12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“Typically I like to start fast and just hang with the lead group as long as possible and see where it goes from there. During this race, after a few breaks in the peloton, falling back into the second group, I was able to bridge back and stay with the top ten or so riders.”
— D Rider COMPETITIVE
“Our friend Scott, who we caught up to and rode the last two sectors with...got 3 flats in quick succession on Camp Road 38”
— Flats - Scott COMPETITIVE
Establish aerobic foundation. 70-85% volume in Z1-{{Z2}}. {{CTL}} rising steadily (+5-8/wk in loading weeks, netting about +10/month after recovery weeks). {{TSB}} slightly negative (-5 to -15). Week 4 = recovery week (60% volume). Feels boring but doable—you should finish most rides feeling like you could do more.
Layer intensity, develop race-specific fitness. 60-70% Z1-Z2, 30-40% Z3-Z6. Two to three quality sessions per week. The magic happens here: deliberately dig a fatigue hole ({{TSB}} goes to -25), recover just enough, then dig another hole. This is where fitness sharpens.
Century Endurance Climbing Strength Dress RehearsalShed fatigue, maintain sharpness. Volume drops 30-50%. Intensity stays high but duration decreases. Week 11: {{TSB}} rises to +5 to +10. Week 12: TSB targets +15 to +25 for race day. Fitness doesn't improve—the goal is to remove the fatigue layer so you can express the fitness you've built.
100 miles requires proper endurance base.
Rolling northwoods climbing (gain unpublished by the organizer) accumulates across a hundred miles and requires good aerobic capacity.
Regional Wisconsin century in the Chequamegon area with good terrain.
Hungry Bear 100 offers a 100-mile gravel challenge in Wisconsin's Chequamegon area, known for mountain biking and outdoor recreation. Cable has better amenities than typical Northwoods towns, and the terrain is rolling to hilly with good scenery. It's a regional event with modest field depth, but the Chequamegon setting adds appeal for Wisconsin cyclists.
Gain isn't officially published by the organizer (independent recaps put it around 5,000ft), and it concentrates into "quick, punchy hills and descents" rather than sustained climbing.
Parker's course design "winds its way deep into the north woods" through forest service roads where "you're rarely traveling in the same direction for long." Linda Shydlowski felt "gratitude for the sunshine, blue skies, forests, lakes, rivers" during her ride.
Proceeds support Cable Volunteer Fire Department, Steve Tilford Foundation, and local scholarships, creating lasting community impact. The "family reunion feel" includes 11-year-old Molly Ehlers completing the 60-miler with her dad Aaron.
Growing regional Wisconsin event.
A solid regional 100-miler in a beautiful Wisconsin setting. Better than some remote Northwoods events due to Cable's tourism infrastructure. Worth it for Wisconsin cyclists, but not a destination race for distant travelers.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Northern Wisconsin early spring
Key Challenges: Cold morning starts possible, Rain possible, Wide swings between morning and afternoon temps
60-90 minutes Z2 endurance. Keep legs moving, nothing hard. Optional: 3 × 1 min Z4 to keep neuromuscular system awake.
45-60 minutes Z2. Maybe 2 × 3 min G Spot if you're feeling restless. Don't go hard.
Rest day or 30-45 minutes very easy spin. The last hard workout was 4-5 days ago. Everything now is just maintenance.
45-60 minutes Z2. Include 3-5 × 30 seconds Z5-Z6 (openers to keep legs sharp). Last real ride before race.
Travel day (if traveling) or rest day. Optional 30-minute easy spin if legs feel heavy.
30-45 minutes Z2 with 3 × 1 min Z4 openers. Course preview if racing Sunday. No heroics.
20-30 minutes very easy spin or complete rest. Do what's worked for you previously.
Tire Setup (Northwoods gravel roads):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm ($54.99) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Northern Wisconsin early spring):
Drivetrain: Chain clean and lubed. Shifting smooth across all gears. No chain slip under power.
Tires: Tubeless sealant fresh. Tire pressure set for race conditions. Check for cuts, sidewall damage.
Cockpit: Computer charged and mounted. Bottles/cages secure. Bento box organized.
Wheels: Thru-axles tight. No spoke issues. Hubs spin smoothly.
Don't: Install new chain race week. Change tire pressure drastically. Add new untested equipment.
Essentials: Spare tube (even if tubeless), tire plugs, CO2 cartridges (2-3) or mini pump, multi-tool with chain breaker, quick link, tire levers.
Nutrition: Gels, bars, chews—whatever you practiced with. Bottle with sports drink pre-mixed. Extra water bottle.
