PREPARING FOR THE AUDAX 200k ( A bit more detail):

So last time we covered a bit about getting ready to ride 125 miles in one day. This time we’ll look at that idea a little more deeply. Remember the principle, “You can ride your week in a day.” That assumes that 1) You are doing the “week” on a consistent basis, and 2) You have been doing it for at least four weeks. That’s the minimum necessary.

To prepare well, you will need to vary your rides during your week, and to include a few significantly longer rides in your plan. Here’s a good suggestion for the a 12 hour training week:

Monday: Rest day (no riding or other training)
Tuesday: Short and easy. One hour to one and a half hours of low intensity riding
Wednesday: Moderate. Two to two and a half hours at a steady working pace.
Thursday: Short and hard: One hour of strong effort
Friday: Short and easy. One to one and a half hours of low intentisty riding.
Saturday: Steady state. Three to four hours of event pace riding.
Sunday: Long ride. Four to five hours of easy to moderate effort.

Notes:
1) If you do the minimum per week you will do twelve hours. If you do the maximum you get fifteen and a half hours in. It would be best to mix them a bit and land somewhere between the two extremes.
2) You can move the days around a bit to match your schedule, but they should come in pretty much the same order as above.
3) Do not skip the rest day! It’s the most important one in the sequence.

Finally, what about longer rides? That’s where the Audax Tune Up Rides can come in. We have two more of these scheduled. The next one is another 45 mile ride, and will take about 4 hours total (about three and a half of “saddle time.”) Then the September “Tune Up,” is a bit longer. It’s a good hilly 65 miler, and will take a good five hours (about four and a half hours of “saddle time”). These are great preparation for the actual ride. They will help condition your backside to longer rides. More, they are excellent training. The terrain is deliberately tougher than the actual ride. If you come out of them in good order, then you can do the event with confidence.

See you on the road.