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Colorado Trail Race Bikepacking Mountain Bike Training Plan

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Colorado Trail Race Bikepacking Mountain Bike Training Plan

Includes Structured Workouts

Structured Workouts automatically sync with compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time.


Learn More about Structured Workouts.

Author

Lynda Wallenfels

All plans by this Coach
4.67 (3)

Length

12 Weeks

Includes Structured Workouts

Structured Workouts automatically sync with compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time.


Learn More about Structured Workouts.

Plan Description

Our tried and tested LW Coaching Colorado Trail Race Bikepacking Mountain Bike Training Plan has been updated with TrainingPeaks structured workouts to make the most of both indoor and outdoor riding opportunities. For outdoor training, power (watts), TSS and IF targets can be downloaded to your Garmin. For indoor training, download your plan to your favorite Smart Trainer app such as Zwift, Rouvy or Trainer Road.

This 12 week bikepacking training plan is for an experienced endurance racer who has completed one or more endurance events (12+ hours) and is ready to commit to racing the Colorado Trail. This plan is detailed and committing, assuming performance in CTR is one of the top priorities in your life for the next 12 weeks. Your goal is to finish, and to stretch out your personal limits to learn just how fast you can complete this beast. The plan has big hours and hard training. It is an aggressive plan designed to push you to your limits in pursuit of the perfect alpine multi-day racing experience.

Weekly total training hours range from 14 to 29. This includes 2-3 hours of strength training and stretching every week. Plan focus is on speed and fitness building for the first 3 weeks and then transitions to a combination of continued improvements of threshold power, endurance abilities, and many aspects of the self-supported racing genre. There are several multi-day rides scheduled with flexible options to do other races.

This plan is paced by power (watts), heart rate and perceived exertion. At a minimum, a heart rate monitor is recommended to follow this training plan. A power meter and smart trainer are optional (and highly advantageous) extras. A power meter or smart trainer is not required to successfully follow this training plan.

Guidelines are presented for: bikepacker bike fit, altitude acclimatization, recovery at altitude, CTR course specific equipment considerations, race strategy tips, self-supported fueling overview, functional GI maintenance and more.

Visit our LW Coaching website to ask training plan questions on our forum, read mountain bike specific training articles, learn new workouts and see what events our coaches and athletes have been racing.

How it Works

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Training Plan Sample Week

Sample Workouts - Week 100
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Monday

Core and upper-body strength

Strength01:00:00
Warm-Up:
-5 minutes of easy aerobic exercise or calisthenics

Main-Set:
- 10 push-ups
- 10 pull-ups
- 10 pillar ball twists
- 10 psoas crunches to each side
- 10 regular crunches
- 10 oblique crunches
- 10 side lifts to each side
- 10 supermans
- 10 glute bridges

Repeat 2-3 times through.

End your session with 15 minutes of stretching and rolling on the foam roller.

Exercise descriptions found here https://lwcoaching.com/core-strength-for-mountain-bikers/
Details
Tuesday

DAY #2 Foam Roller and Stretch

Other00:15:00
DAY #2: After the bike field test today use a combination of rolling on the foam roller and stretching to work out your hot spots.
Details

Power and HR Performance 20 min Field Test (structured)

Bike01:30:0092 TSSStructured Workout
DAY #2: Heart rate, Power and Performance Field Test.

Do a long deep warm up prior to the test. Then time trial 20 minutes on a flat out-back course or up a continuous gradual climb. Pace the 20 minutes evenly with a maximal effort. i.e. go as fast as you can for 20 minutes without blowing up and stopping or slowing down significantly before the end of the 20 min test. Record average heart rate, average power and distance covered in the 20 minutes. Finish ride time with long easy cool down.

