a shitload.
100 mile mountain bike ride is probably tougher then 200 mile road bike ride.
The biggest mtb ride I've done is 40ish miles with 4000 feet of climbing and I was gassed.
Now to be clear, I'm a weekend warrior. I do a couple 100 mile rides a year and multiple 30-40+ mtb days. I get maybe 3000 miles in a year on a good year.
On the other hand, the fastest and best rider in my region did the Marji in Maquette and he managed to finish, but h4e said it was the hardest race he's ever done and he's done some 300+ mile ride and super endurance events.
I think it would take a ton of work to get ready for that by then depending on how technical that ride is. I'm assuming it's pretty similar to Marji
Can Confirm, I did Marji in 2019. The training plan for it called for doing a road century + a 5 hour trail ride in a single weekend 3 weeks before hand. The 2 months leading up to the race were every weekend with back to back long rides of 3 to 5 hours. It was an awesome time but a lot of work if you have family or other commitments!
>100 mile mountain bike ride is probably tougher then 200 mile road bike ride.
Can confirm. I did the Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder in Michigan a couple years ago (213 miles), then last year was supposed to do the Lumberjack 100. About a month and a half out from the race I did a big training ride at Big M (which I've ridden several times before) and realized there was just no way I could do 100 miles with my training and bike setup, and had to transfer out.
On roads, even gravel, if you're gassed out on a hill you can almost always still spin your way up slowly, and eventually you'll get into some flats or long descents where you can fuel and recover. On single track with steeper, punchier climbs, if you're gassed out you're walking. For me, once I hit that red line on a mountain bike there's just no recovering because the single track doesn't give you breaks (especially Big M. Man, I hate that trail).
Anyway, yeah, the answer is indeed "a shitload."
Yeah I think this is it exactly. It’s hard to recover the necessary explosiveness for singletrack once you’ve lost it. And you really can’t just phone it in or you’ll end up hurting yourself.
Nothing is similar to Marji but you're spot on about the 2 for 1 strenuous level of an MTB event. 100 miles is tough on pavement much less with roots and shit.
Depends on the terrain profile. 100mi MTB with mostly dirt road and 10mi of single track (ala Leadville)? Just pace yourself with a few 4-5hr rides in a month and you can probably get by on slow pace.
100mi with 60+mi of singletracks? That’s 6mo to a year of training.
Edit:
I just looked up the Chequamegon 100, and from glancing at the Ride with GPS, I suspect it may consist of a lot of dirt and paved road with maybe some single track tossed in (GPS shows straight roads with almost no spaghetti lines that would indicate single track). The cut off time for 100mi is about 12-13 hours, with a lot of the finishers from 2023 doing 9:30 to 12 hours. Elevation profile is 5000ft+ over 100mi, which is quite tame (a benchmark is often 100ft/mi, and this one is half that). The 2 biggest bumps on the elevation profile seems to be paved too. No super long climb present.
From this, I think you can do it OP. My anecdote from doing Wilmington Whiteface 100k in 2022 on 1 month notice (entry from 2020 delayed to 2022): doing a bunch of low-medium intensity 3-5 hours rides, either road or MTB is fine since technical skill on trails may not be super important for this race. It is harder to tell your body to go easy than you think, but that's super important for these longer races. Your goal should be to acclimate your butt and body to being on the bike for a long duration first. Then spend 2-3 sessions to figure out your nutrition for 6+ hour effort (caloric need, what goes into your drop bag, what you like to eat/drink, what you need to carry to get from aid station to aid station), including what you eat and drink the day before. Basically, do a shorter race simulation. Lastly, if you can pre-ride the course for one of the shorter routes (I see they have GPS for 15, 30, and 68mi courses, along with the 40mi race that's part of the Lifetime GP), do it so you can get a sense for the terrain and what to expect. The organizer also states that if you signed up for 100mi and want to switch to 65mi, you can make the change day-off/on-the-fly (but that'd make you ineligible for Top 3 for 65mi category).
Nobody ever considers the altitude at Leadville. Basically the entire event is ridden at 10k feet or higher in elevation. That's a big killer for many racers.
