208 miles. Three mountain passes. ~15,000 calories burned. The complete training, nutrition, and supplement protocol for the longest one-day USAC-sanctioned bicycle race in the country, distilled from Beetroot Pro founder Cameron Hoffman's years of LOTOJA preparation.
Cameron Hoffman is featured on the official LOTOJA Veteran Advice page as a multi-time Men's Pro Cat 1/2/3 category winner (2007, 2008, 2009, 2014). The strategy below is the actual protocol he developed across those finishes.
200+ miles
Total Distance
3
Mountain Passes
7,630 ft
Highest Point
~15,000
Calories Burned
4,533 ft
Start Elevation
UT, ID, WY
States Crossed
Course Profile
208 Miles, 9,800 ft of Climbing
Three mountain passes in the first 110 miles, then 100 miles of rolling terrain and Snake River Canyon to the finish at Teton Village.
KOM (Salt River Pass)Mountain PassFeed Zone / Town
Climb 1
Strawberry
22 miles, 6-8% last 3 mi
7,424 ft
Climb 2
Geneva
9 miles, last 2 at 7%
6,923 ft
KOM
Climb 3
Salt River Pass
4-5 mi, 6-9% gradient
7,630 ft
Course GPS
Cameron's 2020 Winning Ride
The full GPX file from Cameron Hoffman's Men's Pro Cat 1/2/3 LOTOJA Classic win on September 12, 2020. Load it into your Garmin, Wahoo, or Ride With GPS for turn-by-turn navigation and reference splits to a winning pace on race day.
Men's Pro Cat 1/2/3 Winner
Cameron Hoffman's LOTOJA 2020
Full Strava recording of the 200+ mile Logan to Jackson route at race pace. Includes heart rate, power, cadence, and elevation across the three mountain passes. Imports cleanly into every major GPS head unit.
Recorded
Sept 12, 2020
Trackpoints
32,500+
Peak Elevation
7,585 ft
File Size
11 MB
GarminWahoo ELEMNTRide With GPSStravaHammerhead Karoo
The riders who finish strong are the ones who paced Leg 1 conservatively, fueled methodically through the climbs in Legs 2 and 3, and preserved enough cognitive sharpness for the headwind grind from Alpine to Teton Village. Most riders bonk in the back half because they over-extended in Cache Valley or under-fueled before Salt River Pass.
The supplement protocol below is built around this reality: chronic loading (Endurance360) starts 6 weeks out to build threshold and lactate buffering capacity. Acute loading (Beetroot Pro) starts 5 days out to peak nitric oxide availability for the climbs. The two work on different mechanisms, which is why they stack cleanly.
6w
E360 Chronic Load
5d
BRP Acute Load
208mi
Race Day
The 4-Week Countdown
Train into shape. Rest into fitness. The final 4 weeks are about consolidating fitness and arriving at the start line healthy, not building new capacity.
4 Weeks Out
Peak Training Block
Hardest rides should be in this window: fast, hilly, longest ride of training cycle
High-intensity speed training builds the strength and efficiency needed for sustained climbing
Hard hill repeats simulate Strawberry, Geneva, and Salt River
Practice with race-day fuels (gels, bars, sports drinks) on long rides; do not introduce new fuels later
If you can complete a 130 to 150 mile training ride, you have the base for LOTOJA's 206
Start Endurance360 daily loading if you have not already (6-week build is ideal)
2 Weeks Out
Taper Week One
Train into shape, rest into fitness: easy days build fitness through recovery
Ride 5 to 6 days, 1 to 2.5 hours each, focus on easy pedaling and spinning
Maintain quality nutrition and continue daily Endurance360
No new training stimulus: this is volume reduction, not new intensity
Sleep is the primary recovery lever during taper
1 Week Out
Race Week
Include one rest day off the bike (Wednesday or Thursday work well)
Tempo riding with a few short, hard efforts to keep the system primed
Friday: easy 1 hour ride with brief hard efforts; keep muscles and lungs ready
Begin 5-day Beetroot Pro loading on Monday: 2 servings daily
Three Day Rule starts Wednesday: complex carbs in, fibrous food out
Two Day Hydration rule starts Thursday: water and sports drinks, urine should be clear
Race Day
Saturday September 12, 2026
1 serving Beetroot Pro 60 to 90 minutes before your start time
Drink and eat something every 15 minutes from the start, even just a few bites
Eat real food in Montpelier and Afton: sandwich, boiled red potatoes work well
Caffeinated gels 15 to 20 minutes before each major climb
Second Beetroot Pro serving at Afton feed zone for 9+ hour finishers
Pace within your category pack: do not chase faster groups out of your start wave
The Nutrition Rules
Race-day nutrition is decided in the weeks before, not in the saddle. These are the protocols Cameron uses and recommends.
