fact so it's best to keep with the pace of the training and planning.
Mountain Races
The Atlas, Hellenic, Silk, Taurus and Alps Divide fit into this category. They are on a different level due to the limited resupply and often tough, unforgiving terrain - the race is a full body workout. These races provide a good race manual which helps with the planning for the race, so in addition to the race prep and kit testing, this plan will include off-the bike-work, to get you ready for the trials and tribulations that come with heat, altitude and a lot of wilderness.
Strength and core sessions accompany the bike workouts to ensure you're ready for those arduous hike-a-bikes. Your kit will need to be dialled in well for these races and this forms a key part of the prep work you'll be tasked with on this plan.
How long do I need for this plan?
Budget on 9 months of training or the 3 month Foundation plan followed by the 6 month race specific plan.
If you are planning a triple crown of Mountain Races or other races, your plans will be linked together with a recovery phase to ensure you are fresh for your next block of training.
If you are unsure of what you need, please book a quick 15 minute call to chat
.
What is covered in the package
Fitness training
This plan is designed for the tougher races and has been tested by athletes of all levels, from top competitors to those aiming to finish. Each plan is crafted for a specific race to ensure you're fully prepared at the start line. These plans come from coaching athletes for these races where feedback from the athletes have helped mould these plans to suit the varying conditions of each race. The training blocks are carefully selected to deliver a progressive structure and targeted endurance blocks for bikepacking races, timed perfectly to get you race-ready.
The plan is tailored to your goals and training history, it's not a one size fits all, but a framework which delivers a well thought out structure to the race that lies ahead.
Planning
The planning is done via an online 'course' which takes you through the logical process you would follow to get your racing planning done. By completing the 'course' you do all your race prep via a structured platform which offers resources, a monitoring process, whiteboards for you to keep you lists and planning notes in one place.
The tasks you need to complete will be actionable items in the plan. They include route creation or route research (for pre-set routes), road book creation and other off-the-bike tasked needed for the race. If you follow the progression of the course all your race prep will be completed with 2 weeks to spare, giving you time to relax before the race.
Note: for the Fundamental package you will self-manage this with a reliance on yourself to do the research and self-check your own work. Under the Advanced package you will do your own research but can get some input or checks done by the coach.
Kit selection
Kit selection is an individual process, what you read via other racer's blogs or social media posts may only be a starting point for your own kit selection. During the coaching process you will prepare your kit list via prompts in the training plan. You will be given rides where you need to test your kit so you are comfortable with your kit and know it works for you to suit your own levels of comfort.Test event
Your race plan will include a test event. This will be planned according to your needs and what you need to test. This will be discussed on one of your scheduled calls to ensure you are testing all the right aspects for your race and they are specific to you rather than an influencer telling you what worked for them.. We all come with a different set of requirements and it's crucial you test what works for you.
Monthly group call
The is a monthly group call where you can post questions to be answered, each month will cover a topic relevant to the phase of planning and may also iinclude general questions that area asked. A special guest - usually someone who has done a mega race - will join one of the sessions, for you to ask them questions directly.
Purchase extra call time
You can purchase extra call time should you need some 1:1 coaching advise.
Online feedback
Feedback on this plan is managed online, via Training Peaks for workouts and via the monitoring tools for your race prep. There is an interactive element in the race prep system which allows me to see your planning and help where you are struggling.