Amazing result, @johnrave. Great write up. Love that you’re using Athletica for your training. It’s a powerful tool.
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My year split into two.
First Half
As a joint 60th with my wife, we went to Nepal to trek around Manaslu (8th highest in the world) in March / April. Our peak altitude just over 5,000m.
That meant the first half of the season was focused on getting mountain fit. Able to walk in the mountains for long hours, tackle technical terrain, day after day, carrying a day sack, and dealing with altitude.
In that first half bike training was reduced and primarily focused on base, to allow capacity for the hill walk training.
The trip went fantastically well by the way.
Second Half
The second half was building up to a 1300km, 17,280m 4.5 day event in Scotland in early July. Remote, logistically challenging and self supported.quite the puzzle to solve to unlock its rewards.
I worked with the AI conversational coach to discuss changes to the single all day cycling plan for the demands of the event. Documented else where on here. The main difference was the introduction of back to back long and hilly endurance days to develop fatigue resistance plus pacing on tired legs , plus more of an emphasis on longer intervals for intensity and muscular endurance. Some sessions of long endurance rides with intervals added at the end when fatigued, not fresh. Plus the sheer volume of Z2 work to build the big engine ultra endurance demands.
I included intermediate ultra events but only a couple, one at 200km in April, another 400km in May. I believe shorter ultra endurance events help sharpen your mental preparedness, pacing strategies, night riding, navigation, efficient time management on and off the bike, ability to recognise problems in their early stages and tackle them before they become ride ending, ability to handle low points, nutrition strategies for if stomach issues happen, and fine tune equipment setup, and what you carry. But they do not fine tune fitness, as you spend so long off the bike later, whilst you recover from the fatigue mental and physical.
Event went well though 5 ferries meant everyone was behind intermediate control times after 36 hours. Had a moment at the start of day 3 after midnight in biblical rain in relentless hills, not feeling great, dry retching, when thoughts of quitting entered my head. But I slept (a bivvy) on it, diagnosed what ailed me, dealt with it, changed my mindset, kept going, made up time via efficient time management with persistence and finished in good style. Event had a 50% DNF rate. It was not easy!
Then after my main event I did a 300km event in late July, and 600km event in mid August. Then this past weekend I did a 400km event in Ireland with 12 hours of night riding under a full moon and stars, given the time of year.
This ends my 2026 season, with a 100% success rate. My 2027 season is already mostly mapped out including Paris Brest Paris 1200 in August.
A base period starting mid October till January, then I will build into my 2027 season.
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Wow, amazing! Love the casual comment of “only a couple” ultra events in there too. What an adventure and love the pictures!