6w
Six Weeks Out
▸Start daily multivitamin and Endurance360 to build chronic threshold and lactate buffering capacity.
▸Beta-alanine takes 4 to 6 weeks of consistent loading to saturate muscle carnosine. Start now or skip the benefit.
▸Creatine begins working within 5 to 7 days of loading but compounds across the 6-week window.
5d
Five Days Out: Nitrate Loading Begins
▸Take 2 servings of Beetroot Pro daily Monday through Friday.
▸Plasma nitrate plateaus in 2 to 3 days; tissue-level adaptations continue through day 5.
▸Avoid antibacterial mouthwash all week. It kills oral bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrite, the first step in the pathway.
▸Fibrous food out: raw salads, large quantities of vegetables, bran-heavy products. Race day is not the time for high-fiber breakfast.
▸Do not chase weight loss during race week. Absorb every complex carb your body will take.
2d
Two Days Out: Hydration Lock-In
▸Drink water and sports drinks consistently across both days.
▸Clear urine the morning before the race is your hydration green light. Yellow means keep drinking.
▸Add a pinch of salt to meals to support electrolyte balance, especially if you are a salty sweater.
RD
Saturday, 5:30 AM MDT
Race Day: Eat & Drink Every 15 Minutes
▸Beetroot Pro 60 to 90 minutes before start, with 10 to 12 oz water.
▸From the gun: drink and eat something every 15 minutes, even just a few bites. Do not wait for hunger or thirst signals.
▸Real food at Montpelier and Afton: sandwiches, boiled red potatoes with salt and butter work well. Solids in the back half stabilize energy in a way gels alone cannot.
▸Caffeinated gels 15 to 20 minutes before each major climb. The half-life is long enough to span the climb without crashing on the descent.
Leg-by-Leg Playbook
LOTOJA breaks into 5 distinct legs separated by feed zones. Each one demands a different fueling and pacing approach.
1
Leg 1: Logan to Preston
Distance
29 miles race / 34 miles ride
Elevation
Start 4,533 ft, End 4,726 ft
Profile
Flat to moderate through Cache Valley
Fueling Strategy
Warmup, hydrate, sip sports drink. Do not burn matches here. Race starts after Preston.
2
Leg 2: Preston to Montpelier
Distance
46 miles
Elevation
Climbs to Strawberry Summit (7,424 ft)
Profile
60% uphill, 22-mile climb with last 3 miles at 6 to 8% gradient
Fueling Strategy
Gel every 30 minutes. Real food at Preston feed zone. Beetroot Pro peak plasma nitrite hits here. Bottle refill at Strawberry neutral feed.
KOM
3
Leg 3: Montpelier to Afton
Distance
47 miles
Elevation
Geneva Summit (6,923 ft), Salt River Pass (7,630 ft, KOM)
Profile
Two big climbs, two fast descents. Salt River is the highest point on course.
Fueling Strategy
Eat real food at Montpelier (sandwich, potatoes). Caffeinated gel 15 to 20 min before Salt River. Drop electrolytes at Salt River neutral feed. Fast descent to Afton, fuel for next leg.