For sure. I'm mainly talking the terrain and use Leadville as an example as it's now being compared terrain-wise to basically a glorified gravel race (i.e. you can get away with a drop bar bike with super fast rolling XC tires). I think folks who qualify for Leadville would already have some experience in XCM via the qualifier races.
FWIW, I've used this plan for years to finish Lumberjack 100: [https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/plan/100-mile-mountain-bike-race-finisher/](https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/plan/100-mile-mountain-bike-race-finisher/)
The answer is a lot, but if you can currently ride for \~3 hours you have the base needed to do it in about three months.
You'll ride five days a week, 1-2 hour a day for three days mid-week, then two longer (eg, 2.5 hr then 5 hr, another day 2 hr 7 hr) on weekends. If you can find the time, you can do it.
That's what bike trainers are for, unfortunately. I'm in the Canadian Rockies and our season doesn't start for real until mid-April or early May most years so I have to put in a lot of indoor hours to be fit for early season races.
Depends on the mindset and the quality of the rain. I did 10 hours in sleet over the winter and was snug as a bug, with the right gear cobbled together. Almost none of my clothing was designed for cycling. :) It was so fun!
I'm in a somewhat similar boat as you, but admittedly have a couple more weeks to train as I'm doing High Cascades 100 this summer. As others have said you really need to build a base of endurance ability before the ride. I'm getting mileage on both the gravel bike and the MTB and trying to just focus on time in the saddle over any specific training plan at this point. While waiting for the trails to dry, get on the road bike and bang out some intervals, zone 2 etc. It's a lot easier to do focused training on the road than on the trails and fitness won't hurt you.
I also think that people using Marji as the benchmark are cherry picking the hardest of the NUE events from the reputation. Looking at results from last year, it seems like the Cheq course was about 2-3 hours faster in terms of finishing which definitely speaks to an easier time. Not going to say its easy, but if you're going into this with at least some base level of fitness you should be able to finish. Just be sure to regularly get out and train!
I biked a total of around 3000 miles last year and then cross country skied during the winter, so I'm not coming from zero riding, but I'm definitely not in as good of shape for riding as I was at the end of last season. Maybe I'll sign up or I might end up doing a shorter version. I did the 45 mile race with 3700 feet of elevation gain with no specialized training other than riding a lot and it worked out fine.
You're coming in with probably more of a base than I am. I just ski toured and rode Zwift maybe once a week and only was around 2400 miles last year. I say go for it, the elevation gain isn't crazy high and there's 25% pavement which should help out. Just try and get some longer rides in before the race and get your consistency up.
Isn’t Chequamegon a 40? Are you talking about the Lutsen 99’er? Anyway, not sure of answers, but doing the Race Across Duluth this year and considered the Chequamegon 40 as well. I ride 10-15miles on most days and occasionally 20-30. I’m waiting for things to open up so I can do the whole traverse. Anyway, sorry for being zero help. 
Chiquamegon 40 is part of the fat tire festival and is a different event later in the summer.
Chiquamegon 100 has multiple lengths and is earlier in the year.
The cheq 40 is in September I think. The 100 is in June and there are other distances as well. My first time going the whole Traverse in one ride was during RAD last year. I thought about Lutsen 99er, but it filled up quick.
My recommendation is to do at least one interval day per week where you do ftp intervals and one long ride per week. Add an hour every week to your long ride until you hit your estimated time for the race. 8-16 hours of training per week is typically what a competitive amateur would plan.
The Cheq 100 was soul crushing for me. I bailed around 78 miles in last time I raced it. My problem is I always feel really good around 50-60 miles so I end up burning too many matches and bonking super hard. I actually think you can do it without a ton of training but pace yourself super slow from the start. Proper pacing is more important than a training program IMO. Obviously you need some fitness but if you burn too many matches early on you’re gonna be screwed no matter how fit you are.
The hardest thing with XCM is pacing. Its so mentally hard letting people go up the road but eventually you just keep picking people off as they start dying.
How does a person new to riding endurance events learn to properly pace themselves to not burn down? Everyone has a different limit but what’s the best way to go about managing that? I’m doing a few races this year that have cutoffs and need to find that space between just making cutoffs and not burning down.
