The Climb Starts in October: Build Your Base for Mt. Spokane

The gravel lot at Big Barn Brewery is quiet right now. Mt. Spokane is settling into fall, and Sunday, June 13, 2027 can feel a long way off. But every rider who has ever crested that summit knows the secret: the race isn't won in June. It's won in the quiet, unglamorous months that begin right now.

Eight months out isn't too early — it's right on time. The fitness that carries you from the start line in Mead all the way to the top of Mt. Spokane isn't built in a frantic spring scramble. It's built one honest week at a time, starting in October.

The off-season is your secret weapon

Big, hard efforts get the glory, but base miles win mountain races. The weeks ahead are for patient, steady aerobic riding — the kind where you can still hold a conversation. That easy volume builds the engine everything else bolts onto: stronger legs, a bigger tank, and the stamina a long climb demands. Skip it now and no amount of spring intensity will paper over the gap.

Build your base, one week at a time

You don't need a coach or a power meter to start. You need consistency. A repeatable off-season rhythm looks something like this:

• Two or three easy aerobic rides each week — conversational pace, nothing heroic.
• One longer ride on the weekend, adding a little time every couple of weeks.
• A day or two of simple strength work to protect your knees, back, and climbing legs.
• Real rest. Recovery is where the fitness actually sticks.

Miss a week to weather, work, or life? Don't try to claw it back. Just climb back on. The riders who reach the summit are rarely the fastest in October — they're the ones who kept showing up.

Train for the mountain, not just the miles

Climb for the Cure gives you two ways up. The A-Route is 50.5 miles with about 6,422 feet of climbing — a genuine mountain day. The B-Route is 22.2 miles and roughly 2,652 feet — still a serious, rewarding challenge. Pick your line now and train backward from it. Seek out hills. Learn to love the grade. The climb is hard on purpose, and the summit means more because of it.

Why we climb

Here's what makes every cold, early mile worth it: this ride is bigger than the ride. Every entry and every dollar raised funds cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through The Wendy Fund. The climb is hard on purpose — so is the fight against cancer — and together we take it on one pedal stroke at a time.

So start today. Lock in your spot while early-bird entry is still $100 — prices climb as race day nears — and there's a $10,000 prize purse waiting at the line. Register for Climb for the Cure 2027. Can't ride this year? You can still power the cause — make a donation and help us fight cancer, mile by mile.