4
Leg 4: Afton to Alpine
Distance
34 miles
Elevation
Rolling through Star Valley
Profile
Climbing rollers, exposed to headwind. Energy management leg.
Fueling Strategy
Second serving of Beetroot Pro at Afton for 9+ hour finishers. Continue gels every 30 min. Eat solid food one more time at Alpine feed zone before Snake River Canyon.
5
Leg 5: Alpine to Finish
Distance
47 miles
Elevation
Snake River Canyon to Teton Village
Profile
Mostly downhill through canyon, false flat to finish line. Wind and fatigue are the limiters.
Fueling Strategy
Caffeine, electrolytes, fast carbs. Top off bottles at Game Creek neutral feed. Save one gel for the final climb to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
The LOTOJA Stack
Two products. Different mechanisms. Mapped to the chronic and acute demands of a 200-mile race week.
Acute · Race Week
Beetroot Pro
Patented betaine nitrate (NO3-T) delivering 300mg+ standardized dietary nitrate per serving. Reduces oxygen cost at climbing intensity by 1 to 3% in published research. The 5-day pre-race loading protocol elevates baseline plasma nitrate so the effect spans all three climbs, not just the early one.
Beta-alanine for lactic acid buffering on Strawberry and Salt River, creatine for repeated hard efforts across the climbs, cordyceps for VO2 max support. Beta-alanine requires 4 to 6 weeks of consistent loading to saturate muscle carnosine, so starting at 6 weeks out is the deadline, not the suggestion.
The Early Breakaway Pack bundles both products at a reduced per-product price. For LOTOJA athletes starting Endurance360 at 6 weeks out and Beetroot Pro at 5 days out, the bundle covers the full race week with one purchase.
Verified buyer reviews from athletes who used Beetroot Pro and Endurance360 for their LOTOJA build. Pulled live from the customer review database.
"I thought the product was great. I had been really struggling the two weeks before LOTOJA couldn't ride at threshold for more than 10 miles and just felt bad. I started taking the supplement about 1.5 weeks before the race and rode without HR monitor because honestly it was too frustrating. On race day I had my HR monitor back on. I felt great and was able to really push myself for most of the day. There was a significantly noticeable improvement in how I felt and how I was riding. The only thing that I really changed was adding Endurance360."
D K2015-08-06
"I started using Beetroot pro a month before Lotoja, I noticed my training rides were getting faster as well as stronger so I went all in on using beetroot and finished my 207 mile ride a little over an hour less than before. Recovery was a lot faster as well. Going to keep using Beetroot Pro and see how much faster next year goes .. an awesome product"
mike m2019-09-09
"Love your supplements, been using now for a little over 1 month and I can tell the difference. Trying to train and draw a spot on LOTOJA and this has been my little secret to help me with my training this winter."
J V2016-07-06
""I seem to be performing at a high level right now, but that might be because of the 400 mile weeks I am riding. I did win my category at LOTOJA Saturday- so maybe the Endurance360 is working!""
J L2015-08-22
"I just retired after a 44 year career. 65 years old. Only riding about 70 miles per week due to work, family, and church responsibilities. Just pulled off the 203 mile 2018 Seattle to Portland in approx 11.5 hours. I was taking two caffeinated 360 tablets in the morning and two non-caffeinated in the evening about two weeks prior to the event. Prior to that it was only 1 of each morning and evening. I really think it helped me get through the ride fairly comfortable. More climbing than expected. About 5500'. I will be starting my 14th LOTOJA this year. Have crossed the finish line 12 times. 1st year was the year it snowed and a couple of years ago I got sick and ran out of gas after descending Geneva. I have been using Endurance 360 for about two years. Really do think it is has been making it possible to somewhat do some challenging rides such as the Ultimate Challenge,Tour de Park City, LOTOJA, and STP with limited training miles. Seems like the older members of Team 360 are always kicking my butt at the SE Senior Games."