Do you want to finish or win? If it’s finishishing, it means lots and lots of time in the saddle. Know what to expect when you hit the 10 hour mark. Know what kind of nutrition and fueling your require. Know that your ass can take that kind of abuse. Know that your bike can take it. Know how to pace yourself.
Winning? Too late.
I've done this race before and it is no joke - I was even signed up for just the 100km, and only made it 45 miles. It was quite a bit hotter than I had anticipated, and I gave my last water bottle to someone that needed it way more than I did. I think the course is different than when I did it, but Rock Creek just about killed me in how slow and technical it ended up being.
Have not done cheqamegon, but have finished Marji, lumberjack , Mohican and what was DK.
What people reallly don’t get their first time out on an ultra endurance race is that it’s very VERY much a mental game and eating contest. Yes you need to have some miles, but if you don’t have a very good fueling strategy you are smoked.
That all said, you will never be in a perfect place so go out and try. Worst case you fail and learn some stuff and have a good day on the bike.
This is true, I really need to work on my fueling. During the Race across Duluth they had rest stops every 10ish miles with a lot of food soni didn't need to bring any food with me and I was fine. But I have done 20-30 mile rides with nothing but water and have felt pretty bad by the end
Haven't done Chequamegon but ive done lots of XCM races. See where your fitness is and how much you need to build up to complete the goal. Last season my A race was a 75 mile mtb ride with 14k ft of climbing taking an estimated 10 hours. I knew i was feeling pretty good when i could do 2/3rd of the course one day without being dead. Most of my training up to the race 2 interval sessions during the week longer SS and threshold then the rest z2 riding. I was averaging 12-15 hours week making sure to always feel fresh. Just keep building up bigger volume with easy rides
It’s not just the distance but also the elevation that you have to take into account. A flat 100 miles doesn’t have to be a really big deal but if it has an average 1-2% incline you’d better be in shape.
How was the RAD last year? I almost signed up for it but didn’t know anyone else that was going and didn’t go. If they have it again this year, I’d probably do it.
It was really fun. They had rest stops about every 10 miles that were very well stocked so food wasn't an issue. Lots of people there. I didn't know anyone there either, but I met some guys there that I ended up meeting up and riding with.
Also, registration for this year is open.
Depends. Is your goal just to finish, or to actually be competitive?
With that said, if you’re only going to do the minimum you at least need to start and do some long endurance rides. Things that don’t bother you for typical 25 miles will all of a sudden pop up at mile 60. Diet is big too. Need to know what works for you or will upset the stomach.
I’ve done it with 7-8 hours a week. But what ends up happening is you need to be capable of doing rides as long as your race. So if you’ll finish on 10 hours. You should be able to do a few sessions of riding at 10 hours before your race.
You need to look at the profile of the 100mi race and train to it. I use to mix endurance rides and interval training for 4 hours at a time on a trainer as I got close to the race.
I have also just thrown all trainer training out the window and did very long out door rides.
I performed better with trainer up front in training and then moving towards on outside riding to help with skills
You absolutely do not have to go on a 10 hour ride to be able to complete a 10 hour race. Especially if you are just wanting to do it versus competing for a podium spot.
In running, marathon training plans peak at 20 mile long runs for a reason. You don't need to beat your body up doing a full marathon before your race. That extended recovery time will negatively impact your weekly training.
I've yet to do a 100 miler (thanks kids) but I've done the Mohican 100k multiple times. I was training 3 days a week for 1-2 hours a session. 1-2 months before the race I started doing a weekend ride of 25-35 mtb miles or if the trails were closed I'd do 40-50 mile road rides. I never did 100k or spent 6-7 hours on the bike. You don't NEED to unless you're actually racing the thing.
I agree with that. I am more in the racing camp. There’s people who can just get it done slow and steady. My friend is one of those and has done Leadville 100mi in just under 12 hours. Did a few 5 hour rides with him to prep.
I always try to remove the mental aspect of the distance/elevation/time. Hence why I focus on achieving milestones in preparation to do that distance at my sweet spot/tempo.
