Can 6 Hour Training Rides Become Normal?

[classtimesailer]

A 2 to 3 hour training ride with the local elite doesn't kick my ass (when it is over). I can still function around the house with honey-dos and such. I'm a little less enthusiastic on the those days, but I can cope. Now is the season for me to train for my Spring Classic 130 Mile Group Ride of the Year and I find that when I ride 90 miles, I am pretty worthless for the rest of the day. So, my question is: If I keep "training" for this long ride by riding long, will my body adapt?. In other words, can I look forward to eventually coming home after a 6 hour ride at 75% of LT and then have something left to walk the dogs or work in the garden?

[David Tollefson]

It's been a while since I trained long rides like that, but yes, you'll adapt. And I'm also thinking there are hydration and nutrition issues. Drink more. Lots more.

[Too Tall]

David answered perfectly A clear training goal of my own for early season prep. is to ride 6 hrs with two 5 min. water stops, mix of tempo and endurance pace and feel good afterwards. Yep, it's very "normal" for a bunch of nut cases like us.

[Peter Polack]

It depends on your parents.

If you aren't gifted with the genetics to adapt to training rides of the lengths you're suggesting, they'll always put you on the couch afterwards.

Or, you may be able to adapt, but the volume of training you'll need to get there may be too much to leave you with anything left for real life duties.

[andrew]

Yes, you will adapt. It does take a while, and recovery is important. Drink lots, make sure you take on appropriate calories during and after.

[classtimesailer]

Alright -- More food, more water, bigger post ride meal. Time goes by so quickly it seems like I am eating and drinking all the time at my current 1 bottle and 200-225 calories per hour. I thought that if I was feeling ok during the ride, I was taking on sufficient fluids and fuel.

[Joel Benjamin L]

Your body will adapt; your wife may not.

[GladiusXII]

A long time ago, some Italian pro gave this advice... "on long training rides, never use energy greater than you would use walking. You should arrive home fresh, not beaten up."

[classtimesailer]

I raised my calories per hour to 350 and drank an additional bottle during my 6 hour ride. Whether it was Food, Fluids, or Training Effect, I felt better. This weekend, my plan is a seven hour ride and then install 75 linear feet of sprinkler system. Now I wonder if it is best to do a long ride every other week, or a long ride per week for two weeks and then rest one week. (LT mid_week).

[nahtnoj]

I think a lot of it depends on temperature. In the spring and fall, no problem. Summer I need to be out the door by 5 and home by lunch...and even then I'm probably wrecked for the rest of the day.

[David Tollefson]

I raised my calories per hour to 350 and drank an additional bottle during my 6 hour ride. Whether it was Food, Fluids, or Training Effect, I felt better. This weekend, my plan is a seven hour ride and then install 75 linear feet of sprinkler system. Now I wonder if it is best to do a long ride every other week, or a long ride per week for two weeks and then rest one week. (LT mid_week).

It's not like running where you get the muscle breakdown from the long runs, and ever-other-week over-distance sessions are the norm. Weekly long rides are the ticket.

[Too Tall]

I raised my calories per hour to 350 and drank an additional bottle during my 6 hour ride. Whether it was Food, Fluids, or Training Effect, I felt better. This weekend, my plan is a seven hour ride and then install 75 linear feet of sprinkler system. Now I wonder if it is best to do a long ride every other week, or a long ride per week for two weeks and then rest one week. (LT mid_week).

That's a pretty ambitious calorie per hrs. Despite me being a rather large fellah I've never been able to choke down more than 275/hr. steadily. FWIIW My MO for these long rides is to ride hard, keep the calories coming in but "just enough" to keep me hungary and lots of water with electrolytes...always some electrolytes. You may find that after hrs. 3 or 4 swapping in some higher fat/protein food works well. My personal go to calories for hrs. 5/6 is beef jerky. If you are looking for a killer food bar that is high calorie and high quality check out Welcome to ORGANIC FOOD BAR: We’re Amazingly Healthy and Outrageously Good! these are 300 calories and don't taste like damp cardboard. Trader Joe's generally has them in stock.

[David Tollefson]

Fig Newtons and watered down Heed works well for me up to about 5 hours. Then I need something more substantial.

[classtimesailer]

Nice to know that I am able to eat that much AND that I don't have to eat more. I ate a variety: dates, a banana, a peanut butter sandwich, a cliff shot, 2 Bonk Breakers, a cliff bar, two bottles of homemade lemonade and refills with Fizz. This week it will be Scott Jurek's Chocolate Adzuki Bars in the rotation. If I make it to Trader Joe's I'll grab a couple of those bars. Organic is good. Thanks David--I did feel like something was missing on those in-between-long-ride weeks.