John H2018-07-24
Reviews filtered live from 5+ LOTOJA-tagged verified purchases
LOTOJA Tools
Free interactive calculators for LOTOJA prep. Built on the official 2026 race guide and published sports science.
Lessons from multiple LOTOJA finishes that no training plan teaches.
Pack your own pace
Each start wave releases at 4-minute intervals. Race only with your assigned category pack: getting swept up with a faster wave looks fun in Cache Valley and ends in Salt River.
Mouthwash is the silent killer
Antibacterial mouthwash on race morning kills the oral bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrite. A 5-day loading protocol can be undone by one mouthwash rinse. Plain water only.
Real food at Montpelier and Afton
Boiled red potatoes with salt and butter, or a turkey sandwich. The 4-hour gel diet collapses in the back half. Solids stabilize energy when gels alone cannot.
Don't pack new gear
No new shoes, no new bib shorts, no new bar tape, no new sunglasses. Race in what you have trained in. The first 100 miles will find anything that does not fit.
Caffeine timing matters
Caffeinated gels 15 to 20 minutes before each climb. The peak hits at the start of the effort. Drinking espresso at the start line is gone by Strawberry.
Crew sandwich rules
Pre-bag a labeled crew sandwich for each supported feed zone. Crews under pressure forget what was where. A labeled bag eliminates 90 seconds of fumbling and one missed feed.
LOTOJA Questions
When should I start nitrate loading for LOTOJA?+
Start a 5-day Beetroot Pro loading protocol on the Monday before race Saturday. Take 2 servings daily Monday through Friday (any time of day, with water), 2 servings Friday evening with your final carbohydrate-loading meal, and 1 serving 60 to 90 minutes before your start time on race morning. The 60 to 90 minute window aligns peak plasma nitrite with the long climb to Strawberry Summit on Leg 2, which is where the oxygen economy benefit matters most. Masters athletes 45+ should use the full 5-day window; younger riders can shorten to 3 days if preferred.
How many calories do LOTOJA cyclists burn?+
The official 2026 LOTOJA race guide estimates up to 15,000 calories burned per racing cyclist across the 200+ mile course. Practical race-day fueling targets 250 to 400 calories per hour depending on body weight and intensity, with the bulk coming from carbohydrate sources (gels, bars, real food at feed zones). The deficit is real and unavoidable: even at 400 calories per hour over a 10-hour finish, you absorb 4,000 calories while burning 15,000. The goal is to minimize the deficit enough to keep cognition and power output stable, not to eliminate it.
What food is available at LOTOJA neutral feed zones?+
Per the official 2026 race guide, LOTOJA neutral support zones at Preston, Montpelier, Afton, Alpine, plus the Strawberry, Salt River, and Game Creek neutral-only zones, provide water, Hammer Heed sports drink, Hammer Gels, Hammer Bars, and Endurolytes Fizz. Bananas, oranges, and various snack foods are also typically available. Practice with these specific products in training so you are not introducing new fuels on race day. If you prefer different products, use a drop bag (must be submitted in Logan on Friday) or arrange your own crew at the supported zones.
How should I time fueling across the 5 LOTOJA legs?+
Leg 1 (Logan to Preston, 29 or 34 miles, flat to moderate) is a warmup: drink and snack lightly, do not over-fuel. Leg 2 (Preston to Montpelier, 46 miles, 60% uphill including the 22-mile climb to Strawberry Summit) is where structured fueling begins: gels every 30 minutes, real food at the Preston feed zone. Leg 3 (Montpelier to Afton, 47 miles with Geneva Summit and Salt River Pass at 7,630 feet) is the highest physiological demand: eat real food at Montpelier (sandwich, boiled red potatoes), take caffeine 15 to 20 minutes before Salt River Pass. Leg 4 (Afton to Alpine, 34 miles) is rolling: continue gels, hydrate aggressively, eat real food at Afton. Leg 5 (Alpine to Finish, 47 miles through Snake River Canyon) is fatigue management: caffeine, electrolytes, and quick-absorbing carbs to the line.
