Endurance Event Training - 350+ Mile Consecutive Bike Race

There is a BTer who has done RAAM and other long distance events.  He would be the best one probably to talk with (don't know his log-in).

For ultra cycling events it is similar to ultra running.  You just need to log a lot of time in the saddle as opposed to time running.  Numerous 2 - 4 hour rides a week with a longer one on the weekend if possible.  The key thing to build up is the tolerance for saddle time and the callouses needed to be in it that long.  Also it is critical to understand how your system works after 7 or 8 hours in so that you know what you can and cannot take in for nutrition.  From my understanding of ultra events, most will stick to fluids completely.

Good luck with training and I hope you get more responses!  RAAM is one of the things on my life-checklist to complete.  This sounds like a good step towards that!

This ought to get you started. 

http://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=83745&posts=9&highlight=brevet&highlightmode=1#M894498

I have never done a specific event such as this but I do have specific experience in a couple of areas that might help. 

1.  I have done a 200+ mile bike ride and found that consistent "in the saddle" time was more important than the distance itself.  My point is that getting on your bike several times a week is probably more important than riding 150+ miles in a single ride or more.

2.  I have done several multi day competitive events when you have to "think" and perform "physically" for more than 24 or 36 hours consecutively.  The most important aspect of these types of events is keeping up on Nutrition and keeping "aware".  I like your idea of riding strait after a day at work and going back to work without rest.  These are the types of training that be easy to accomplish and useful to understand how you perform.

Best of Luck, sounds like fun.

Michael

Bill,

I'm planning on doing a 24 hour race in Fl in February. It will be challenging to get enough saddle time in living in MA to really prepare well. But I'm doing it because I want to and it fits into my life. The draw for this race is the night riding in on the Sebring race track away from cars which honestly makes me feel safer. Clearly I can not be as prepared as I could be for summer of fall race, but it works for me.

In doing the IM relay as the biker over Labor Day I realized I think I have the mental ability to handle this.  IM was 4 loop course and strangely each loop seemed to go by faster and faster and I just did it. Mentally I got into a place that worked for me to just ride, drink and consume calories which I think is essential to doing one of these longer rides.

Someone from my bike race team just did the Adirondack 540 race and she has shared a lot with me. For her training she rides from Boston to NH and back many weekends and puts in 400+ miles in two days.

Here in MA they have two different Brevet series that do increasing longer rides each month to gear up for rides that I think are 600K in the summer. I plan to do some of the early rides with them starting in March. I bet they have those near you too.