Diaries of an Aspiring Ultra-Distance Cyclist: Training for Ultra-Endurance Cycling

As daft as it sounds, riding long distances is not how I’m training for ultra-endurance cycling.

You probably read my first diaries of an aspiring ultra-cyclist post & were left wondering ‘how on earth is a moderately fit recreational cyclist going to turn himself into an ultra-distance endurance cyclist? Surely he must be spending every waking minute riding stupid long distances as fast as possible & never sleeping?’

Nope. My training consists of lots of slow paced rides mixed in with shorter, high intensity riding. So ride slower to ride faster…? As counterintuitive as it sounds, there is science behind this. Although I was mind blown at first too! And as for sleep deprivation – wrong again. I’m sleeping more now than I was before starting this training journey!

So what does a typical week look like?

A typical week training for ultra-endurance cycling would be approximately 25-30 hours on the bike, with 5 hours of gym work. My rides vary by pace & duration, but as a general overview;

• Active recovery is low heart rate, low intensity & typically 60-90 minutes each morning (on the turbo, so no excuses!) – although I will do one or two longer (3-4 hour) rides at this pace each week. The idea here is efficient movement without exerting myself, working on my base aerobic fitness. This ‘base training’ accounts for around 40% of my riding each week.
• Intervals are shorter, higher intensity training sessions – working at varying outputs above my threshold for different periods of time, aiming to simulate both hill climbing & lactate threshold riding. These are usually 70-90 minutes x3 each week, I’ll do these on the turbo to accurately measure my outputs & get rid of external interference that occurs when riding outside (traffic, roundabouts etc.)
• Tempo rides are typically 3-4 hour rides at consistently higher-than average pace. I’ll only do one of these per week as these hurt!
• Endurance rides are a culmination of everything – this is my one ‘big ride’ per week, progressively increasing my distance from 200km to 400km. This is the ride where I measure my performance. Rest day sits in between tempo and endurance rides.
• Gym sessions happen every day before lunch. Typically, this will be core strength & conditioning, as well as stretching, mobility & foam rolling. It’s one part of my riding that has always been missing – hence the injury last year. It’s not only about creating a stronger, fit-for-purpose body, but about mental discipline & injury prevention too.

Previously i’ve had a ‘ride whenever I feel like it type approach’ – meaning a lot of endurance type riding. Whilst fun, this type of riding takes a long time to see any kind of noticeable improvement. Endurance type rides tend to have a much higher training stress score and require longer periods of rest to fully recover, whereas a 90-minute high-intensity training session doesn’t require as much recovery – I can therefore do more of this per week. The hard work happens in these shorter, focussed sessions, where the aim is to increase my power output. Increasing my power output, but more specifically the duration I can hold that output for, leads to an increase functional threshold power. FTP then dictates my training zones; the higher my FTP, the higher my training zones – and fundamentally, enabling better performance on endurance type riding, i.e. being able to ride faster for the same perceived exertion. Some sessions are focussed on 5 minute efforts at a certain power output well above my threshold, whilst others are focussed on sustaining a slightly lower power output but for longer durations – still above my threshold. *

Oh, I almost forgot – 1 rest day per week too! I like riding my bike a lot, so rest days can be a little frustrating. But if I’ve done my 6 training days properly, my body will be in need of it! It’s actually quite cool knowing my body is adapting to the stress it’s been under for the last 6 days & is becoming stronger whilst I sit on my arse, doing not a lot for the day.

I really wish I’d accepted sooner that recovery is as important as physically training & should be considered part of training for ultra-endurance cycling. One thing I have found is rest days are so refreshing – not only physically, but mentally too. Being wired into a training plan constantly, remaining focussed on performance & nutrition can be draining – rest day is a chance to switch off completely, create some headspace to gather my thoughts & reset. It’s also a good day to keep on top of maintenance – 500km per week demands it!

Sleep has become one of the most important & strictest parts of my training routine. 8 hours sleep per night, with screens turned off at least 30 minutes before hand has become religious for me. Sleep is when the magic of rest & recovery happens. As someone who never really cared much for routine, it’s incredibly refreshing to have a proper sleeping pattern – I’m able to wake up feeling ready to go each morning, not feeling lethargic or fatigued.

30 hours training per week sounds like a lot, but 10 of those are dedicated to one endurance ride at the weekend – something I’d have done anyway. So the remaining 20 over 5 days is only 4 hours a day on average. Training is one continuous process, one that’s important to enjoy. So whilst it is 30 hours ‘training’ per week, its 30 hours of doing what I enjoy – riding my bike.

As I explained in my last post, training for ultra-endurance cycling is about having a focus & goal to work towards every day. As such I prioritise training & make time for it because it’s what I want to do. Yes, my days are busy & a bit hectic. But a busy life is one filled with purpose & that’s how I aspire to live each day.  

I’ve chosen to train in blocks of 4 weeks, at the end of each block I can measure my performance & assess where I’m at inline with my goals. It also allows time for reflection; to understand what’s working for me & what isn’t. I’ve just completed block one – a block which was aimed at adapting & getting settled into a training routine – making sure I was comfortable with the demands of a 30-hour training week after a period of injury.

How am I finding it?

I’ve always been a ‘ride when and wherever I want’ kind of person, so adapting to a fixed schedule has taken some getting used to. It is a bit robotic, forcing myself to do a certain type of ride each day – but equally it’s somewhat easier not have to think & decide what to do each day – or come up with some lame weather related excuse. Training & racking up a smidge over 2000km this month has given me something to look forward to each day. It’s been a productive way to keep occupied in what would otherwise be an even more mundane than usual January.

The training process is actually really quite interesting, as well as satisfying. You’re probably going to hear me say ‘it’s all about the process’ quite a lot over the next few weeks! But I think enjoying the process is as important as the goal to which you’re working towards. Ultimately it is a journey of self-improvement and focus, but it has to be fun at the same time, otherwise what is the point?

I’ve always kept numbers away from my riding for fear of falling out with a hobby. But as an engineer, data interests me – even more so when its data generated by my own legs! Admittedly there’s been times where I’ve felt very uncomfortable – either grimacing through a threshold ride, nearly thrown up after an interval effort or just generally struggled for motivation to get going. There’s also been times where I’ve just felt super strong, cruising at 35km/h on an endurance ride or smashing it up a hill climb.

I’ve had rides where my legs just feel like jelly and I’ve bonked after 90km, I’ve also done 300km rides & felt pretty comfortable afterwards. The point I’m trying to make is not everything goes to plan, the sessions which sound easier can sometimes be hardest.

I’ve come to accept that when it isn’t quite going as well as I’d hoped not to be too harsh on myself. If I averaged out good days vs bad days, I’ve undoubtedly had more good days – not that there is a bad day that involves bikes! It’s all about enjoying the process & right now I’m seeing progress, even after only 4 weeks.

The one thing that does stand out is routine & being disciplined enough to stick to it. Routine drives consistency & consistency equals results. Having the discipline to get up at 6.30 each day & get on the turbo. Starting the day right dictates how the rest of the day goes, same with Monday – it sets the tone for the week. No excuses on a Monday, just get it done!

As for motivation for training for ultra-endurance cycling – well I plan to dedicate an entire blog to that!

January can be a pretty blue month at the best of times – this year even more so. Having ticked over 2000km this January, I can comfortably say that having a goal & aspirations is giving me a real feel of purpose. I’m enjoying keeping busy, getting stronger & closer to my goal every day.

* I realise this is s a little vague, nor particularly revolutionary/accurate to anyone already familiar with the training process. But this is just my account and learnings from entering the world of focussed training, based on a background of just riding for no other reason than the love of it.