440 mile ride - 1 month to train.

[blazed]

It's been a couple years since I've cycled. I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best. However I went for a short ride on the weekend and was getting overtaken by 70 year olds doing their weekly pub ride.

I've got slightly less than one month before I cycle from Hertfordshire to Edinburgh. The route is not 100% exact yet but it's going to be roughly 440 miles.

In the past I would have done this in 3 days whilst spending the night times on pub crawls but I'm a lesser man now. I would imagine 5-6 is more realistic.

Interested to hear the best possible training I could do over the next month.

Thanks

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ride. A lot. Every day if possible. Twice a day if you can. Aim to ramp up to 200km a week over four weeks. You need hours on the bike. And remember "what you can ride in a week you can ride in a day. and do again the next day. and the next." the next might be tricky though.

120km a day for five or six days is a big ask from a standing start.

How's your off bike fitness?

 

[screenman]

One of the best is a big claim, to achieve that level I am sure you do not need any advice. Go for it.

 

[ianrauk]

Is this the Rat Race?

 

[JasonHolder]

Start stretching this evening.
Keep an eye on injuries and ride your ass off.

Saw a study on JAP where untrained folk under went a 4 week intensive Interval period on bike. Increased time to exhaustion by 15 minutes- and power by 30%. So that's probably the best you can do performance, wise. The rest will simply be your ability to stay on the bike for 6 hours a day.
You won't see a particular huge change in performance in just four weeks, so rest 3-4 days before the big ride starts to give you the freshest legs you can.

 

[classic33]

The Pirahna on a bike is back I see.

 

[Hacienda71]

The Pirahna on a bike is back I see.

He should get on well with Mr Holder.

 

[JasonHolder]

@Hacienda71 I did have to check, as it sounded as though I had infact posted that myself whilst day dreaming

 

[classic33]

Is this the Rat Race?

More a fish race.

 

[blazed]

How's your off bike fitness?

Well above average. Since I stopped riding I've mainly been weight lifting, it's fair to say I'm quite the beefcake.

 

[classic33]

Neigh lad.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Well above average. Since I stopped riding I've mainly been weight lifting, it's fair to say I'm quite the beefcake.

So you're a big unit now. Perhaps not so good. CV fitness? Any endurance rather than power stuff?

 

[MikeG]

........ I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best.............

I'm not sure you've got the time to spare to be telling us just how wonderful you are. You should be on your bike.

 

[classic33]

It's been a couple years since I've cycled. I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best. However I went for a short ride on the weekend and was getting overtaken by 70 year olds doing their weekly pub ride.

I've got slightly less than one month before I cycle from Hertfordshire to Edinburgh. The route is not 100% exact yet but it's going to be roughly 440 miles.

In the past I would have done this in 3 days whilst spending the night times on pub crawls but I'm a lesser man now. I would imagine 5-6 is more realistic.

Interested to hear the best possible training I could do over the next month.

Thanks

From the person who said a 200 mile commute was doable 30 Jul 2009

 

[blazed]

From the person who said a 200 mile commute was doable 30 Jul 2009

It pains me the sorry state I've allowed my cycling to get to. But it's better to be a has been than a never was. And I was one of the greats. It's still in there a little training and I'll be back.