If you’ve been following along, you know I plan to compete in the Endless Mountains Gravel Bikepacking Loop 250 in September. I have a rough idea of how to train for the next 10 months, but the model is one thing, the data are another. I can plan all I want, but eventually, the rubber will hit the road — er, the gravel — and whatever plan I have, no matter how well-constructed, will have to encounter reality. And the reality is going to be different. I need a taste of reality before September.
As it is now, all I have to compare the EMGBL 250 endeavor to is riding the Great Allegheny Passage / C&O Canal (~320 miles) route in June of 2024. The distance is one thing, the vert is another, and the 320 miles we rode over 5 days in June had less than 2,000 feet total vert. Having to ride 250 in 3 days this coming September, with ~25,000 feet of vert, is tough to imagine.
So, I’m thinking, what better way to construct a mental model of how the EMGBRL 250 will go than to ride a race with a lot of vert before September? Well, I just signed up for a taste of reality with the Rothrock GRIT Gravel Grinder & ROTHROCK 100. This race promises 106 miles of gravel cycling with ~10,000 feet of vert on June 7, 2025. I will focus my training to build to the point that I can ride that race in June, take it easy for the following week, and then continue with my training for the BMGBRL 250. This will be a level-set to gauge my readiness to ride in September. Assuming I bounce back within a week, and continue training, I plan to peak in mid-August, when we go on vacation. Every year, we spend a week in Chincoteague, Virginia, which is an island, and very flat. The plan is for my training to peak there with three consecutive days of 10-13 mile runs at a moderate pace. Assuming I nail that milestone, then the taper shall begin.
The 250-mile race, when first conceived, felt like I had made a plan to eat an elephant. And as it turns out, there is a correct way to eat an elephant — one bite at a time. One bite is the training plan I put together for January. The next bite is a bike race in early June. Then another big bite is the 3 consecutive days of running in August. Each one of those will be a milestone that will help me gauge my progress. I’m feeling more and more comfortable with this.
So, speaking of one bite at a time, where am I now after the first week, of the first month, of training? I’m going to call it a success. My actual activity deviated a bit from the plan, but it wasn’t because I didn’t work out, but instead, it was because I reserve the right to adapt to weather and my physical condition by substituting one activity for another. Instead of doing upper body weights today, I performed 30 minutes of stretching, with a focus on my back and shoulders. Additionally, I put in 20 minutes on a rowing machine. I won’t bore you with the details as to why, but it felt appropriate. And, oh, how can I forget? I did 60 minutes of Hot Yoga yesterday. Given the stress I put on my body with getting back into running and cycling during the week, it just seemed like a good idea to focus on functional movement and flexibility this weekend. I’m going to give myself a B+ for focus and execution this past week.
The coming week might be a little wonky. I have some funeral services to attend tomorrow evening and I’m going away next week for a guy’s mountain house sorta thing. So I’m going into this week knowing I’ll have to make some adjustments. One thing is certain though — running and cycling volume need to increase this week by at least 50% if I want my long runs to be back up to 8 miles by the first week of February, which I guess now constitutes yet another bite of this elephant.