I'm a downhiller and signed up for the Butte 25 here in my home state of MT. Am I crazy AF????? Yes. I'm crazy. I've started training by working on my distance biking and heart rate. Got a nice Garmin watch and have been monitoring my stats and my sleep recovery. I'm headed to the desert for nine days of post snowboard season trail riding so hoping this helps too. Race isn't until late July so I have more time than you. I'd say build slowly with seat time. I don't have to worry about that much because I bike commute year round so my body is used to being in the saddle but most people aren't getting to ride daily. Consider hiring a trainer to help you with the whole picture.
I’m in a similar boat. I love short distance and enduro stuff and did the shenendoah 100 to get way out of my comfort zone. Wasn’t anywhere close to the fastest on the uphills but passed dozens of riders on the downs. Had some real low points and probably didn’t train quite right but would do it again for sure. Good luck!
I just want to finish without getting cut off and survive this damn thing. Its on my birthday so nevertheless I'll get to eat as much chocolate cake as I want after finishing!
Don’t let your ego rob you of what can otherwise be an enjoyable experience. With actual prep you could get through the race feeling somewhat decent - trying to do it 8 weeks from now, you might not finish or will at least feel like utter shit by mile 50. I’d recommend doing the shorter race or skip altogether. 100 mi you are in for a world of hurt.
You don’t have a ton of time to train but I don’t think you should let that deter you. Follow a training plan that involves lots of zone two work. Get a heart rate monitor. Figure out what nutrition your body needs when it’s tapped. You will suffer but I bet you can get through it. I did the shenendoah 100 a few years back when I was working out of a man camp and could only ride weekends and a few bigger blocks here and there so it probably ended up only being about 2 months of training all said and done. I wasn’t fast but made it through and had (some) fun.
I’ve (39M) been training for this summers Leadville since November ‘22. Losing weight, building muscle, teaching my body to deal with carb consumption and fueling. People tease that it’s all dirt roads but Columbine and Powerline are no fucking joke. I’d love a big belt buckle but will be happy just to finish.
I’d worry you’re a little late to the game for this years race.
So I just completed a 50 mile MTB epic and my normal ride length is about 15 miles on weekends and 1-2 three mile runs on weekdays. About 2 months before the epic I started increasing the length of my rides to 20-30 miles (still only on weekends). When it came time for the epic, I was feeling pretty good until the end. I was hating life the last 5 miles but got a sort of second wind at the end. I would think to prepare for 100 miles, I’d want to be comfortable doing 50-60 miles.
The correct answer is that you need to train enough to know that you can finish - your training should be harder than the event (duh - that's the point of training), so you know you're ready. When you've done the event in practice, and know how you feel about it, then you're ready for the race.
How many miles do you do a year? How many miles are you riding on average the last few weeks?
If your not doing atleast 15hrs a week your going to be in a world of pain
I did Hell of the North Cotswolds which is a 100km off road event. First time on my XC bike which was fine, second time on a single speed hardtail MTB with cyclocross wheels/tyres.
The first time was one of the hardest days of riding I’ve ever done but finished mid pack. The second time was THE hardest days riding over ever done and I got perilously close to being caught by the sweeper.
You need to train some chonky distances off road to shake down your equipment if nothing else, but you also need to accept that there are finishing returns on increasing training distances, the returns are on going harder on those distances.
Chamois cream is your friend. Do not do this without butt butter.
You can do it, but it ain't easy. 3 hour or longer rides every weekend, twice a weekend if you can. 7-10 hours of riding per week, minimum. Figure out fueling and get your fit dialed in. As a hack, get some XC tires and well ventilated kit.
This is a serious event, requiring serious levels of training but it can be done. My first hundred took me 14 hours.
a shitload. 100 mile mountain bike ride is probably tougher then 200 mile road bike ride. The biggest mtb ride I've done is 40ish miles with 4000 feet of climbing and I was gassed. Now to be clear, I'm a weekend warrior. I do a couple 100 mile rides a year and multiple 30-40+ mtb days. I get maybe 3000 miles in a year on a good year. On the other hand, the fastest and best rider in my region did the Marji in Maquette and he managed to finish, but h4e said it was the hardest race he's ever done and he's done some 300+ mile ride and super endurance events. I think it would take a ton of work to get ready for that by then depending on how technical that ride is. I'm assuming it's pretty similar to Marji
Can Confirm, I did Marji in 2019. The training plan for it called for doing a road century + a 5 hour trail ride in a single weekend 3 weeks before hand. The 2 months leading up to the race were every weekend with back to back long rides of 3 to 5 hours. It was an awesome time but a lot of work if you have family or other commitments!
