The X100 is slowly creeping up, and the time to get prepared is now. Right now.
100 miles of challenging terrain is going to be a tall ask for anyone, and for those who haven’t trained specifically, it’s rough. There are just a handful of riders capable or truly racing for six or seven hours, and for the rest, the race turns to survival at different points.
There are a number of options to prepare for the X100 cropping up at the moment, from group rides to all out, structured training plans. Long-time kolo t.c. supporter Brockmiller Elite Endurance is offering an 8 week training program to prepare riders for taking on the monumental task of 100 miles in a single. Much of the training is focused on the obvious endurance workouts, but there’s a lot more to it. Brockmiller will also have valuable nutritional advice, a dedicated calendar with specific work to be done, and an expert approach to the all-important taper before the big day on August 24.
The Lumberjack 100 is just under a week old and those able to pedal are already looking toward the end of summer test at Ranch Rudolf. The two races are extremely different, but 100 miles is 100 miles, and after hour five, riders don’t care where they are as long as they can keep turning over the pedals. The course is still being finalized with help from singletrack legend Tom White, who is also contributing to the BEE Training Program. With White on board, expect nothing but the toughest singletrack expertly wound into the miles and miles of unmarked glory on Traverse City’s east side.
The gravel road part of the course is also being worked on, with a few testing hills dotted on the map and roads being selected to get to the ascents. The return leg of the 100 miler is going to be fast, with riders hoping to ride in small groups to keep speeds high after roughly four hours of racing on tight, testing singletrack. If anyone has the legs left, they’ll be able to make up a ton of ground in the closing 25 miles as they wind back to Ranch Rudolf.
Stay tuned for group recon rides later in the month. Contact Lauri Brockmiller at lauribrockmiller@mac.com to sign up.