Prep & Cross-Training

My name is Boyd Johnson and for 2011 my main goal for Mt. Mitchell is to cross the finish line in less than 5 hours (and maybe even ahead of everybody else!). The distance and climbing involved for the Assault makes it one of the toughest events I'll complete all year. Training and preparation for an event like this doesn't start the week or even month before, I am currently in the pre-season  portion of my training. During this part of the year I am focusing on raising my threshold level (sustainable wattage). The workouts I am doing currently are intervals of 20 or more minutes, usually performed around 88%-93% of what I can maintain for an hour.
One of the things that really helps gauge this effort and track my progress is my iBike power meter (www.ibikesports.com). If you are not familiar with power meters, they are a way to monitor at all times the amount of pressure you are putting on the pedals. The output is expressed as watts. For an event like Mt. Mitchell the final climb is all about watts per kilogram, or how many watts you can maintain for every kilogram of body weight. The other benefit of doing longer specific intervals is that you can optimize your time available to ride. Most of us don't have 4-6 hours available to ride during the week, by doing these specific intervals you can accomplish more in an hour and a half than if you were to go out for a normal 4 hour ride. Keep in mind though that the Assault is a very long and gruesome event, at some point you will need to get out and put in some long mileage rides.

For a lot of you with the normal 9-5 jobs this winter will mean a lot of trainer riding. The trainer can be boring and hard to take, but it can also be a great way to improve. With no factors such as wind, hills, stop signs, etc you can really hold a steady wattage and optimize your workout. Over Christmas time I went back to my hometown in Western, NY. I had the time to ride, but the 2-3 feet of snow outside made it pretty hard to get outside. Instead I hopped on my rollers and in one hour had my warm up, 2 twenty minute intervals, and a cool down finished. It wasn't easy but because of how specific the workout was I was finished before riding the rollers got to be too much to handle.

The other thing I got to do while up north was cross country ski again! Living down south we can get spoiled by the great winters we have around here (I know it snowed here recently, but trust me you don't have a month straight where it never gets above 20 degrees). If you are in an area where you have the benefit of cross country skiing this is a great way to cross train and even though it's cold you'll build up quite a sweat!


Keep checking back here as I'll have some tips on good workouts, updates on my preparation for the Assault, and even advice on equipment selection for race day. Many of you stopped by the booth that we had last year at the expo. We definitely plan on being back at the expo the day before the Assault. We'll even have some new goodies on display and you'll get to see the exact selection I'll be making as I try to be the ride rider over the finish line.

My early training for the Assault

I logged heavy miles throughout 2010 from January into September (my 2010 total will be above 10, 500 miles), with three 100+ mile Saturdays and a 240 mile Friday after that in September—so by November I needed rest.

After a week+ of no riding and rest in late November, I committed to UWBL in December (and have used this strategy since the UWBL began). With the unusual cold this fall and winter, I have ridden mainly moderate intensity rides, including only about 50-65 miles on the long Saturday rides (I have a 77 mile UWBL and a 90 mile Sunday when the last UWBL was canceled this December).

But December into January is devoted to base miles, in which I try to complete one long ride (more than 75) at least once a week. My December miles will approach 700-750 miles (if the Christmas snow melts), and I am targeting completing the Terry's Tap Room Century on January 1 and riding most of the UWBL rides, which help increase both miles and intensity into February.

January into February will continue dedicated long Saturday rides (or once a week as weather permits) and a gradual increase in rides that push the intensity. For a point of reference, here are my monthly miles for 2010 (and note that I am pretty consistenet with riding 4-5 days per week throughout the year):

Jan 2010 = 824 mis

Feb 2010 = 943 mis

Mar 2010 = 956 mis

Apr 2010 = 1075 mis

May 2010 = 1066 mis

June 2010 = 796 mis

July 2010 = 903 mis

Aug 2010 = 861 mis

Sept 2010 = 1008 mis

Oct 2010 = 829 mis

Nov 2010 = 592 mis

Dec 2010 = 662 mis (through Dec 26)

Notice I use high mileage building up to the Assault in May, and then back off in June (miles while keeping intensity). I usual having higher intensity throughout the summer into fall but rebuild endurance until the beach ride before resting and then regrouping in December as a beginning build up to the next Assault.

Paul Thomas, EdD, Associate Professor

Furman University

Winter Prep.

For the week of Dec. 20-25, I began some basic weight and stretching exercises to shake off a bit of the rust from 2 months of indolence.  My weight has not risen over the holidays, a good thing, but I feel out of shape and unhappy with myself for being out of shape.  This is normally a great motivator for me.  Beginning the afternoon of the 25th, I'm on the bike for a couple of short rides just to confirm that one doesn't forget how to ride a bike and then I'll move to a couple of longer rides.

And then, alas, I will be traveling for a month and will not be able to ride.  I'll be as dutiful as I can be about sit-ups / crunches, taking stairs rather than elevators, eating intelligently, and taking advantage of hotel fitness rooms if they are available.  And then I'll get serious on the 26th of January and begin to ride with a bit of focus. 

I'll use the Lance Armstrong Intermediate program to get going and then move to the Advanced program about the end of March.

Dennis M. Wiseman
Reeves Family Professor of French
Wofford College