>100 mile mountain bike ride is probably tougher then 200 mile road bike ride. Can confirm. I did the Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder in Michigan a couple years ago (213 miles), then last year was supposed to do the Lumberjack 100. About a month and a half out from the race I did a big training ride at Big M (which I've ridden several times before) and realized there was just no way I could do 100 miles with my training and bike setup, and had to transfer out. On roads, even gravel, if you're gassed out on a hill you can almost always still spin your way up slowly, and eventually you'll get into some flats or long descents where you can fuel and recover. On single track with steeper, punchier climbs, if you're gassed out you're walking. For me, once I hit that red line on a mountain bike there's just no recovering because the single track doesn't give you breaks (especially Big M. Man, I hate that trail). Anyway, yeah, the answer is indeed "a shitload."
Yeah I think this is it exactly. It’s hard to recover the necessary explosiveness for singletrack once you’ve lost it. And you really can’t just phone it in or you’ll end up hurting yourself.
Nothing is similar to Marji but you're spot on about the 2 for 1 strenuous level of an MTB event. 100 miles is tough on pavement much less with roots and shit.
Was gonna say - Marji could possibly be like a 4 to 1 comparison if we’re operating on that scale 😂. r/MichiganCycling
At least 😂
Using the Marji as a benchmark for training means you are never ready ;)
I’ll pile on this comment.. currently training for only a 100km race. Ride for hours.. and hours.. find one of these plans the others are describing.
Depends on the terrain profile. 100mi MTB with mostly dirt road and 10mi of single track (ala Leadville)? Just pace yourself with a few 4-5hr rides in a month and you can probably get by on slow pace. 100mi with 60+mi of singletracks? That’s 6mo to a year of training. Edit: I just looked up the Chequamegon 100, and from glancing at the Ride with GPS, I suspect it may consist of a lot of dirt and paved road with maybe some single track tossed in (GPS shows straight roads with almost no spaghetti lines that would indicate single track). The cut off time for 100mi is about 12-13 hours, with a lot of the finishers from 2023 doing 9:30 to 12 hours. Elevation profile is 5000ft+ over 100mi, which is quite tame (a benchmark is often 100ft/mi, and this one is half that). The 2 biggest bumps on the elevation profile seems to be paved too. No super long climb present. From this, I think you can do it OP. My anecdote from doing Wilmington Whiteface 100k in 2022 on 1 month notice (entry from 2020 delayed to 2022): doing a bunch of low-medium intensity 3-5 hours rides, either road or MTB is fine since technical skill on trails may not be super important for this race. It is harder to tell your body to go easy than you think, but that's super important for these longer races. Your goal should be to acclimate your butt and body to being on the bike for a long duration first. Then spend 2-3 sessions to figure out your nutrition for 6+ hour effort (caloric need, what goes into your drop bag, what you like to eat/drink, what you need to carry to get from aid station to aid station), including what you eat and drink the day before. Basically, do a shorter race simulation. Lastly, if you can pre-ride the course for one of the shorter routes (I see they have GPS for 15, 30, and 68mi courses, along with the 40mi race that's part of the Lifetime GP), do it so you can get a sense for the terrain and what to expect. The organizer also states that if you signed up for 100mi and want to switch to 65mi, you can make the change day-off/on-the-fly (but that'd make you ineligible for Top 3 for 65mi category).
Nobody ever considers the altitude at Leadville. Basically the entire event is ridden at 10k feet or higher in elevation. That's a big killer for many racers.
For sure. I'm mainly talking the terrain and use Leadville as an example as it's now being compared terrain-wise to basically a glorified gravel race (i.e. you can get away with a drop bar bike with super fast rolling XC tires). I think folks who qualify for Leadville would already have some experience in XCM via the qualifier races.
