## Laps of Fountainhead = SM100

[Vecsus]

This may be an impossible question to answer but I decided to ask anyway. Approximately how many laps at Fountainhead would equal the SM100 course? I know it's too simple to just ride 100 miles worth of FH. Factor in climb, terrain, and mental anquish...about how many laps would give an approx simulation of the SM100 course.

Thanks

[bikerRob]

This may be an impossible question to answer but I decided to ask anyway. Approximately how many laps at Fountainhead would equal the SM100 course? I know it's too simple to just ride 100 miles worth of FH. Factor in climb, terrain, and mental anquish...about how many laps would give an approx simulation of the SM100 course.

Thanks

5/18/05 >> An interesting question ( seeing I've not done the SM 100 ) I'm curious how the others ( who have ) will answer this. I have done some rides in the area of the race though. IMHO...it'd be like comparing apples to oranges. I can't see Fountainhead being able to simulate the long climbs that will exist during the race. I checked the elevation graph on the web site and some of those climbs are quite long. One looks to be almost ten miles long (although most of it is a gradual climb). Check it for yourself here...http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/home/page_home.htm

What I plan to do to simulate the conditions is to do some rides around Michaux St. Forest. I've ridden there before and there are some real long climbs that can be grouped together for some epic rides. ( I'm talking forest road climbs that are at least 3 to 5 miles long grouped with some steeper single track descents/climbs) Frederick watershed might also be a good place to do this. If you start at the bottom of Mountaindale Rd. where it enters the Shed, it looks to be a good 3.5 mile climb to Gambrill Pk. Rd. Couple that with the some of the single track and do a series of laps and that might come half way to what the real race might have to offer...just my humble (inexperienced) opinion. :o

[Sharkey]

Your body's reaction to dozens of short, steep climbs is very different than it's reaction to long fire-road-type climbs. At Fountainhead, it's all about "going anaerobic for 3 minutes- rest for 3 minutes" -- basically INTERVALS. That said, Fountainhead is an excellent place to train for racing, but not necessarily for long distance stuff.

The SM100 is different in that on a long fireroad climb, you won't want to go anaerobic on the long climb at all . . . you need to train your body to stay at 80% or 85% of max for an hour or two at a time . . . much easier said than done!

If you want to stay on your mountainbike, I'd say Elizabeth Furnace would be a good place to train . . . do that fire road twice for every lap, maybe.

Other than that . . the best training for the SM100 would be (believe it or not) lots of road centuries. Road ride for 60 to 100 miles at a time, and use a heart rate monitor to ensure that your heart rate stays between say, 70% and 85% of max. Not only will your general fitness vastly improve from doing this, but you'll find that when it is time to go anaerobic, you'll recover much faster.

Just an opinion . . . in any case, good luck at the SM100!!

[camp]

I'm gonna call this my 3 cents cuz I've done the SM100 a bunch and have ridden Fountainhead a bunch more.

It's not even apples and oranges.

Lets call Fh like Lodi for my example:
I solo'd 12 Hours/Lodi a long time ago and it was about the hardest race I've ever done.

I've done 12 hours at SM before and it was nothing compared to Lodi. The SM offers your body and mind plenty of breaks on the long road climbs, and on the long descents. At places like Fh and Lodi, you're working hard all the time. I would never consider riding at Fh for 12 hours, even though it's one of my favorite places. Hell, I don't even like to do more than 3 laps there anymore.

I agree with Rob. Training at Mountaindale/Watershed, the GW, Michaux is how I began training for the 100s. It's very easy to simulate the kind of loop that is the SM. Doing 4-7 hour rides with a lot of gravel road climbing works.

oh yea, Rob, there's a 25-mile climb at SM between CPs 4-5. Yea, there's a bump in the middle so it's not all climbing, but you are riding from one of the lowest points on the course to the highest between 4-5.

[Vecsus]

awesome replies everyone. I think this weekend I might head west and tackle some long climbs. i love FH for its excitement but if someone had come here and said, straight out, that to simulate the SM100 you'd have to be able to do 12 laps at FH, i would have just sold my bike and taken up gardening.

[camp]

I think this weekend I might head west I'm leading a GW ride (unpublished) this Sunday. It will be far more technical than SM, but will have some big (singletrack) climbs. PM for details.

[pete]

Go down there.

HBurg and the SM course is not all that far away(2.5), certainly closer than Michaux. If I were you I'd just go down a few weekends this summer and replicate the course from last yr. Maybe split the distance into 2 days and camp, it'll be a good preride too. Go to the camping thing next weekend, tons of climbing there.

