HOW TO TRAIN WHEN IT TAKES MORE THAN A DAY: TRAINING FOR THE NIGHT

The Osage Passage XL is a 301-mile gravel cycling event that begins in Skiatook, OK (northwest of Tulsa) and makes a big loop all the way up past the border of Kansas. The adventure is unsupported, meaning no outside help is allowed. Carry what you think you’ll need. Resupply at gas stations and spigots along the way. As with most bikepacking events, participants can choose whether to make it a multi-day affair or ride straight through. Four months ago, I signed up with the intention of doing it in one shot.  

What was I thinking?! I’m scared of the dark and become a teary, irritable monster if I don’t get at least eight hours of sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed up for 24 hours in my entire 32 years of life. Only twenty-two people are registered for this distance, so the likelihood of spending most of it alone is HIGH. 

Alas, I’ve already completed a 200- mile race and a couple 300-350 3-day bikepacking trips. I’ve learned that my body and mind respond well to these long, steady efforts. Longer distances are a nagging curiosity I must confront, and 300-miles seems like a natural progression. 

How do you prepare to ride for 24+ hours?

I’m not an expert (yet!), but I chose to break the task down into three elements I hoped to feel confident about by race time: 

• Fitness
• Nutrition
• Riding in the Dark

Fitness

I’m currently on pace to log 12,000 miles this year, so I think I can say that I ride quite a lot! This year has been very endurance focused, with many back-to-back long rides on the weekend. Saturdays are typically solo (great conditioning for the mind!) and Sundays are with friends on The Sunday Chug, a mixed-surface adventure ride out of Lawrence, KS which I’ve been leading for the past three years. 

During the week, I typically have a couple lower intensity 1.5-2 hour rides and a day for threshold. With 15-20 hr training weeks, recovery is super important. I rarely ride on Mondays and usually have at least one active recovery day, too. 

Of course, I won’t know what 300 feels like until I’ve done it, but I’m very hopeful all the pacing experience from regular long rides will pay off. 

Nutrition

My coach and I have specifically been working on my fueling strategies for about two years now. I’ve worked up to consuming 90-100g carbs/hour and was even able to hold that rate for 15 hours during Unbound 200 last year. For the record, Mandarin and Lemon Endurance Fuel are the joint MVPs of my nutrition line-up! 

While I’m sure my tummy could exclusively rely on Tailwind for this endeavor, it’s simply not practical to carry as much Endurance Fuel as I would need. Say I averaged 80 g carbs/hour and completed the event in exactly 24 hours. That’s 77 scoops! That’s a lot of powder to haul up over 13k ft of elevation gain! I’ll certainly be starting with Tailwind in my bottles and hydration pack. I also plan to pack enough to get me through a 100-mile stretch where no food options are available, only a spigot. 

So how do I supplement my Tailwind? That’s where copious experience with gas station refueling comes in! Over the years of riding gravel, I’ve developed an “iron gut” that can seems to be down to process whatever I’m craving. My go-to is gummy candies. On the longest rides where hunger starts knocking, I’ll throw in an ice cream sandwich or even a chili cheese dog! I will say that the more complex and larger the food intake, the more likely I’ll need to dial back the intensity for a while.  I’ll admit it’s not ideal, but with only four planned refuel stops, the situation demands it!

Riding in the Dark

The best way to make riding in the dark less scary is to have positive (or at least non-traumatic!) experiences riding in the dark, and you only gain these experiences by . . . yep, you guessed it: Riding in the dark!

I started out with a handful of weekday morning rides with a small group of friends. This allowed me to get used to my equipment in what felt like a safer setting. As summer progressed, the amount of time in the dark got longer and my confidence in my setup grew. 

The last piece was to “fight my demons” on longer solo morning ride. I went to bed extra early and was on the road before 4am. I rode north to the hilliest terrain available to approximate the terrain I knew I’d encounter at Osage Passage XL. I noticed the things that spooked me, like the eyeshine of hundreds of critters and the creepy shapes of the trees. Next, I reasoned aloud with the fear. “The animals are just being alert, just like me! Has a tree ever jumped out and grabbed you in the daytime? No, you’re fine!” As a more applicable tip, I noticed that most houses out in the country keep their porch lights on. Getting rushed by a farm dog is a valid concern, but most likely I’ll see it coming and handle it just as I always do during the day. 

I think the best part is when the horizon starts to glow, and you know you’ve pretty much made it to morning. The sense of relief will be such a sweet reward after a full night!

No Sleep?!

You may notice that I did not include sleep deprivation in my list of ways to prepare. There may be other approaches, but I chose to stick to my normal, healthy sleep habits throughout my training. Rest and recovery are just too important! I’m already training at as high of volume as my work schedule allows. Sacrificing workout quality and adding life stress just didn’t seem worth it. How my body reacts to staying up so long is an exciting mystery and one that will be uncovered very soon!

Here's to the ride ahead!

By focusing on my fitness regimen, honing my nutrition strategies, and tackling the fear of riding in the dark, I've equipped myself with the tools necessary to face this challenge head-on. While the prospect of riding for over 24 hours is daunting, the journey itself promises to be an unforgettable adventure filled with personal growth and newfound strengths. As race day approaches, I'm filled with a mix of excitement and nerves, but I know that all the preparation will pay off. No matter what, this experience is about pushing my limits, embracing the unknown, and ultimately discovering what I’m truly capable of.

 

By Hannah Glatter