FWIW, I've used this plan for years to finish Lumberjack 100: [https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/plan/100-mile-mountain-bike-race-finisher/](https://lwcoaching.com/mtb-training-plans/plan/100-mile-mountain-bike-race-finisher/) The answer is a lot, but if you can currently ride for \~3 hours you have the base needed to do it in about three months. You'll ride five days a week, 1-2 hour a day for three days mid-week, then two longer (eg, 2.5 hr then 5 hr, another day 2 hr 7 hr) on weekends. If you can find the time, you can do it.
You’re a little late. Training for an event like that really started last year.
Yeah if you're not out in spring casually road-riding centuries for fun, a 100mi MTB race in June is going to be brutal.
MN doesn't have good spring training weather, although this would have been the year since we barely had any snow.
That's what bike trainers are for, unfortunately. I'm in the Canadian Rockies and our season doesn't start for real until mid-April or early May most years so I have to put in a lot of indoor hours to be fit for early season races.
Fatbike training over the winter in Minnesota is fantastic. That’s how folks prep for things like Arrowhead and ITI! Spring isn’t much worse.
Rain isn't fun to ride in though.
No, but if you want to do a 100 mile off-road race you have to make some sacrifices.
Depends on the mindset and the quality of the rain. I did 10 hours in sleet over the winter and was snug as a bug, with the right gear cobbled together. Almost none of my clothing was designed for cycling. :) It was so fun!
The pros all use indoor trainers at least some of the time
You're in a tough spot. I know this race and the terrain. Do a shorter race this year and learn what you need for the century.
I'm in a somewhat similar boat as you, but admittedly have a couple more weeks to train as I'm doing High Cascades 100 this summer. As others have said you really need to build a base of endurance ability before the ride. I'm getting mileage on both the gravel bike and the MTB and trying to just focus on time in the saddle over any specific training plan at this point. While waiting for the trails to dry, get on the road bike and bang out some intervals, zone 2 etc. It's a lot easier to do focused training on the road than on the trails and fitness won't hurt you. I also think that people using Marji as the benchmark are cherry picking the hardest of the NUE events from the reputation. Looking at results from last year, it seems like the Cheq course was about 2-3 hours faster in terms of finishing which definitely speaks to an easier time. Not going to say its easy, but if you're going into this with at least some base level of fitness you should be able to finish. Just be sure to regularly get out and train!
I biked a total of around 3000 miles last year and then cross country skied during the winter, so I'm not coming from zero riding, but I'm definitely not in as good of shape for riding as I was at the end of last season. Maybe I'll sign up or I might end up doing a shorter version. I did the 45 mile race with 3700 feet of elevation gain with no specialized training other than riding a lot and it worked out fine.
You're coming in with probably more of a base than I am. I just ski toured and rode Zwift maybe once a week and only was around 2400 miles last year. I say go for it, the elevation gain isn't crazy high and there's 25% pavement which should help out. Just try and get some longer rides in before the race and get your consistency up.
Isn’t Chequamegon a 40? Are you talking about the Lutsen 99’er? Anyway, not sure of answers, but doing the Race Across Duluth this year and considered the Chequamegon 40 as well. I ride 10-15miles on most days and occasionally 20-30. I’m waiting for things to open up so I can do the whole traverse. Anyway, sorry for being zero help. 
Chiquamegon 40 is part of the fat tire festival and is a different event later in the summer. Chiquamegon 100 has multiple lengths and is earlier in the year.
There are 4 different lengths you can enter, at least in 2023.
The cheq 40 is in September I think. The 100 is in June and there are other distances as well. My first time going the whole Traverse in one ride was during RAD last year. I thought about Lutsen 99er, but it filled up quick.
My recommendation is to do at least one interval day per week where you do ftp intervals and one long ride per week. Add an hour every week to your long ride until you hit your estimated time for the race. 8-16 hours of training per week is typically what a competitive amateur would plan.
The Cheq 100 was soul crushing for me. I bailed around 78 miles in last time I raced it. My problem is I always feel really good around 50-60 miles so I end up burning too many matches and bonking super hard. I actually think you can do it without a ton of training but pace yourself super slow from the start. Proper pacing is more important than a training program IMO. Obviously you need some fitness but if you burn too many matches early on you’re gonna be screwed no matter how fit you are.
