THE SHORT ANSWER
Chris Melman, ultra-endurance racer, 3rd place finisher at badlands 800km, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Melman lands on Zone 2 training. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
WHO IS CHRIS MELMAN?
Chris Melman races at the brutal end of the sport — a Badlands 800km podium — where the limiter stops being fitness and becomes fuelling, pacing and the head. His account of how a pro's fuelling plan almost won Badlands is a masterclass in the ultra truth amateurs underestimate: the rider who finishes strongest is rarely the fittest, but the one who paced the first half like Zone 2 discipline and never let the fuelling slide. For anyone eyeing a first long gravel race, he's the cautionary, practical voice.
MELMAN ON ZONE 2
Melman’s key positions on Zone 2 training.
- The riders who blow up in ultras race the first half — pacing it like disciplined Zone 2 is what keeps the legs at the end.
IN MELMAN’S OWN WORDS
Verbatim from Chris Melman’s appearances on the podcast.
“I think at Unbound this year I did 110 grams of carbs an hour for 23 hours or 22 hours or something”
“I didn't bring any sleeping stuff. Um I brought uh you know a light jacket, arm warmers, knee warmers, a buff um and some like heavier gloves, which sounds funny because we're in the desert and you think, 'Oh, everyone here's battle lens is super hot,' which it was for most of the time. But that second night, I needed all those layers.”
“I think I was going through a liter a liter and a half an hour of water at one point. Like just an unbelievable amount.”
HEAR IT ON THE PODCAST
Episodes where Chris Melman covers Zone 2 training and related ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What does Chris Melman say about Zone 2 training?
Chris Melman, ultra-endurance racer, 3rd place finisher at badlands 800km, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Melman lands on Zone 2 training. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
What is Melman's main point on zone 2?
The riders who blow up in ultras race the first half — pacing it like disciplined Zone 2 is what keeps the legs at the end.
Which Roadman Cycling Podcast episodes cover Chris Melman on zone 2?
Melman discusses Zone 2 training in this episode: "Badlands 800km Fueling & Pacing Strategy | Roadman Cycling Podcast".