LEJOG Training

[Mitz]

In the space of three months or so I have gone from having done no serious cycling for a long time, to cycling 27 miles every other day in preparation for my LEJOG attempt in September. After 27 miles I am fine. No aches and pains. I stop for coffee half way round in a little village ... the bar owner looks at me as if I'm one pedal short of a full bike, as the temperatures have now begun to hit eighty degrees first thing in the morning. It's mainly flat riding, with a small amount of long inclines. Trouble with Spain, at least around here, its either flat or hugely mountainous and not a lot in between.

Speaking as someone who, to be honest, has no idea about a training programme for what I'm going to do ....... do you think this is going to be good enough or do I need to push it up further. Basically I'm doing 110 ish miles a week on relatively flat terrain

 

[Christkd]

You are doing ok but you do need to do a few longer rides to match your daily mileage when you take on LEJOG.

Like you I started at around 20 - 30 miles but got up to 85 before doing LEJOG in April this year. I think its important to do as you need to find out if your body is happy to spend that long in the saddle!

Not sure how many days you are planning but we did 12 averaging 83 miles per day!

Good luck with the training, please ask if I can help any further



Chris

 

[Rebel Ian]

Difficult given where you are also but cycling 60 or 70 miles on the flat is very different to tackling the hills you'll encounter on LEJoG. I did a flat 52 miles a couple of weeks ago that was one of the easiest rides I've ever done. A 20 miles ride into a howling gale and up hills two weeks ago was infinitely harder.

At the very least I'd get used to doing 70-80 miles in a day.

 

[Mitz]

Not sure how many days you are planning but we did 12 averaging 83 miles per day!

Good luck with the training, please ask if I can help any further



Chris

Thanks for that. We are planning on 14 days. How often were you getting up to those distances in training?

Difficult given where you are also but cycling 60 or 70 miles on the flat is very different to tackling the hills you'll encounter on LEJoG. I did a flat 52 miles a couple of weeks ago that was one of the easiest rides I've ever done. A 20 miles ride into a howling gale and up hills two weeks ago was infinitely harder.
At the very least I'd get used to doing 70-80 miles in a day.

Yes, it's been on my mind for a while about how Devon and Cornwall might be a little different to riding the valleys here. I guess I'll have to start tackling those nasty mountains, although as I say ... theres nothing too gentle around here .. this is the kind of stuff I'm looking at around me!

 

[Christkd]

Thanks for that. We are planning on 14 days. How often were you getting up to those distances in training?

I only did 5 rides that went over 60 miles, the longest being 85 miles, get out in those mountains a few times to get used to some of the many hills you will come across!!!

 

[hambones]

Depending on your general fitness it can be done on very little training, although whether that's the most enjoyable way of doing it is another matter.

I did LEJOG over 10 days in April with 2 friends. Their training started in February and consisted of one to 2 rides a week, usually of 30 mile lengths. We did one ride over 60 miles and they did no more than 500 miles training in total. Before this neither had been on a bike for over 20 years.

We completed the ride averaging a sedate 14-16mph depending on the terrain and both found it easier than they had imagined. It certainly wasn't as hilly as we had been led to believe despite me seeking out every climb I could In truth the only problems were saddle sores due to lack of riding time and a bad neck because one was riding a brand new bike for the event and hadn't even sat on it before we set off and it was too big for him!

 

[vernon]

We completed the ride averaging a sedate 14-16mph

A lot of LEJOG riders would consider 14-16 mph to be anything other than sedate.

 

[Mitz]

I got myself a bike computer last week and discovered I have been doing anything between 16 and 19 mph.

My training started in late March iirc, but I do go out every other day without fail for 27 miles

This morning I took advice from here here and went looking for hills. I was actually quite surprised, as although it was tough, it wasn't crippling. Based on that I'm going out on the same route three days in a row and then have a go through some heavier stuff on Monday

Thanks for your advice, I know it probably all sounds a bit basic but I really dont want it to turn into a nightmare because of lack of putting the miles in

 

[Christkd]

Nice one mate, with hill training as well you'll be be more than ready for the 'big one'!

Good luck

 

[vernon]

How's the B'Twin Riverside?

 

[Mitz]

How's the B'Twin Riverside?

I've been very happy with it thanks. It does everything I want it to ... 27 gears, lockable forks, very good brakes .... just got to buy some panniers and a few bits and pieces. I bought a Brookes B17 saddle, but unfortunately I discovered the gel saddle that is on there is more comfortable

 

[Mitz]

Just an update. Training is going well and I am doing 30+ miles every other day. I am planning in a week or so to do a 50 mile trip, and then tackle a mountain in nearby Simat where I notice most of the Spanish cyclists train. It's not hugely steep incline, but it goes on forever!

We are firmed up for a 2nd September departure from Lands End, and as we decided we should use it to raise funds as well, we are supporting The Rifles Regimental Trust, Care for Casualties.

 

[snorri]

I'm just so glad I did LEJOG before anyone told me I should have done some training beforehand.

 

[vernon]

I'm just so glad I did LEJOG before anyone told me I should have done some training beforehand.

Getting some miles in is no bad thing Snorri.

Having a training program is, perhaps, a bit too much.

 

[Rebel Ian]

Getting some miles in is no bad thing Snorri.

Having a training program is, perhaps, a bit too much.

Isn't a training program the same as getting a few miles in but in a slightly mre structured way? I had a plan of how many miles I wanted to do each week before LEJoG. Sometimes I exceeded it, sometimes I didn't.

You could always do what one of our group did - training for day 2 was done on day 1. Training for day 3 was done on day 2......etc!