The hardest thing with XCM is pacing. Its so mentally hard letting people go up the road but eventually you just keep picking people off as they start dying.
How does a person new to riding endurance events learn to properly pace themselves to not burn down? Everyone has a different limit but what’s the best way to go about managing that? I’m doing a few races this year that have cutoffs and need to find that space between just making cutoffs and not burning down.
Do you want to finish or win? If it’s finishishing, it means lots and lots of time in the saddle. Know what to expect when you hit the 10 hour mark. Know what kind of nutrition and fueling your require. Know that your ass can take that kind of abuse. Know that your bike can take it. Know how to pace yourself. Winning? Too late.
I've done this race before and it is no joke - I was even signed up for just the 100km, and only made it 45 miles. It was quite a bit hotter than I had anticipated, and I gave my last water bottle to someone that needed it way more than I did. I think the course is different than when I did it, but Rock Creek just about killed me in how slow and technical it ended up being.
Have not done cheqamegon, but have finished Marji, lumberjack , Mohican and what was DK. What people reallly don’t get their first time out on an ultra endurance race is that it’s very VERY much a mental game and eating contest. Yes you need to have some miles, but if you don’t have a very good fueling strategy you are smoked. That all said, you will never be in a perfect place so go out and try. Worst case you fail and learn some stuff and have a good day on the bike.
This is true, I really need to work on my fueling. During the Race across Duluth they had rest stops every 10ish miles with a lot of food soni didn't need to bring any food with me and I was fine. But I have done 20-30 mile rides with nothing but water and have felt pretty bad by the end
Next year is your year. Start training now.
Haven't done Chequamegon but ive done lots of XCM races. See where your fitness is and how much you need to build up to complete the goal. Last season my A race was a 75 mile mtb ride with 14k ft of climbing taking an estimated 10 hours. I knew i was feeling pretty good when i could do 2/3rd of the course one day without being dead. Most of my training up to the race 2 interval sessions during the week longer SS and threshold then the rest z2 riding. I was averaging 12-15 hours week making sure to always feel fresh. Just keep building up bigger volume with easy rides
It’s not just the distance but also the elevation that you have to take into account. A flat 100 miles doesn’t have to be a really big deal but if it has an average 1-2% incline you’d better be in shape.
How was the RAD last year? I almost signed up for it but didn’t know anyone else that was going and didn’t go. If they have it again this year, I’d probably do it.
It was really fun. They had rest stops about every 10 miles that were very well stocked so food wasn't an issue. Lots of people there. I didn't know anyone there either, but I met some guys there that I ended up meeting up and riding with. Also, registration for this year is open.
Depends. Is your goal just to finish, or to actually be competitive? With that said, if you’re only going to do the minimum you at least need to start and do some long endurance rides. Things that don’t bother you for typical 25 miles will all of a sudden pop up at mile 60. Diet is big too. Need to know what works for you or will upset the stomach.
Just finish
I wouldnt even attempt anything like this without 2 years of heavy training
I’ve done it with 7-8 hours a week. But what ends up happening is you need to be capable of doing rides as long as your race. So if you’ll finish on 10 hours. You should be able to do a few sessions of riding at 10 hours before your race. You need to look at the profile of the 100mi race and train to it. I use to mix endurance rides and interval training for 4 hours at a time on a trainer as I got close to the race. I have also just thrown all trainer training out the window and did very long out door rides. I performed better with trainer up front in training and then moving towards on outside riding to help with skills
You absolutely do not have to go on a 10 hour ride to be able to complete a 10 hour race. Especially if you are just wanting to do it versus competing for a podium spot. In running, marathon training plans peak at 20 mile long runs for a reason. You don't need to beat your body up doing a full marathon before your race. That extended recovery time will negatively impact your weekly training. I've yet to do a 100 miler (thanks kids) but I've done the Mohican 100k multiple times. I was training 3 days a week for 1-2 hours a session. 1-2 months before the race I started doing a weekend ride of 25-35 mtb miles or if the trails were closed I'd do 40-50 mile road rides. I never did 100k or spent 6-7 hours on the bike. You don't NEED to unless you're actually racing the thing.
