FasCat is big on coaching from experience and with endurance racing becoming more popular with events topping 200 miles I thought it was time I take on that challenge.
This past weekend I planned on a route from my parents up north in Michigan to Mackinac where I would meet my Dad for a weekend of camping. The feelings I had were similar to those I had athletes describe to me after their adventures in the DK200 and the Coast to Coast 200. The importance of proper nutrition, hydration and pacing become very key. Knowing what type of food you can take in early is going to be different than what you can take in 6, 7 or 8 hours later. You can feel like a rockstar early on, feeling like you are holding back, but come 150 miles you are doing everything you can to hold the same pace. And I have felt pretty wrecked after some hard pro races, and 100 mile mountain bike races, but nothing like this.
But I pretty much live at sweet spot training and that truly was the best training for this. The advance aerobic training is exactly what carried me through. Some of the best training were the 4 to 5 hour sweet spot group rides I had got in. Just really pushing the pace and staying on the pedals.