CALCULATING YOUR HEART RATE ZONES: Use the TrainingPeaks training zones calculator found in the SETTINGS > ZONES tab as follows:

1. In TrainingPeaks open your athlete account setting page and select Zones (click on your name > settings > zones).

2. Enter the average heart rate from your 20-minute test into the Threshold Heart Rate box.

3. Choose type “Lactate Threshold” from the drop-down menu in the auto calculation box.

4. Choose method “Joe Friel for Cycling” in the drop-down menu in the auto calculation box.

5. Click Calculate > Apply > Save.

CALCULATING YOUR POWER LEVELS: Use the TrainingPeaks training zones calculator found in the SETTINGS > ZONES tab as follows:

1. In TrainingPeaks open your athlete account setting page and select Zones (click on your name > settings > zones).

2. Enter the average power from your 20-minute test x 0.95 into the Threshold Power box. For example if your average 20 min power is 200w, enter 190w into the threshold power box (200w x 0.95 = 190w).

3. Choose type “Threshold Power” from the drop-down menu in the auto calculation box.

4. Choose method “Andy Coggan” in the drop-down menu in the auto calculation box.

5. Click Calculate > Apply > Save.

Prior to conducting this test review the Testing Guidelines doc found at this link: http://lwcoaching.com/?p=138
Details
Wednesday

Moderate effort single track smooth flowy ride with HAB

Bike01:45:0080 TSSStructured Workout
Ride mostly technical single track. Keep the effort level moderate and relaxed the entire ride. Focus on riding smooth, upper body limber and relaxed. Nothing forced, riding with full awareness of bike and trail. For an added challenge try dismounting/mounting the bike from the side you are not used to. Power doesn't play a large role in this ride; keep HR under the top of Z3.

Today's ride, simple though it may seem is an important part of the plan. During CTR there will be countless times when you are faced with the decision to ride or walk - and the consequences for this simple decision carry extra weight as you will be far from help should you need it. Solid bike handling in difficult terrain and with tired legs will go a long ways towards improving your CTR experience.

Coach Lynda Tip: Hike-a-bike (HAB) is a large part of the CTR route and you must train for it. Do all the recommended HAB scheduled in your plan to be strong at CTR. Don't blow off HAB training because you prefer riding!
Details

Core workout

Strength00:30:00
Core training. Do a variety of exercises for your hip, abdominal and lower back muscles. Examples are bridging, pillar exercises, crunches, back extensions, Pilates.

Core training tips and exercise options at this link https://lwcoaching.com/core-strength-for-mountain-bikers/

Option: Do a core strength or Pilates workout in the SWORKIT app https://sworkit.com

Work hard and get a sweat going. A strong core means being more comfortable at the end of long days on the bike.
Details
Thursday

L3/L5' (structured)

Bike02:15:00129 TSSStructured Workout
Do a gradual warm up, bringing HR to zone 3 or power to L3 at the 20 minute mark. Hold a steady power level/HR zone for 20 minutes in mid to upper L3/Z3. Use your preferred cadence, keep hands loose, upper body relaxed. Terrain is flat/rolling. Spin easy for 5 minutes, arriving at the base of a 3 min climb (can also be an uninterrupted 3 minute flat section). Do 4 intervals of 3 min each at the middle of power Level 5 or HR Z5. Spin easy 3 minutes after each interval. After the last L5 interval, spin easy until recovered, then ride 20 minutes in L3/Z3. Follow up with an easy spin to the finish.

Power users tip: Pace consistently over each interval; note average power over the 4 x 3 min intervals.

Heart rate users tip: HR will lag far behind effort for these 3 min intervals. Start easier than you think you need to, it may take 2 minutes (or more) for HR to reach Z5.
Details

Foam Roll and Stretch

Other00:15:00
Use a combination of rolling on the foam roller and stretching to work out your hot spots.
Details
Friday

DAY #5 Core and upper-body strength

Strength00:45:00
DAY #5:

Warm-up:
- 5 minutes of aerobic exercise or calisthenics.