Other: Sunscreen, chamois cream, arm warmers/vest, rain jacket (if forecast), extra base layer.
Race essentials: Bib number and pins, race chip, ID and emergency contact info.
Hungry Bear 100 Start Time: 8:00 AM. Set your alarm for 5:00 AM.
Wake up. Coffee if you normally drink it (not the time to change habits). Breakfast: 100-150g carbs, minimal fat, minimal fiber. Oatmeal with banana and honey, bagel with jam, or white rice with a pinch of salt.
Start sipping sports drink. Begin hydrating and topping off fuel. Apply chamois cream and sunscreen.
Arrive at start area. Check in, use porta-potty. Get your head right.
Light warmup ride: 10-15 minutes easy spinning. Wake up the legs.
Final gear check: bottles filled and secured, nutrition in pockets, tire pressure verified, drivetrain sounds good. Run through your performance statements mentally.
Openers near the start: 2-3 x 30 seconds at race effort with easy spinning between. Gets HR up, legs awake, reminds body what fast feels like.
Roll to start line. Find your position. Deep breath.
6-2-7 breathing if anxious. You're ready. Trust your training.
Your Fueling Math (100 miles): At ~12mph, expect ~8.3 hours on course. Lower intensity — fat oxidation increasing — target 50-70g carbs/hour (416-583g total, or 16-23 gels).
Carb targets scale with duration: shorter races burn more carbs per hour at race intensity, while ultra-distance events shift toward fat oxidation and GI tolerance becomes the limiter (Jeukendrup 2014, van Loon et al.).
Enter your details for a complete race fueling plan — carbs, hydration, sodium, and an hour-by-hour strategy.
Your numbers are the easy part.
Hitting them at race intensity is a trained skill — gut training over 4-6 weeks, bottle logistics, heat adjustments when the plan meets the weather. The custom training plan builds your fueling protocol into the actual training weeks, so race day is a rehearsal, not an experiment.
BUILD MY PLAN — FUELING INCLUDEDGet race-day tips in your inbox
What Riders Say About Conditions: Early May weather creates planning challenges, as Dan's group discovered when they "underdressed for the day" after waking to 34°F despite forecasts "promising sun and temps over 50.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: Aid stations on course
2-3g carbs/kg bodyweight. Low fat, low fiber. Familiar foods only. 500ml water with meal.
One gel (24g carbs) with 200ml water. Tops off blood glucose.
Focus on pacing, positioning, settling in. Sip on drink. Heart rate is spiking, gut blood flow is reduced.
First gel or equivalent (24g carbs). Start your fueling clock. Hydrate consistently.
Consume carbs consistently by the clock. Target rate depends on race duration: 80-100g/hr for races under 4 hours, 60-80g/hr for 4-8 hour events, 50-70g/hr for 8-12 hours, and 40-60g/hr for ultra events (12+ hours). At lower intensities fat becomes your primary fuel and GI tolerance is the limiter. Set a timer. Your brain will be stupid. It will forget to eat.
Practice eating real food on easy rides. Start with 40-50g carbs per hour, mostly solid. Build tolerance gradually. SGLT1 transporters can double in 2 weeks of consistent gut training (GSSI).
Increase toward your race-day target rate. Mix of liquids and solids. Practice eating at tempo pace. Your gut adapts to what you train it for.
Hit your race-day target rate (see duration-scaled targets in your prep kit). Race nutrition only (gels, drink, bars you'll use on race day). Practice at race pace. For ultra events (12+ hours), include savory and mixed-macro foods alongside gels.
Stick with what worked in training. No new products. Trust your gut (literally).
Known Suffering Zones:
Budget Planning:
Cost of Trip: Moderate (3/5)
Nearest Airport: Duluth (DLH) or Minneapolis (MSP) ~2-3 hours, Milwaukee (MKE) 4 hours
Duluth (DLH) or Minneapolis (MSP) ~2-3 hours, Milwaukee (MKE) 4 hours
Cable has lodging due to Chequamegon area tourism. Book early during summer season.
Typically day before or race morning
parking at Cable Municipal Parking implied[3]
Small town with dining options. Better than typical Northwoods towns.
Spin in Z1 after crossing the finish line. Let heart rate drop gradually. Stopping abruptly causes blood to pool in your legs.
20-30g protein, 60-100g carbs, 500-750ml fluid with electrolytes. Chocolate milk, protein shake with banana, or whatever the finish line has.
You lost 1-4 liters of fluid. Drink 500-1000ml within the first hour. Add electrolytes. If pee is dark yellow by evening, keep drinking.
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