2009 - My first sportive?

[phoenix]

Hi everybody,

Firstly a little bit about me

As a generally miserable unsociable old git I ride on my own, but have decided that to keep me motivated through the winter I should take part in a sportive or two next year.

The only mass ride I have taken part in was the Great Notts Bike Ride earlier this year. I did the 50 mile route in a time of about 3.45 which does not seem very good but I was riding a hybrid and it was a bit windy on the return part of the route (well, that's my excuse).

I have since graduated to a road bike and get out most Sunday mornings covering between 40 and 50 miles. Average speed for these rides is usually about 15mph. Terrain is what I would call gently undulating, area is North Notts/Derbyshire/ towards Ripley/Crich/Matlock.

I don't get out during the week but do manage between 3 and 4 hours each week on an indoor trainer and also run a couple of times each week – aprox 7 miles each run. I am familiar with interval training and understand the workings of a heart rate monitor.

I know that I will need to increase the distance that I am riding and that will happen when the mornings start getting lighter in the spring. Until then I need to keep my fitness and motivation levels going. I know that I really struggle getting up hills so the aim is to practise. My idea is to drive out to the Goyt Valley once a week, park the car by the reservior and climb the hill towards Buxton and repeat until I cannot do it any more.
Being honets with myself, I think I will struggle to complete it once. But then that has set me a challenge.

I think I could probably shift about 5kg from my weight so this would probably help a bit. Seems a waste of energy carrying a spare tyre you cannot fit to a wheel rim!

I would like to aim for the Polkadot/Spud Riley in June and the Tour Of The Peak in October. My idea would be to complete the Polkadot/Spud Riley route a couple of times beforehand in April/May so that I know exactly what to expect.

Given the about information, do those of you who have done this ride before think that I am looking at a realistic target given the timescale of just over six months?

The plan from now until Spring is to make sure that I don't put on weight as I always struggle in the winter. It's too easy to settle on the sofa with a bottle of wine and some junk food.

I am also focussing on increasing my flexibility and my core stability over the winter.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

My biggest concern is riding with other people in a group, or more to the point, my bike handling skills but I guess, like going up hills, the only way to improve is practise.

Maybe if anyone is local to Mansfield, North Notts, Ripley area we could arrange a ride out sometime or a training group to keep us motivated and fit through the winter. Think I will also ask in the LBS to see if we can get a group ride together for between xmas and new year.

 

[RedBike]

I think you'll be fine. You certainly sound fitter / quicker than me and I will be doing the Polka-dot again this year. (Even managed a very respectable time last year!)

My biggest concern is riding with other people in a group, or more to the point, my bike handling skills but I guess, like going up hills, the only way to improve is practise.

Sportives are a little odd in this respect. You tend to set off in small groups of 20ish riders at a time, so they're not really what I would call mass starts. Small groups of riders do form, particularly if the goings tough; but generally you're are riding on your own!

I attended a great (and free) lecture last year giving by some famous pro rider telling everyone how to ride sportives.

His hints were basically;
Train by riding similar terrain. If the rides 6/7 hours in the hills then thats the sort of ride you need to be doing.

Don't set off too quick. Ignore the riders who race off at the start. You'll probably overtake most of them before the end.

Get your fueling right. Get used to eatting reguarly on the bike so that you're not waiting for the feed stations to eat/ drink.

 

[peanut]

greetings Pheonix from another miserable old anti-social grumpy git.
Thats what forums are for ..... unsociable grumpy gits and billy no mates

Sounds like you are doing the right thing first by making a plan setting short and medium targets , breaking the program down into simple elements like exercise /diet etc .

You've clearly made a good start to set a base fitness level and know what you need to do.

Re diet I would suggest that you keep a food diary for 7 days only . Put down every single little crisp and biscuit you eat especially between meals .

You'll probably be amazed at how many extra calories are slipping in between meals on a daily basis. You may be eating healthy nutricious foods but its all wasted if you are eating an equal quantity of junk as well.
Add up your weekly calorie intake and devide by 7x and you have you average daily calorific intake.

You'll know what to do when you get that far. Find some alternative low calorie snacks.