What is the LOTOJA training plan in the final 4 weeks?+
Weeks 4 and 3 are peak training: hard, hilly, fast rides including your longest single ride (130 to 150 miles is sufficient preparation for the 206-mile race day). Include high-intensity speed work and hard hill repeats. Week 2 is the taper: 5 to 6 rides of 1 to 2.5 hours at easy pace. Week 1 (race week) includes one rest day off the bike, tempo riding with short hard efforts to keep your system primed, and an easy 1-hour ride with brief efforts on Friday. The principle: train into shape, rest into fitness.
How do the climbs on LOTOJA affect nitrate strategy?+
LOTOJA has three mountain passes: Strawberry Summit (7,424 feet, the long 22-mile climb in Leg 2), Geneva Summit (6,923 feet, the first climb in Leg 3), and Salt River Pass (7,630 feet, the King and Queen of Mountain at the highest point in Leg 3). Dietary nitrate reduces the oxygen cost of submaximal work, which is exactly the demand profile of sustained climbing at zone 3 to high zone 4. The 5-day pre-race loading protocol elevates baseline plasma nitrate so the effect is present across all three climbs, not just the early one. A second dose of Beetroot Pro at the Afton feed zone re-elevates plasma nitrate for the final 80 miles, which is particularly useful for finishers expecting 9+ hours.
What is the "Three Day Rule" for LOTOJA nutrition?+
Three days before LOTOJA, focus consumption on complex carbohydrates: rice, beans, oatmeal, fruit, lean protein. Begin reducing fibrous food intake (raw vegetables, large salads, high-fiber bran products) so your gut is empty of insoluble fiber by race morning. Do not attempt weight loss in race week. The "Two Day Hydration" rule begins 48 hours out: drink water and electrolyte drinks consistently. The test of adequate hydration is clear urine the morning before the race.
How does LOTOJA pacing change based on cutoff times?+
The official 2026 cutoff times are: Preston feed zone 10:00 AM, Strawberry feed zone 12:00 PM, Montpelier feed zone 1:00 PM, Salt River Pass 3:00 PM, Afton feed zone 4:00 PM, Alpine feed zone 6:00 PM, Game Creek feed zone 7:30 PM. The finish line shuts down at 8:30 PM or earlier. Cyclists falling more than an hour behind cutoff should have their crew at the next feed zone. For ride and relay starts at 5:34 to 6:30 AM, this gives roughly 14 to 15 hours to cover the course. A realistic first-time finisher target is 11 to 13 hours; competitive ride finishers are 9 to 11 hours; the fastest race categories finish in 8 to 9 hours.
Should I use Beetroot Pro and Endurance360 together for LOTOJA?+
Yes, and they target different mechanisms. Endurance360 is the chronic loading product: beta-alanine for lactic acid buffering on Strawberry and Salt River, creatine for repeated hard efforts across the climbs, and cordyceps for VO2 max support. Start Endurance360 6 weeks before LOTOJA per the founder protocol, taken daily as part of regular training nutrition. Beetroot Pro is the acute race-week product: the 5-day nitrate loading protocol concludes with the race-morning dose. The two stack without ingredient overlap, which is why the Early Breakaway Pack bundles both at a reduced per-product price.
Further Reading
Official LOTOJA resources, related BRP guides, and other trusted preparation references for the 200+ mile Logan to Jackson race.
Six weeks of Endurance360 plus five days of Beetroot Pro is the protocol Cameron used for his Pro Cat 1/2/3 win. Stack the system, follow the plan, and arrive at the start line in Logan ready to ride to Jackson.
LOTOJA® is a registered trademark of LoToJa Classic. This page is an independent training and nutrition resource for LOTOJA athletes and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the LoToJa Classic, USA Cycling, or the LOTOJA event organization. Course details referenced from the official 2026 LOTOJA Cyclist Bible.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.