Curious if there is a training plan for Unbound Gravel 200? Garmin provided a training plan last year but they are no longer associated with the event and will not be providing a plan this year. I searched “community plans” and didn’t find anything. Thanks! - Murry
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Wow… Unbound 200, my hero!!!
We don’t have anything specific to unbound. I personally believe in most cases training plans associated with a specific event are marketing but at the same time something just oriented to 14 hours or something of lots of climbing, but still that ends up a volume plan focused on zone 2 but with some spikes. I need to research this a bit more if you want some help, I have a world tour coach that designed Coach Jack to ask. And Coach Robert @Robert_UCL Any thoughts on this?
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Of course, I have thoughts about this, Alex. 
Nice goal: unbound 200.
I just finished the Drenthe 200 (km, not miles). It’s a mountain bike race in the Netherlands. Since it is the 29th of December, the circumstances are brutal. Wet, cold, and mud.
A lot of this:
This year I want to ride 500km in one day. I just turned 50.
I like the long distances. It is really all about staying in the race and avoid taking risks. In unbound, risk is part of the game with the rugged terrain and sharp stones. You need a little bit of luck as well.
With distances like these, zone 2 becomes even more important. And you need to do the extra hours. I always say that you don’t need to do at least 2hour sessions for 4 or 5 times a week, but that is for century rides.
This is something else. You want to build your fatigue resistance by making a lot of hours, while avoiding overtraining.
A good way to do so is two-day LSD rides. So 5 hours on a Saturday and 4 on a Sunday. During the week I would focus on some zone 4 work.
I don’t know the climbs and how steep they are, but I took a look at the route. Everybody talks about short hills with a rocks. That means hammering up technical parts.
This is one training I would do. Go out with your bike and go for those technical climbs.
I don’t know how much time you have during the week, but here would be my schedule.
Mo: rest
Tue: 2-hour zone 2/3 ride with technical climbs outside
Wed: 1-hour recovery ride and core training (split session)
Thu: 2-hour zone 2 ride with zone 4 intervals
Fri: Recovery ride and core training (split session)
Sat: 3-6 hour zone 2
Sun: 2-5 hour zone 2 (after 3 hours some zone 3 intervals)
I would build up zone 4 in 4 weeks and then change the intervals. For example, week 1-4 3’ intervals, week 5-8 6’ intervals, etc.
If you have more time, you can extend the midweek training to 3 hours. If you don’t, you can cut the midweek training to 1 hour and skip the recovery training.
Make sure that your fueling strategy is spot on. Plan a longer ride (150 miles) in 8 weeks to test your strategy.
Believe me when I tell you this will be your biggest problem. Eating all the food you need that day.
I’m a little jealous. If you have any questions you know where to find me.
Have fun, Coach Robert
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Sounds like a good plan, Robe! 2 blocks of such training with 3-1 periodization and you will be at around 100 CTL and this should be just fine. I did a few times similar road rides (like 200 km with 4.5k m of elevation) with CTL 70-80 and I felt very confident.
I would just add - if you are time crunched, just increase slightly intensity to keep gaining TSS. Like, make Z2 at 73% instead of 65%, it will have almost the same training adaptation but less time spent.
+1000 on nutrition, it may ruin your D-Day man!
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This is a great use of CTL (how you stated it here). Training for max CTL is dangerous, like training focused solely on FTP improvements but as relative marker of readiness I think CTL is great. Also TSB is great indicator of approximate danger zones. I also feel really good at 70-80 CTL but never did 200 miles 
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