Rest days??

[Keenbfb]

I'm doing the LEJOG during June 2014 with a group of cycling friends supported, the original plan was to do it over 12 days with 2 rest days along the way at day 4 and day 8.

The thing is now we are getting down to the actual nitty gritty and booking accommodation travel tickets etc the subject of rest days has come up and whether to take them or just to carry on as our bodies won't thank us for taking the day off.

Did you take rest days or did you carry on day after day until you got to the end?

 

[bianchi1]

Depends how fit you are in June.

I didn't bother with rest days as I only had limited time to complete the thing and I survived (just). It's also hard to plan specific rest days. What happens if day 3 it's blowing a dreadful head wind, why not ditch the ride that day and ride on the 4th? Sod's law says that on your scheduled rest day there will be sunshine and a brisk tail wind!

 

[Biker Joe]

I wouldn't book the rest days. Better to play it by ear when you get started. You can always have an easy day or two if you feel the need.

 

[Onyer]

I did it over 13 days without any rest days. The first few days were shorter mileages, i.e. 63, 70, 61. But the last three days were longer 83, 80, 92

If you did build in rest days you will probably find that you will go for a ride anyway, rather than sitting around all day. It will also depend on the accommodation that you book. If it is B&B you probably won't be able to sit around.

 

[robgul]

Don't take rest days - much harder to get going again having had a day off the bike.

Rob

 

[wintonbina]

Put the rest days at the end of the ride!!! You'll need them there.
Good luck,
Tony

 

[db7db7]

agree with most - don't plan in rest days, plan slightly less mileage instead and if you go a bit quicker you have a day or two to kill at the end. The problem with rest days are that you need to remain active to some degree or your body will cease up (Delayed onset muscle soreness) but the likelihood being you'll do nothing on the rest days and then getting started the following day will be an absolute killer. Make sure you include consecutive day rides in your training and you'll be fine.

 

[JC4LAB]

If dead set on a rest day then the Appleby Horse fair is in June and maybe an idea ..http://www.applebyfair.org/

.....

 

[Cycle time]

Agree with no rest days. I did LEJOG in 15 days, and varied the distances and ideally the climbs. My shortest day was a relatively flat 80km.

 

[HorTs]

I did it in 10 cycling days with 2 rest days. But I was carrying all my gear so my circumstances are a little different.

I build the rest days in as more contingency days just in case I needed them.

Getting going again after a rest wasn't hard for me and felt no ill effects for having a rest day. I probably could have done without them but then again I don't know if I would have struggled if I didn't have them.

 

[Keenbfb]

Thanks for the advice, we've decided not to take rest days but instead take a few days where we won't be doing that many miles. Now that it's becoming a reality and not just a group of mates talking about it I'm starting to get rather excited.

 

[MikeG]

Our "rest" days were a couple of 30-ish mile days, to allow for meeting relatives, and spending some time at the Edinburgh Festival. My very best piece of advice would be to make your first 2 days short ones: 50, (maybe 60 miles at most) a day in Devon and Cornwall. You'll be very grateful for that later, because those are easily the toughest 120 miles of the whole Lejog, and you don't want to kill off your legs and your enthusiasm in the first 2 days. There are plenty of easy days to come where you can make up some miles. If you get to Tiverton OK, you'll get to JO'G. Scotland is a breeze in comparison to the SW.

Mike

 

[MarkF]

Not done this but have done France & Spain north to south. I don't have rest days, unless I am forced by another, I only end up drinking in bars and they become lost days.

 

[Keenbfb]

Thanks for all of your advice it was most welcome. We've decided not to take rest days but to do a few "easy days" with reduced mileage and also to allow the introduction of a family day where our loved ones can arrange to meet up. Our first day should see us end up on Dartmoor we never seem to do things by halves , although all of our group managed to do the C2C in a day twice last year without any real training so the fact that we are all putting in the miles and the hills right now should see us coping with all that the route can throw at us.

 

[MikeG]

Dartmoor!!!

Why? Avoid Dartmoor like the plague. Take the old A30 route, and stay the hell off Dartmoor, which is unnecessarily difficult, steep and painful. Please listen to someone who has done it.......

Mike