Training and Preparation

YES, THESE ARE TOUGH EVENTS BUT THEY ARE SUPER REWARDING GIVEN THE GREAT COURSES, THE SCENERY AND THE CAMARADERIE BETWEEN RIDERS.

The following information and advice is provided to help riders, and particularly novice riders – prepare for the event and feel comfortable in the race environment.

GROUP TRAINING AND COURSE FAMILIARISATION RIDES

Together with our retail partner Hendrys Cycles in Geelong and Ocean Grove (owned by Simon Gerrans) we will be conducting some group training rides and course familiarisaiton days in the lead up to the event. These will likely include

Training rides:

Hendry’s host a regular group ride at 7am on Saturday mornings year-round. Simon Gerrans joins the ride most weekends and some rides will be more specific to the Odyssey and GOGG events, but either way their rides provide a social, familiar 2hr ride with others that’s great to tap into. Meet at the Hendrys Store in Grovedale.

Course Familiarisation day

Together with Hendry’s we will host a course familiarisation day in Forrest on Sunday 8th February. A range of demo bikes will be available, as well as ride leaders hitting up the MTB trails and gravel roads used in the various races. Check back nearer event weekend for more details.

Race Preparation night

Hendry’s will host a pre-race information session approx. 4-6 weeks before race day. Starting with a short ride it’ll follow up with some tuning tips from mechanics, course explanation, rider testimonials and training / nutrition tips…

STRAVA – NEW!!

Otway Odyssey Strava Club – JOIN HERE >>

FREE TRAINING PROGRAMS BY COMMONWEALTH GAMES COACH

Tackling the Otway Odyssey is no easy undertaking for any cyclist, so we are excited to provide a free 100km and 50km training program prepared by Adam Kelsall from Hero Dirt Cycle Coaching – a UCI Level 2 Coach and Coach of Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist Zoe Cuthbert!

This incredibly comprehensive training plan is stacked with info and advise to ensure you’re the best rider you can be on race day and is a great resource for any rider.

If you want a customised plan that better matches your situation we strongly encourage you to contact Adam Kelsall directly to prepare a specific plan for you on a paid basis. Contact via Facebook: HeroDirt Cycle Coaching).

  • CLICK HERE download the Hero Dirt free Otway Odyssey 100km MTB training program.
  • CLICK HERE download the Hero Dirt free GOGG training program.
Read full article on Page 6

Additional training programs

We have 3 additional training programs that are targeted more towards female riders and novices on the Odyssey Angels training page HERE. These include:

  • 12 week program aimed at the 30km event
  • Plan of attack for the 50km event
  • Conquer the 100km event

“The training plan is very impressive with how it’s all explained with the theory behind the process. And some very wise advice. I probably now know 3 times more about training physiology etc. than I did yesterday!”

Nutrition Coach

Dr Karen Hill is all about maximising your health and athletic performance. Karen’s the go-to gal for offroad endurance sports nutrition, with a mission to help you reach peak performance and feel amazing both on and off the trails. Her secret sauce? A customised approach to coaching that puts your unique needs and aspirations front and centre to create your own personalised winning food formula. Say goodbye to cookie-cutter advice and hello to a tailored food formula that gets you to the top of your game while keeping you healthy for the long haul. Get ready to level up with Karen!

The serious stuff:

  • PhD Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Nutritional Therapy
  • Certificate IV in Personal and Business Coaching
  • www.hillisticcoaching.com.au

Tips from the pros (that we can all relate to)

Our friends at Marathon MTB prepared a fantastic article with a range of terrific tips from some elite riders (that we can all relate to) – covering hydration and nutrition, equipment, race strategy and training. Check it out HERE.


Basic guidelines for event training and preparation

These basic pointers will help keep your expectations for the Odyssey and Gravel races realistic to ensure you enjoy your day(s).

  • Keep things in perspective – remember that the emphasis should be on enjoyment, satisfaction and fun. Training and racing shouldn’t be a chore.
  • Listen to your body. If you’re feeling unwell, don’t train on regardless. As a general rule of thumb for head colds, if you have symptoms below the neck (such as chest congestion) then REST. If you are injured, see a physio who can help you avoid further damage.
  • Vary the speed (or intensity) during your training rides. Although you have entered a bike marathon race, your training rides should not be all long distance trundles. Long slow distance makes long slow riders – if you train slowly, you’ll ride slowly in the event. On the other hand, if all your workouts are at break neck pace, you’ll probably be injured and miss the Odyssey.
  • Remember to warm up and warm down and include time for stretching before and after each ride.
  • Recovery – If you don’t allow your body sufficient recovery between training sessions, your performance will be affected considerably. Remember that the body gets stronger through the recovery process.
  • Recovery means plenty of sleep and regular rest days in your training program, especially after longer training rides. Experienced cyclists might train on a daily basis but even they build in “easy” days.
  • Technique – Once you can physically ride a bike, you tend not to think about your technique, other than not falling off. However, a good pedaling technique will make you more efficient and thus, a faster rider. A poor technique will cause muscles to fatigue and can lead to injury and decreased performance. See the text below about how to pedal smoothly and efficiently.