- One of our GCN new years resolution suggestions
for 2017 was the prospect of riding a double century.
So, 200 miles.
So, if riding centuries are your thing,
this could be right up your street.
- It definitely could but, at the same time
you're saying that Matt, we did have to actually admit
that none of us here at GCN have ever ridden
a double century.
So, to find out how to train for one, we've consulted
a few ultra endurance experts like our friend,
Bruce Berkeley, and also gone back to our own
training knowledge too.
Another coffee?
- Tom, you already had four espressos.
- I'm nervous.
(upbeat music)
- If you're really intent in doing an ultra endurance event,
there's no real shortcut to simply putting the miles in.
You can't just afford to ride 50 miles if your target
is a double century.
- How far do we have to go, Matt?
- About 199 miles, mate.
- Oh, one mile in?
- Yeah, sorry.
Your preparation is vital.
In the simple words of Bruce, "If you fail to prepare,
"you prepare to fail."
Getting the longer rides in is going to condition your body
not just from a physical fitness point of view,
but also getting your body used to sitting on a bike
for that sort of duration and at the same time,
training your mind.
You don't need to have done the distance of your
event in training, but you should have done
at least half the distance on a few occasions.
Also, doing a couple of long back to back days
will teach your body and mind to keep riding
when already fatigued.
- Similar to other goals though, is the gradual buildup.
Increase the length of your longest ride each week
and do so gradually because going in too long
too early could do more harm than good.
Once you know what your end goal is, work out a plan about
how you can get there between now and then.
- [Man] Rest and recuperation becomes even more important
when you're doing the big hours.
Going to this extreme in exercise duration
is really going to deplete your body of it's reserves.
So it's vital that you give it enough rest to recover.
Otherwise, you risk digging a very big hole.
- Nutrition becomes doubly important, both on and off
the bike.
The correct nutrition off the bike will help you
to replace everything that you use while cycling.
Is that nice?
And what you eat on your rides becomes vital.
As an experienced rider, you can probably now
muddle through a century even if you don't
get your nutrition spot on.
Double that distance and you're going to go through
some dark periods unless your nutrition is planned
and executed perfectly.
Find out what works for you.
It might be that at the lower intensity you'll have to
ride at for these longer distances, a different type
of food or drink works better for you.
It's a case of you experimenting and then putting it
into practise in your training before the day of the event.
- Making sure your body is in perfect working order
is the first step, but the same should really apply
to your bike as well.
Spending 10 hours in the saddle is hard enough.
The last thing you want is a mechanical
or to feel uncomfortable.
- So make sure it's serviced, in good working order
and fits you very, very well.
Pay particular attention to the contact points
with your body.
So think saddle, bars, shoes, insoles,
cleat position, that sort of thing.
Also, anything that can improve your comfort.
So think things like bigger tyres or better clothing
is going to make a massive difference.
- Don't start out too hard.
There's not too much time to recover
during an ultra endurance event, so it's absolutely vital
that you get your pacing strategy spot on.
In fact, it's a good idea to use either
a heart rate monitor and/or powermeter
to make sure you stay within the right zones.
Endurance events are hard enough and if you get
your pacing strategy wrong, you can make the latter stages
particularly tough and brutal.
- Once we get into ultra endurance distances,
it becomes a mental game as much as a physical one.
Many people are physically capable of riding for 10 hours,
but it's their head that holds them back.
So, training your mind becomes just as important.
You can't let a small inconvenience such as a headwind
affect your concentration, motivation and determination.
You need to teach your mind to cope with the diversity
to stay positive at all times.
As endurance riding expert, Bruce Berkeley says,
"Your mind is your biggest asset."
You will go through ups and downs, but keep focused on the
goal you have and find ways to break it down.
Everyone will find their own way to do this.
Bruce suggests trying not to think of the big distance
number, as this can seem almost too large at times
and a long way off.
So, think of the time that you're riding for,
rather than the miles or the kilometres.
That's a much smaller number and therefore much easier
on your mind.
Ultra distance events are probably 75% mind,
focus and determination, and 25% physical.
- In conclusion, your body can do whatever you want it to.
It's your mind that you need to convince.
So, never, ever, ever give in.
- Inspirational stuff Matt and we know that a lot of you
absolutely love your epic endurance riding adventure,
so do let us know your do's and dont's
for preparing for this down in the comments.
If you haven't done so already, subscribe to GCN.
All you need to do is click on our logo, which should be
onscreen now and a hugely important subject
when you're doing an endurance ride is comfort.
So, to get more comfortable on your bike,
click right there.
- Yeah and for how to prepare for your first ever
100-mile ride, how 'bout clicking just down here.
We need to lie down now, don't we?
- I do.