3 sleeping tactics for ultra cycling races
I’ve never taken drugs - unlike most people my age in the Netherlands - but I’d imagine this is the post-festival vibe once you’ve indulged in shrooms and MDMA.
Spaced out, slumped on a couch, trying to make sense of my flatmates. I’d spent 30 minutes thinking about taking my socks off and showering for the first time in over 48 hours.
But that’s what happens when you’ve slept for one hour in the past 2 days. I’d finished the last 800km of Race around the Netherlands with a 60 minute nap in a bush at 4:00 am.
Sleep is a tough subject when it comes to ultra cycling. It creates a lot of uncertainty and paranoia amongst competitors. We don’t want to sleep too much and lose time or sleep too little and scratch from the race. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
To help ultra cyclists build a solid sleeping strategy, I’ll share:
3 approaches to sleep
practical examples for different race situations
one bonus underrated tip
Pick 1 sleeping strategy & adapt
First things first, choose how you want to ride the race by answering this one question:
Do you want to arrive at the finish absolutely ruined in the highest position possible or are you there for the experience and feel relatively ok at the end?
One option isn’t better than the other, but make a decision beforehand so you have a sleeping plan and the right equipment.
To help you make this decision, I’ll break a race down into 3 common sleeping approaches. But don’t make it a fixed plan, long distance cycling is too unpredictable and you’ll have to adapt.
1. Fast and furious
Choose this approach when you’re going for the win or a top 10 finish. You’ll be keeping a close eye on rivals at night and your eyes might be popping out of their sockets by the end of the race.
Keep in mind that this approach is risky and not applicable to every race. You’re going for high reward, while exposing yourself to risk. Due to sleep deprivation, your chances of scratching are high and you can compromise your safety.
Type of race?
2-5 days. Once you go over this time limit I’d recommend a more consistent sleeping approach. The lack of sleep over a longer period means you’ll most likely scratch or your performance will be severely compromised.
How much sleep?
As little as possible. Sleep only when you have to or you’ve built a solid lead to consolidate your position. You won’t sleep on the first night and you’ll be pushing through more nights and relying on power naps during the day. The nights you do sleep will be between 2-3 hours.
Where?
Hotel stops are limited and you’ll sleep where you can on route. Bus stops, bushes, benches are ideal places.
Equipment?
Take an emergency survival blanket and maybe a bivy but nothing else. It’s a make or break strategy.
2. Conservative & steady
This is a more balanced approach but still a solid strategy that can earn you a top finish. If you have any doubt about choosing your sleep patterns for a race, I’d recommend this one.
Type of race?
Any.
How much sleep?
Typically you’d sleep on the 1st night and then adapt based on how you’re feeling. On average aim for 3-5 hours sleep per night and then push through the last night to overtake as many riders as possible.
In Race around the Netherlands, there was one competitor who used this tactic with great effect. He was sleeping for slightly longer - around 6 hours per night - but then he committed to cycling harder during day and finished around 30th position.
Where?
A mixture of bivying and hotels. Use hotels to recharge your electronics and outside sleeping for shorter rests.
Equipment?
Flexibility is the key so you’ll need a bivy and a sleeping bag for extra warmth. A roll mat is optional but 9 times out of 10 you won’t need one.
3. Slow and safe
This is a more relaxed approach. You’re looking to maximise the time limit available and bank lots of sleep without riding too much in the dark.
How much sleep?
6-8 hours per night is a healthy amount and you should feel fairly fresh on the bike.
Where?
Hotels, Airbnbs, hostels etc- anything with a roof and a bed.
Equipment?
Not much, just a credit card.
Practical examples of race approaches
Here is how I would use these sleeping tactics in different race scenarios and I’ll show you the importance of adaptability.
Utrecht Ultra 2023 vs 2024: Fast & furious fuck up
2022’s race was a poor choice of the ‘fast and furious’ sleeping strategy. I chose this because of inexperience and over ambition to finish my first ultra race (1000km) in 48 hours.
The weather was abysmal with constant rain and freezing temperatures and so my body was expending more energy than usual. Really I should have been sleeping 2-3 hours per night and not trying to push through 48 hours without sleep - which very few riders can do.
Despite my failure at Utrecht Ultra in 2023, for this year’s edition I’ll start with the intention to adopt the same sleeping strategy.
Now I have experience and confidence, the goal is to ride this race aggressively and compete with the likes of Julio Greff. I’m aiming to ride through the 1st night and sleep 2-3 hours the 2nd night then push for the finish.
Race around the Netherlands 2023: Conservative & steady
RatN was close to the perfect sleep strategy for me. Keep in mind that I’d never cycled 2000km before and if you’re taking on an unfamiliar distance lasting 2+ days, this is an ideal tactic.
The key is to prioritise sleep at the start and take no risk. On the first night I slept 4 hours in my bivy. Then during the 2nd and 3rd night, I slept for around 4 hours each night.
While I lost time to other riders who continued through the night, I was a lot fresher later in the race and this is when this sleeping tactic pays off. If you accumulate enough sleep, you can switch your race around from:
I have to stop vs I’ll decide when I stop.
That’s quite a difference and I used it to good effect. By the 4th night, I decided to push through the night, but ended up sleeping 2 hours due to a thunderstorm and on the final night I pushed straight through apart from a 1 hour nap, overtaking 8 riders.
You can see how this sleep strategy really puts you in control, but if you read the next practical example, I’ll show you why and when this can be “too safe”.
Trans Alba: Fast & furious with caution in mind
This might also seem like a surprising choice for a 1.600km race with 22.000 metres of climbing, but there’s one reason driving my decision.
The ferry crossings which, looking at the race route, are placed at mile 332 (534km), 413 (666km), 446 (714km) and 508 (817km).
Now the tricky part is the running times of these ferries. I won’t run through the exact timetable, but there’s a reward for starting the race harder and trying to make the ferries before they close at night to get to the top end of the race.
If I miss the last crossing, I’ll take the extra sleep and push harder the next day. So I’ll adopt the fast and furious tactic at the start then most likely as the race progresses, I’ll opt for a more conservative and steady strategy to sustain the power in my legs.
1 bonus sleeping tip for your strategy
Sleep is a topic I’ll come back to later once I’ve experienced more races and I have more tips to share. But this blog should give you enough insights to build your own sleeping strategy and then refine it to fit your personal needs.
Now here’s one aspect I didn’t touch upon - naps. Power naps, most commonly used during the day but sometimes at night, are really effective and can help reset your mind and body. Even 15 minutes can make a huge difference.
Subscribe for more of this content below and I’m looking forward to sharing my Trans Alba race report at the end of June.