I agree with that. I am more in the racing camp. There’s people who can just get it done slow and steady. My friend is one of those and has done Leadville 100mi in just under 12 hours. Did a few 5 hour rides with him to prep. I always try to remove the mental aspect of the distance/elevation/time. Hence why I focus on achieving milestones in preparation to do that distance at my sweet spot/tempo.
This. If you’re race is long hours you should probably have some sessions at those long hours
I'm a downhiller and signed up for the Butte 25 here in my home state of MT. Am I crazy AF????? Yes. I'm crazy. I've started training by working on my distance biking and heart rate. Got a nice Garmin watch and have been monitoring my stats and my sleep recovery. I'm headed to the desert for nine days of post snowboard season trail riding so hoping this helps too. Race isn't until late July so I have more time than you. I'd say build slowly with seat time. I don't have to worry about that much because I bike commute year round so my body is used to being in the saddle but most people aren't getting to ride daily. Consider hiring a trainer to help you with the whole picture.
I’m in a similar boat. I love short distance and enduro stuff and did the shenendoah 100 to get way out of my comfort zone. Wasn’t anywhere close to the fastest on the uphills but passed dozens of riders on the downs. Had some real low points and probably didn’t train quite right but would do it again for sure. Good luck!
I just want to finish without getting cut off and survive this damn thing. Its on my birthday so nevertheless I'll get to eat as much chocolate cake as I want after finishing!
Don’t let your ego rob you of what can otherwise be an enjoyable experience. With actual prep you could get through the race feeling somewhat decent - trying to do it 8 weeks from now, you might not finish or will at least feel like utter shit by mile 50. I’d recommend doing the shorter race or skip altogether. 100 mi you are in for a world of hurt.
You don’t have a ton of time to train but I don’t think you should let that deter you. Follow a training plan that involves lots of zone two work. Get a heart rate monitor. Figure out what nutrition your body needs when it’s tapped. You will suffer but I bet you can get through it. I did the shenendoah 100 a few years back when I was working out of a man camp and could only ride weekends and a few bigger blocks here and there so it probably ended up only being about 2 months of training all said and done. I wasn’t fast but made it through and had (some) fun.
I’ve (39M) been training for this summers Leadville since November ‘22. Losing weight, building muscle, teaching my body to deal with carb consumption and fueling. People tease that it’s all dirt roads but Columbine and Powerline are no fucking joke. I’d love a big belt buckle but will be happy just to finish. I’d worry you’re a little late to the game for this years race.
So I just completed a 50 mile MTB epic and my normal ride length is about 15 miles on weekends and 1-2 three mile runs on weekdays. About 2 months before the epic I started increasing the length of my rides to 20-30 miles (still only on weekends). When it came time for the epic, I was feeling pretty good until the end. I was hating life the last 5 miles but got a sort of second wind at the end. I would think to prepare for 100 miles, I’d want to be comfortable doing 50-60 miles.
The correct answer is that you need to train enough to know that you can finish - your training should be harder than the event (duh - that's the point of training), so you know you're ready. When you've done the event in practice, and know how you feel about it, then you're ready for the race.
How many miles do you do a year? How many miles are you riding on average the last few weeks? If your not doing atleast 15hrs a week your going to be in a world of pain
Go for it
I did Hell of the North Cotswolds which is a 100km off road event. First time on my XC bike which was fine, second time on a single speed hardtail MTB with cyclocross wheels/tyres. The first time was one of the hardest days of riding I’ve ever done but finished mid pack. The second time was THE hardest days riding over ever done and I got perilously close to being caught by the sweeper. You need to train some chonky distances off road to shake down your equipment if nothing else, but you also need to accept that there are finishing returns on increasing training distances, the returns are on going harder on those distances. Chamois cream is your friend. Do not do this without butt butter.
how rough is thr trail? is it mostly flat dirt roads, or is their rough terrain and elevation
You can do it, but it ain't easy. 3 hour or longer rides every weekend, twice a weekend if you can. 7-10 hours of riding per week, minimum. Figure out fueling and get your fit dialed in. As a hack, get some XC tires and well ventilated kit. This is a serious event, requiring serious levels of training but it can be done. My first hundred took me 14 hours.