I am attempting the Leadville 100 in Aug and that is where I plan on doing all my climbing prior. I am screwed on the elevation aspect of Colo but I will ride the pavement up to Reddish Knob and the singletrack down and repeat or climb Shenandoah Mtn as mentioned above on weekends. I do alot of long rides on Skyline on my roadbike too.

[camp]

the Leadville 100Nice.
I used to jones for that race every year. Luckily the Shenandoah came along to satisfy me.

Good luck, i'm envious.

While down near H-burg, you might try climbing the Slate Springs Trail some too. It's the kind of steep, loose, fall line doubletrack that Leadville has.

[rpiontek]

I agree that that really is no comparison. But, if you can convince yourself to do 70 miles or so of laps at FH you can probably finish the SM100. You will still suffer on the climbs, though, because your legs just aren't used to working without a break for so long. I did most of my riding locally last year and this is what happened to me. Like everyone else said, head to the Harrisonburg area. You'll be better off when the race comes around, and you'll have alot more fun training for it.

[Vecsus]

Decided to head over to Elizabeth Furnace this weekend...weather permitting.

[Squirrel_Girl]

i would have just sold my bike and taken up gardening. Great! I need help preparing my rose bed. I figured since I did so many MORE workdays that I ought to get some help from them back on my garden. It's been sitting there half done for far too long. I'm sure using my pulaski will give you a great workout.

[pete]

Thanks Camp. Slate Springs huh? I think I've ridden that in a previous life but I'll check it out. Its near the Burg, right?

I'll definitely need some luck again. Last year I had the luck(weather, fitness and bike perfect)but the not the finish or die attitude. I pretty calmly pulled myself at the 74 mi station as I was out of buckle contention and had the fatigue induced "I don't feel like riding anymore" block and have regretted it ever since. I didn't realize how lucky I was with all variables considered, that is a long way to pedal and have no issues and then to quit? I have felt like a quitter ever since and now I have to return, if just to finish.

The SM100 is 3 weeks to the day after LV. I have considered doing both this yr depending on how LV goes. I'll either be in top form or over riding for awhile. Once I conquer LV, I'll probably do the SM100 annually instead as it is technical, varied and closer. LV seemed like a stage of the TdF on dirt to me w/out any singletrack.

How many trips? Get a buckle?

[camp]

...How many trips? Get a buckle?No, I've never gone there. I wanted to go every year bfore the Shenandoah came around, but I never got around to registering on time and taking the 2-3 weeks off work that I thought would make sense to acclimate and all. I know now from my TransRockies and other experiences that that means nothing really.

That buckle thing kinda sucks too. I think every finisher should get the same credit.

I know exactly what you mean by that regret.... It sucks to think about something all year long, and I've done that twice. That's why my single goal at all races is just to finish.

I meant Sand Springs, it's one of the climbs up to Reddish Knob. Check it on the map, between Wolfe Ridge and Hearthstone.

[bikerRob]

6/06/05 >> I'm beginning to wonder if doing this is something I really want to do. Sunday I drove up to Michaux St. Forest (Pa.) to do some Forest/Fire road loops up close to Mt. Alto St. Park. The entire ride gave me about 9 miles of Forest Rd. climbs...I picked one hell-of-a-day to do this with temps in the high 80's. Total milage was something like 13-14 miles. Boy are my legs whipped.. :( Just the thought of doing more climbing makes me want to cry...(snif..snif)

[rpiontek]

The training rides are hard, no doubt, and when you start to get up to 40-50-60+ mile rides you're basically spending all day on the bike. It does feel pretty good when you hit your training goals, though. I wouldn't be too discouraged by your first day with the bigger climbs. You'll feel much stronger next time out. If you don't really like that kind of riding I think you'd be fine only doing rides with long climbs every couple of weeks, maybe a little more often as the race gets closer.

I can't tell you that you should do the race. I think some people have the personality for it and some don't. The fact that you're thinking about it, though, says that maybe you do. If you work for it, and finish the race, all that time on the bike will have been worth it.

I think that you really need to set a schedule for the long rides and stick to it as much as possible. Try to mix things up so you don't get bored. Try to get the long ride in on Saturday, so that if something goes wrong you can make it up on Sunday. There were a couple of days when I felt like crap after 10 miles when my goal was like 50. If that happened I would just call it quits and come back the next day and get it in.