Re exercise. The easiest way of increasing your work rate is to put some 25/28mm mtb tyres on your road bike if they fit and run em low pressure. You'll have legs and lungs like a rhino come spring.

Sounds like you are allready doing an excellent weekly mileage with a good av speed. Sportives and Audax are not races I'm certain you will have more than sufficient strength and stamina to tackle most sportives now except for the really hilly ones

good luck

 

[phoenix]

Thanks for the replies.

I think/hope by June I will be able to do the distance but my big problem will be with fuel for the time/distance required.

I always struggle this time of year so think I am doing well with my eating and no alcohol. My target is to get to 65kg by the end of the year and I am on target for that. 7 weeks and 4 kg to go, so it should be acheived and I may be able to have the odd glass of wine over xmas and the new year.

When I usually go out for 40/50 miles I only ever take water to drink and a small snack bar just in case. I have been carrying the same snack bar for what seems like endless bike rides and never eaten it.

I guess as I gradually increase the distance I am going to have to train my body to take on small amounts of food on a regular basis and set myself some objective. i.e one small mouthfull of food every 30 minutes or something like that.

 

[peanut]

You need to eat steadily throughout a sportive whether you are hungry or not if you are to avoid the dreaded bonk. Had it myself once at the end of the beast of exmoor. Legs turned to rubber . It takes hours for your body to process foods and use them. Its no use eating towards the end. The benefits will be purely psychological.

Same with water. I usually add pure fruit juice to natural spring water but I also add a sachet of rehydration salts. They put back the essential potassium and sodium chlorate ,salts I'll lose in sweating and peeing due to the extra water I'd be drinking. Again trick is to drink steadily throughout the ride because by the time youfeel thirsty its too late . You'll be dehydrated and likely to cramp up.

 

[pubrunner]

You need to eat steadily throughout a sportive whether you are hungry or not if you are to avoid the dreaded bonk. Had it myself once at the end of the beast of exmoor. Legs turned to rubber . It takes hours for your body to process foods and use them. Its no use eating towards the end. The benefits will be purely psychological.

Same with water. I usually add pure fruit juice to natural spring water but I also add a sachet of rehydration salts. They put back the essential potassium and sodium chlorate ,salts I'll lose in sweating and peeing due to the extra water I'd be drinking. Again trick is to drink steadily throughout the ride because by the time youfeel thirsty its too late . You'll be dehydrated and likely to cramp up.

Sodium chloride (nacl) is the salt lost through sweating NOT sodium chlorate (naclo3). If you were to ingest sodium chlorate, it would combine with hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus forming chlorine dioxide - which would kill you most effectively.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

... if anyone is local to Mansfield, North Notts, Ripley area we could arrange a ride out sometime or a training group to keep us motivated and fit through the winter...

I grew up there, but moved to Manchester to escape the dullness!!

Welcome to the forum btw, hope you get some useful answers. Sounds like you have a decent plan though at the moment.

 

[a_n_t]

My idea is to drive out to the Goyt Valley once a week, park the car by the reservior and climb the hill towards Buxton and repeat until I cannot do it any more.

which one? lamaload? nice, about 20% but only short. There's loads of good climbs round there dont restrict yourself to just one

 

[peanut]

Sodium chloride (nacl) is the salt lost through sweating NOT sodium chlorate (naclo3). If you were to ingest sodium chlorate, it would combine with hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus forming chlorine dioxide - which would kill you most effectively.

ok smartass but I was typing in a hurry and didn't refer to the label on the box.
Don't think a chemist would hand you sodium chlorate anyway .

Point is everybody else, but you it seems, understood what I was referring to . Re-hydration salts.

Ask for Dioralyte or Boots own is a little cheaper

 

[Calum]

Re exercise. The easiest way of increasing your work rate is to put some 25/28mm mtb tyres on your road bike if they fit and run em low pressure. You'll have legs and lungs like a rhino come spring.

good luck

Don't do that, it'll just make the riding less fun!

 

[peanut]

Don't do that, it'll just make the riding less fun!

do you see the little smilie at the end of my suggestion ?

yes I was just kiddin