447 Mile Weekend Ride

[Ben Reeve]

Hi,

Got a mega ride planned for the weekend of 26th May - Lands End to Lowestoft From 8pm Friday night to the Monday morning.

Have just planned out the training regime and was hoping for some advice. This is just the long rides, will be aiming to ride 3 times a week and throw in interval/hill sessions too.

Do you think this build up of long rides works? Is there enough rest weeks? Thinking I might need a back to back big weekend too IE Sat and Sun 100kms.

Let me know your builds.

Ben

January

Sun 8th – 40km Sun 15th – 60km Sun 22nd – 70km Sun 29th – Rest week as working both weekend days. Will try and get a shorter ride in during the week.

February

Sun 5th – 80km
Sun 12th – 100km
Sun 19th – 100km
Sun 26th – Rest

March

Sun 5th – 120km
Sat 11th – 120km
Sun 19th – 100 miles
Sun 26th Rest

April

Sun 2nd – 120km
Sat 8th – 150km
Sun 16th – Rest
Sun 22nd – 200km (Tour De Bedfordshire)
Sat/Sun 30th – 130 miles (Overnight test run from Welwyn to Lowestoft)

May

Sun 7th – 100km
Sun 14th – 150 miles
Sun 21st – Taper/Easy Going
Fri 26th – L2L

 

[S-Express]

Thinking I might need a back to back big weekend too IE Sat and Sun 100kms.

60 miles on consecutive days is not going to prepare you for doing 200 miles on consecutive days. Forget all this 40/80km stuff - start riding 70/80/90 miles now, whenever you get the chance, and build from there.

 

[I like Skol]

60 miles on consecutive days is not going to prepare you for doing 200 miles on consecutive days. Forget all this 40/80km stuff - start riding 70/80/90 miles now, whenever you get the chance, and build from there.

Yes, and no.
I don't want to pick a fight with s-express (we have recent history ) but I am not sure this is something you can really train for in the way you might think?
My riding is predominantly commuting, perhaps 2 or 3 days a week, 10 miles each way. I also do maybe only 4 or 5 bigger rides a year of 50 - 100 miles but, this year(2016) I did one ride of 180 miles in one day. No training, no preparation, no build up, just my usual commutes and then , boom!
To be honest, it wasn't a particularly hard day. OK, the novelty was wearing off after 150 miles but I did get on my bike the next day to ride to and from the train station and then rode to work that same night to do a night shift. Training is not a lot to do with stamina IMO. Regular riding of any sort is more important but this has to be long term. When I first started my cycle commute I had to build it up. 2 days a week wasn't too bad but it took a long time to get past 3 a week to be able to do all 4, every week(silly 4 on/4 off shift pattern). This took around 6-9 months and then I had developed a great base fitness level that allowed me to tackle 60-100 mile rides with no problem.
You don't have 6-9 months so you had better start riding to work too. Every ride counts!

 

[windyrider]

Fantastic Challenge and thanks for sharing your outline for training. I used a book called Distance Cycling by John Hughes, when I first started going for extended rides, got a lot from it especially on how to build gradually and allow time for recovery. Just how do you fuel such a ride and other practicalities are also worth some consideration.

My way is take each month and make the third week the "Big" week in training with week four for recovery with an emphasis on stretching and some cross training in the early months, as the event gets near week four stays recovery but mostly light sessions on the bike with focus on leg speed, rhythm and mental visualisation of smashing the event and feeling awesome

 

[Dogtrousers]

A lot of this is going to be in your head.

I don't have any sensible suggestion cos I've never done a ride like yours.

But if it was me I'd be concentrating on getting my head around riding in the "survival zone" very wearily turning the pedals, and sorting out mental coping strategies. Also being familiar with riding consecutive days.

And also lots of time in the saddle, eg commuting. You don't want a sore bum to be the worst of your problems.

Personally I'd ramp up the distances to 200k plus more quickly. But what I'd do isn't really relevant as a) I'm an idiot and b) I'm not you.

Good luck. Keep us posted. You doing it solo?

