Monday, April 29, 2013

CTR Training Kickoff


This is the kickoff post for my 2013 Colorado Trail Race (CTR) Blog.

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http://scotts-ctr-blog.blogspot.com/

What is the CTR? 

The CTR is a mountain bike race that follows the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango, or in the case of 2013, from Durango to Denver. Because bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas, the race route makes a number of detours around these areas, but the total distance is still around 470 miles. The majority of the route is steep, technical, singletrack, above 9000 feet, with a high point of 13,200 feet.

The CTR is unlike other high profile bike races such as the Tour de France. The CTR follows a relatively new format similar to other ultra endurance mountain bike races such as the Tour Divide and Arizona Trail Race. There are no entry fees, no prize money and no race support. The race is not sanctioned by any governing body. The racers ride the course unsupported carrying everything they need to ride, eat, drink and sleep along the course. The rules are fairly simple. Racers can utilize all available resources along the route as long as those resources are available to all other racers. Grocery stores, motels, gas stations, etc are all resources that can be utilized. Racers are not allowed to receive support from family and friends, or get into any motorized vehicle at any point during the race. Racers can ride off course to get food or shelter, but they must return to the course under their own power and continue where they left off. The race is tracked online with the use of Spot GPS messenger devices, which periodically relay racer positions to a web site. The race clock doesn't stop at night or any other time. The first racer over the finish line wins.

The official web site for the CTR can be found at the link below.



When is the CTR?

This year the suggested start day for the race is July 21st and starts in Durango.


Why am I doing this?

I only really became familiar with the idea of biking the Colorado Trail last summer. I have been interested in long distance cycling for some time, but when I realized that there was a well documented, 500 mile, technical mountain biking route through Colorado, I decided I needed to try it out.

Last August I purchased the required "Bike-packing" equipment needed to undertake a trip of this kind, and completed the first 200 miles of the Colorado Trail over a long weekend. I loved it.

Below is a video that I made from pictures taken on this trip.


Combine that experience with the fact that I like to set unobtainable goals for myself so that I can mope around afterward complaining that work is getting in the way of my free time, the CTR seemed like the logical next step. :-)


Why am I blogging about this?

I have decided to blog about my preparation for this race for many reasons. The obvious  reasons being that it's a way to communicate my progress with family and friends.

This race is very difficult. So difficult, that there is a very good chance that I will fail to complete it on my first attempt. In addition, the training leading up to the race is also very difficult. Despite the risk of potentially documenting my failure for all to see, I'm hoping this blog will keep me focused, and provide a bit of extra pressure when my motivation is waning, knowing that other people are watching.

Of course I hope that the posts will be informative as well.

Where am I now?

As many of you know, I started training for the CTR back in November of 2012. I contacted a coach who recommended a series of three 12 week training plans that I could follow to prepare for the race.


The first training plan was a base building plan involving lots of miles at relatively low heart rates. The purpose of this training is to train the body's aerobic system. The second plan built on the first to build power on top of the aerobic base. Both of these plans involved 9-10 hours of training per week. Even this amount of training hours was difficult to complete due to a crazy work schedule and the weather. Even so, this is the most training hours I've ever completed by May.

Below is a table showing some key statistics about the training I have completed since November 5, 2012.

Count:102 Activities
Distance ( Road & Mountain ):1,949.13 mi
Road Bike Equivalent Miles ( Hours x 15.5 mph ):                                               2,681.50 mi
Time:173:12:49 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:110873 Ft
Avg HR:140 bpm
Calories:142,756 C


Today I start the CTR specific plan. This 12 week plan is designed to train an athlete for the long hard days of the CTR. The training volume ranges from 14-28 hours per week, and includes multiple overnight trips. I'm not sure how this will be possible, but we'll see how it goes.

What will I Blog about?

I will be posting a weekly training update that will show how my actual training compares to the plan.

There are a lot of logistical issues that need to be planned for this race. I expect to post articles on equipment, nutrition, clothing, pain management, etc. Or I might be too tired to write anything, and this will be the last post. :-)

Stay tuned!