Bealach Mor - Kinlochewe Scotland

[plastic_cyclist]

I've just signed up for this in September, slightly apprehensive about that beast of a climb, but nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

90 miles 10th Sept. Does anyone know if you should do around 70 miles the week before whilst in training? I hear different things regarding tapering, (e.g 85% of the final distance, to only doing 20 miles saving yourself) leading up to the actual event.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Aim to do your 70mile outing two weeks before event. The aim of tapering is to shed fatigue whilst maintaining fitness, so you are fresh for your event. Maintaining fitness requires a lot less work than building it.

 

[the_craig]

Yeah, don't do a big ride the week before.

I did RttS a couple of weeks ago and that was my first ever imperial ton (or 160km in proper money). In the weeks leading up to it, I was doing 70 - 80km rides but at a brisk average pace. The week of the event, I was out on the Monday morning on a gentle cafe ride then that was it. The rest of the week was spent preparing my body by resting and building up the glycogen levels.

But if you stick to a gentle pace, eat and drink often on the bike and don't get overwhelmed by the journey, you'll smash it!

 

[flyingosborn]

I would recommend some gym work on building up the quads (leg extensions, squats with a bar and leg press). Also, maybe use a step machine with some resistance - as I find this most replicates going up a long steep hill. It is a great event. I volunteered a few years ago as a marshall as I thought I was not fit enough for the sportive and was in the area anyway. It was a very a cold wet day and surprising cool at the top of the hill, so do take a rain coat and good gloves if it is damp. Two days later I cycled up the Bealach on my own and I realised that I could have done the sportive after all. Good luck !