 

[uphillstruggler]

Hello Ben

what is your route? the reason I ask is that the first hundred could be the hardest due to the nature of the hills in Cornwall although the rest may be lumpy till you hit this side of the chilterns.

I would say that time in the saddle is the most important thing here - the more you get used to cycling tired, the easier/more enjoyable this will be.

also, have you done multiple sleep deprived rides? mental fatigue may be harder than the actual physical endevour

its a challenge.

best of luck.

 

[martint235]

60 miles on consecutive days is not going to prepare you for doing 200 miles on consecutive days. Forget all this 40/80km stuff - start riding 70/80/90 miles now, whenever you get the chance, and build from there.

I agree with this. You really need to have done back to back 100 milers at least (I'd suggest 150 milers are better). The jump from 100 to 200 miles is quite a big one but the key thing is you're doing this on consecutive days and that hurts.

 

[Ian H]

Ideally, get some big miles in early, then concentrate on building speed.

 

[Ben Reeve]

I used a book called Distance Cycling by John Hughes, when I first started going for extended rides, got a lot from it especially on how to build gradually and allow time for recovery. Just how do you fuel such a ride and other practicalities are also worth some consideration.

I have bought this today. Hopefully delivered by the end of the week. Great recommendation

 

[Ben Reeve]

Full details of my ride are here http://cyclingtipshq.com/l2l-pt1-training-plans

Route starts in Cornwall so I think you're right @uphillstruggler I'm going to have to build in lots of hill training too.

@martint235 have had the same feedback about getting used to back to back rides from someone else. Think I'm going to build in back to back 100km in Feb and then back to back 100-150 miles in March/April. Should really helps me

 

[Ben Reeve]

Ideally, get some big miles in early, then concentrate on building speed.

This is an interesting theory. Had always worried about peaking too early, but think about it I imagine you're right. Get used to the big miles then you just get quicker.

 

[Ian H]

It does a couple of things: builds stamina – stamina persists longer than speed, and gives confidence in riding distance – important if you haven't ridden that far before.

 

[vickster]

Maybe look for a few audaxes

 

[jay clock]

I have done a few Ironmans (slowly) and agree the challenge is mental as much as physical

A few ideas;

1 Work out nutrition
2 Practise night/sleep deprived rides
3 Get comfy on the bike

 

[mattobrien]

I did the double Dun run last year, Dunwich to London and back to Dunwich, a total of 224 miles.

This was the furthest I had ridden in a single ride and the return leg was at night. Only two of us did the Dunwich to London leg and it was a hot day (27 degrees) with a head wind all the way. A head wind for 112 miles is brutal and with only two you can't easily chat while hiding behind the other one to shelter from the wind. We knew it was going to be a long ride so took it slowly to London (around 17 avg.). If you had asked me at 80 miles if I could do another 140, I'd have said no and stopped them, but we were unsupported and plugged on.

After a short refuelling break in London and with dipping temperatures we made our way back to Dunwich. The ride back was a doddle, cooler, a tailwind and a group to ride with. However, with 50-60 miles to go I started to suffer in three areas; my wrists, my neck and worst of all my behind. My neck and wrists were aching. My backside was sore and it wasn't nice to put much in the way of weight on my saddle. I did much of the last 50 miles standing. My legs were strong throughout and had another 100 miles in them at the end, it's just the other parts of me that didn't.

If I were to do it again my main learning would be as follows;
More of a group to ride to London with, more people to chat with and share the work.
Eat more proper food and sooner, we didn't stop for lunch until mid afternoon and were on food catch up after then.
Go a bit faster on the way down, we went well below our natural pace so that our legs would be good for the way back. By going slower I ended up putting mor weight through the saddle and suffered alter as a result.

Would I do it again, well I've done it once and my memory isn't that bad so I still remember the bad bits. I'll just be doing one way this year.

Not sure how you train you wrists and neck for 13 hours of pedalling other than doing it. I reckon that some very long rides are in order. If I had to ride 200 miles a day for two days, I'd want to have at least one 200 mile ride under my belt, so I knew the distance was doable, just for a psychological perspective.