The Iceman Cometh Challenge is one of the most thrilling and challenging races I’ve ever faced. From the tight singletrack to the big hills and sandy sections, it demands everything from endurance to technical skills and mental focus. What has made this race even more special for me is the community that comes with it. Having friends surrounding me, both on and off the course, has really helped boost my confidence and pushed me to keep going, no matter how tough things get. The encouragement from fellow riders and the shared goal of tackling the course together makes the experience even more rewarding.
Over the past few years, I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t when preparing for the race. In this post, I’ll share what has worked best for me when training for the Iceman, from building endurance to improving technical skills and strength, all leading up to race day.
Endurance Training
Endurance is the foundation for a successful Iceman ride. The 30-mile course requires you to keep pushing through tough terrain for two to three hours, depending on your pace. In the beginning, I would just do longer rides on the weekends with my stepbrother. We often rode the same route at 5 a.m. every Sunday, which felt somewhat boring, but we worked up to completing a 24-mile course at a 13.5 mph pace easily.
As I progressed, I added hill sprints and intervals into my rides, gradually increasing my speed. Since joining the MISCA team, I still go on long rides every weekend, but I’ve shifted from doing only long rides to steady, longer interval-based 45-minute base-building workouts. These have made a huge difference in improving my fitness. I appreciate that they’re shorter and easier to fit into my schedule.
My favorite base-building session looks like this:
- 5-minute warm-up at around 60 watts
- Three sets of:
- 4 minutes of steady pedaling at 75 watts
- 2 minutes of harder effort at 85 watts
- 5-minute recovery
- Then three sets of:
- 5 minutes of tempo effort at 75 watts
- 2.5 minutes of harder effort at 85 watts
- 5-minute recovery
- In the first set, I stay on the lower side of my power target, and in the second set, I push a little above my target
Since joining the MISCA Devo team, I’ve been working on interval training to improve both endurance and speed. One of the sessions that really improved my speed was:
- 7-minute warm-up
- 3 repetitions of:
- 30-second sprint (85–90% of max effort)
- 30 seconds of gentle pedaling or coasting
- 5-minute recovery
- 5 repetitions of:
- 30-second sprint
- 30 seconds rest
- 10-minute recovery ride at moderate effort
- 5 more repetitions of:
- 30-second sprint
- 30 seconds rest
- 10-minute cooldown
Another one of my favorite training methods is hill repeats. I’ll go to Anita’s Hill and sprint up it, coast down, and repeat
Strength Training and Cross-Training
Strength training has become a key part of my routine, thanks to my MISCA coach. We focus on building functional strength and improving balance, stability, and mobility—all super important for handling the bike on rough terrain.
Some of the most helpful exercises I do include:
- Lunges, squats, and deadlifts
- Side-loaded lunges and squats
- Overhead marches
- Bridge variations and plank pillar holds
- Hollow body holds and penguins
- Banded reverse lunges and banded dead bugs
- Rows, chest press, and tricep dips
For mobility, I’ve been doing:
- Hip openers, frog squats, and figure 4 stretches
- Leg swings, jumping jack variations, and skaters with a twist
- Side bends, forward bends, scorpions, windshield wipers, and alternating one-leg hugs
These workouts have been both fun and really effective. They’ve helped improve my overall comfort on the bike, especially during long efforts and when handling rough terrain.
Recovery is just as important as the training itself. Eating right, foam rolling, and stretching are part of my routine and have helped me stay strong and injury-free.
I’ve also included cross-training to keep things interesting and challenge different muscle groups. Running and hiking have been great for building cardiovascular fitness, preparing me for the more demanding sections of the course. Even indoor rock climbing has helped improve my grip strength and balance, which definitely pays off on the bike.
Technical Skills for Tight Corners and Sand
The Iceman’s singletrack is tight, and mistakes can cost you precious time. Practicing cornering and bike handling was a big part of my training. I worked on leaning just my bike while keeping my knees wide and my weight centered, which helped me stay smooth through tricky turns. Riding the trails near Brighton, which are packed with roots and rocks, helped sharpen my skills. Even though the Iceman course doesn’t have rocks, those challenging trails forced me to improve my balance and control, making me faster and more confident overall.
To prepare for the sandy sections, I practiced riding loose gravel and sand pits at a local trail. The key was to keep my pedals turning and stay light on the handlebars to let the bike float through the deeper sections. This focus on smooth and controlled riding has made a big difference in my race prep.
Putting It All Together
In the final weeks before race day, I started combining everything: endurance, strength, and skills. I practiced race-pace rides that included hills, corners, and sand, simulating the Iceman conditions as closely as possible. These practice rides gave me the confidence to know I could handle whatever the course threw at me.
Training for the Iceman isn’t just about logging miles—it’s about building strength, mastering bike handling, and finding the mental focus to push through tough moments. The time and effort you put in will pay off when you cross that finish line, knowing you gave it your all.
Thank you to Kedzie Ruckle @noelkedzie for being our 2025 Junior Iceman Trailblazer!