A Renewed Focus
- RBS365
- Sep 5, 2020
- 2 min read
So the last few weeks I began gearing up for a new challenge. The Fall Epic 8 has been a mountain bike race I have completed twice previously and is my new focus of the upcoming month.
What is the Fall Epic 8?
It’s located at Hardwood Hills up in Oro Medonte which consists of a 10k loop around some of their mountain bike trails. For 8 hours you complete as many laps as you can, this can be done solo, duo, or teams. The race previously took place on a single day but has changed it’s format incorporating new Covid-19 protocols. It now spans over the course of 10 days, limiting the total participants to just a 100 people per day. Due to the change, it has shifted from a traditional “race” to a “challenge”. The goal for many solo riders is to reach the 100k mark in under 8 hours to received the coveted pin.
Training
I first completed this challenge back in 2014, getting my final lap in with about 10mins to spare. In 2018, I completed 11 laps and have set my sights on 12 laps for my latest challenge. However, comparing previous results is never the same as the course’s level of difficulty changes as well as the exact distance. The only setback I had last time was tightness in my IT band (something that has plagued my running and biking in the past). It hit me during my sixth lap and I managed to push through the pain to complete the ride. This time, 12 laps for sure will be a challenge but I think I am making good headway in terms of my overall riding, training, and nutrition.
I am modifying a Dirty Kanza training plan to help me prepare (link below). This is the first time I’m actually following a training plan for this race. It consists of FTP rides, vo2 max rides and long endurance rides which I have all learned over the past few months during covid are three key workouts to any bike training plan. This long weekend marks my highest volume of training concluding with a six hour mountain bike ride.
More follow up to come and let you know how the 8 hour challenge goes.
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