Main-set: Repeat 2-3 times
- 10 bench or chest press with a weight approaching but not reaching failure
- 10 lat pull or pull up with a weight approaching but not reaching failure
- 60 second front pillar
- 30 second side pillar to each side
- 10 ball pikes
- 10 bicep curls with a weight approaching but not reaching failure
- tricep dips to failure.

Cool-down:
- 5 min stretching
Details

Optional Recovery spin

Bike01:30:0054 TSSStructured Workout
Optional ride. Go for an easy recovery spin in heart rate zone 1 or take the day off the bike in favor of passive rest if you prefer. Passive rest may be the better choice. The strength session is a higher priority today than this recovery ride.
Details
Saturday

DAY #6 Fast group ride or XC Race (structured)

Bike03:00:00203 TSSStructured Workout
Day 6

On or off-road - your choice today: Long warm-up then fast group ride or cross-country race. Terrain with substantial climbs is best.

Warm up:
Start with a long gradual warm-up today.
- 20 minutes in power L1 or HRZ1
- 20 mins in power L2 or HRZ2
- 10 mins in power L3 or HRZ3
- 3 min power L1 or HRZ1
- 1 X 60 seconds in power L4 or building to HRZ4 by the end of the minute
- 3 min power L1 or HRZ1
- 1 X 60 seconds in power L5 or building to HRZ5 by the end of the minute
- 3 minutes in power L1 or HRZ1

Main-set:
- For 1:45 (one hour and 45 mins) do a fast group ride or cross country race. Ride fast and aggressively. Experiment with race strategies and test yourself. Be smart! If tired, back off and sit in. If feeling good, let'r rip!

Cool-down:
Short easy spin, then focus immediately on recovery by consuming a recovery drink or eating a snack with a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

I suggest a drink containing 20 g whey protein, an additional 6-8 g glutamine, and some quick carbs ingested immediately following the ride. Blender smoothies are great - start with 8 oz orange juice, toss in some whey protein and glutamine, add fruit of your choice, maybe a touch of yogurt, and if it was a really exhausting workout add some cooked rice. Add ice if you're hot, blend and enjoy.

Study this doc and implement strategies to improve your recovery https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/the-best-recovery-practices-for-endurance-athletes/
Details
Sunday

Aerobic base & skills session

Bike04:00:00165 TSSStructured Workout
Choose a trail with long gradual climbs that you are able to ride keeping HR within zone 2-3. Keep cadence high - the goal today is to maintain steady aerobic pressure but keep it easier on the muscular level. When you get to descents, rage 'em! Work on technical skills, roots, rocks, steep drops, carrying speed in corners.
Details

Yoga - Deep-release, hips, hamstrings and lower-back

Other00:48:00
Do this 48 min class at this link http://www.doyogawithme.com/content/deep-release-hips-hamstrings-and-lower-back

Modify any poses that cause discomfort. Avoid anything that causes pain or tension.
Details

Tuesday Sample Workout Details

Other

Stats

Average Weekly Breakdown

Workouts Weekly Average Longest Workout
Bike x6
15:39:00 10:00:00
Other x5
01:08:00 01:00:00
Strength x3
02:00:00 01:00:00
Workouts Per Week Weekly Average Longest Workout
Bike Bike
15:39:00 10:00:00
Other Other
01:08:00 01:00:00
Strength Strength
02:00:00 01:00:00

Training Load By Week


This plan works best with the following fitness devices:

  • Power Meter
  • Heart Rate Monitor

All supported devices

Lynda Wallenfels

LW Coaching

Mountain Bike Coaching, Consulting and Mountain Bike Training Plans. We are mountain bikers and specialize in mountain biking.

Browse our LWCoaching.com website and give our LW Coaching mountain bike training plan finder App a try https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/planfinder/ to see which mountain bike training plan stack fits your goals.

Personal coaching, pre-built mountain bike training plans, consulting. See www.lwcoaching.com or contact lynda@lwcoaching.com

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