EBR Friday Focus

by ENDURANCE BIKE AND RUN

"Practical insights for sustainable progress"

Hello ,,

Practice Events: What Matters When It Counts

For long challenging endurance events, it's impossible to determine pacing and performance from isolated tests and physiological metrics. Practice events reveal what regular training can't.

3 Insights About Moving Beyond Quick Fixes

I.

"Planning practice events as stepping stones to your main event, pushing the boundaries and planning adequate recovery provide unique opportunities for specific training, adaptations and learning."

II.

"Remember that big events are as much psychological as physiological so make the test as realistic as possible and spend some time afterwards considering where you could have done things better. You might not be able to get much faster in a few months but you can improve a lot of things."

III.

"Most endurance events are timed and it is the total time from start to finish that counts... if you waste time at feed stations, messing with kit or changing things you could have planned for, you are wasting time and directly impacting your performance."

2 Questions For You

I.

What specific weakness did your last challenging event expose that you could address with a targeted practice event?

II.

Starting now, how many practice events can you fit in before your main event? Specifically what will these look like?

1 Real-World Example

Meet Quinda Verheul: Practice Events in Action

Meet Rebecca, an elite bikepacking racer who came to us at Endurance Bike and Run last year, seeking to build her fitness for an ambitious season of US based off-road bikepacking races, starting with the iconic Tour Divide this June.

Like many women in endurance sports, Rebecca navigates the natural rhythms of strength and fatigue that come with balancing intense training, recovery needs, and hormonal fluctuations while maintaining a busy life and travel schedule.

Traditional coaching often overlooks the unique physiological and emotional needs that athletes require. At Endurance Bike and Run, we understand the pain of seeing your dedication not reflected in performance.

We blend analytical training expertise with psychological and nutritional insights, making our coaching a comprehensive approach tailored for athletes with unique challenges.

The results speak volumes. Rebecca recently achieved an impressive 8th place among an elite field at a gravel race in Spain. With an eye on the Tour Divide, we're focusing on strategic practice events over the next eight weeks to further build her preparation for the grueling races ahead.

Rebecca's progress exemplifies the effectiveness of an empathic, interactive and personal support process; showing that although training is hard work, you shouldn't need to struggle against the ebb and flow of life to make progress. Are you ready to embrace your endurance journey?

Book a consultation to explore how we can help you develop sustainable training patterns that work for your life.

Keep moving forward,

John and Clare