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RACE WEEK · 1 WEEKS OUT

DIRTY REIVER — 1 WEEKS OUT

Don't do anything clever. Eat, sleep, show up. Built around the 200km / 2,500m profile of the Dirty Reiver in United Kingdom.

200 km·2,500 m climbing·8-14 hours·April

THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW

DON'T DO ANYTHING CLEVER.

Race week is about arriving at the start line fresh, hydrated, and calm. The training is done. Hard sessions now cost you more than they give you. Every hour of good sleep in the final 72 hours does more than any workout could.

THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION

RACE MORNING OPENERS

20 minutes on the bike, morning of the event or day before, with 3x30sec at race pace. Wakes legs up without draining anything. That's it.

THE WEEK

A TYPICAL WEEK, 1 WEEKS OUT

Monday

45MIN Z1 + OPENERS (3X1MIN RACE PACE)

Legs awake, fatigue low.

Tuesday

REST OR 30MIN EASY

Focus on hydration + sleep.

Wednesday

60MIN WITH 4X30SEC RACE PACE

Final primer — nothing heroic.

Thursday

REST

Start carb-loading today.

Friday

30MIN EASY SPIN + OPENERS

Race check. Kit lay-out. Route review.

Saturday (race day -1)

20-30MIN VERY EASY

Or rest. Whichever calms nerves.

Race Day

EVENT

Pace it. Fuel it. Enjoy it.

DON'T DO THIS

Race-week mistakes are always additive — an extra hard session, extra volume, an unfamiliar food. Do less. The last week cannot make you fitter. It can absolutely make you slower.

EVENT INTEL

WHAT THE DIRTY REIVER ACTUALLY DEMANDS

Dirty Reiver is the UK's flagship gravel event — 200km across Kielder Forest with 2,500m of climbing on forestry roads, single track, and open fell crossings. Self-supported navigation, weather-exposed. The event that established UK gravel.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

  • ✓Forestry roads in Kielder — fast, wide, surprisingly rolling
  • ✓Weather can shift from sunny to snowy inside an hour in April
  • ✓Self-supported: carry what you eat/drink
  • ✓Short 130km + 65km options for first-timers
  • ✓Borderline mountain bike terrain in sections

COMMON MISTAKES

  • ✕Running road tyres — you will puncture
  • ✕Underdressing because 'it's April' — Kielder makes its own weather
  • ✕Pacing like a sportive — gravel eats your legs faster than tarmac

PACING

Gravel events punish overpacing effort because the surface varies. Target heart-rate rather than power — aim for high Z2 / low Z3 as your all-day ceiling. Let others go early on the fast sections; you'll catch them when the rough stuff starts. Eat on the flat sections when you can chew safely.

FUELLING

Self-supported means you pack it. 70-90g carbs/hour, more if cold. One water refill at the mid-point feed stop (if it's there — not guaranteed). Real food works better than gels when the ride stretches beyond 8 hours — sandwiches, bars, waffles.

KIT

Gravel bike with 40-45mm tyres — Rene Herse Humptulips, Challenge Getaway, WTB Nano. Tubeless with sealant. Mudguards help in wet years. Frame bag + top tube bag for food. Rain jacket that actually works. Head torch if you're a slower finisher.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

COACHED FOR YOUR EVENT.

Not Done Yet is the coached five-pillar system built around your actual event date. Personalised TrainingPeaks plan, weekly calls, expert masterclasses. 7-day free trial.

Apply for Not Done YetHow Coaching Works

$195/month · 7-day free trial · Cancel anytime

FAQ

COMMON QUESTIONS AT 1 WEEKS OUT

Is 1 weeks enough to train for the Dirty Reiver?+

Race week is about showing up fresh. No new fitness gains possible in a week. Focus on sleep, hydration, carb loading 48-72 hours out, and mental prep. Any hard session this week costs you more than it gives.

What's the hardest part of the Dirty Reiver?+

Forestry roads in Kielder — fast, wide, surprisingly rolling. running road tyres — you will puncture — so pacing discipline is the single biggest lever most amateurs miss. Gravel events punish overpacing effort because the surface varies.

How many hours a week should I train at 1 weeks out from the Dirty Reiver?+

Drop to 6-8 hours with minimal intensity. The taper protects the fitness you've built rather than growing more. Short, sharp openers to keep legs awake. Nothing aerobically challenging.

Do I need a coach to train for the Dirty Reiver?+

You don't need a coach to finish. You do need structure. If you're new to sportives, have a target finish time, have a plateau you can't break, or have a history of peaking wrong, a coached plan pays for itself. Inside Not Done Yet the plan is built backwards from your event date — base, build, peak, taper timed to the week the Dirty Reiver runs. 7-day free trial, $195/mo.

What gearing should I run for the Dirty Reiver?+

Gravel bike with 40-45mm tyres — Rene Herse Humptulips, Challenge Getaway, WTB Nano. Tubeless with sealant. Mudguards help in wet years. Frame bag + top tube bag for food. Rain jacket that actually works. Head torch if you're a slower finisher.

OTHER PHASES FOR THE DIRTY REIVER

Earlier phase ← 2 weeks out

TAPER