The Annual Lunacy (aka "I Don't Do Winter") Challenge Chatzone

[Dogtrousers]

Hmm, that would make things 'somewhat difficult'...

The challenges are only a bit of motivational fun anyway and these are exceptional circumstances, so let's just call this a special year which (hopefully!) won't be repeated and do whatever we can, however we can?

Yeah ... as it's just a bit of fun I may head off with my own slightly weird challenge with its own rules - one of which will be "no one else is allowed to enter".

Come to think of it, another will be "the rules are secret".

I may let you know if I succeed.

 

[ColinJ]

I may head off with my own slightly weird challenge with its own rules - one of which will be "no one else is allowed to enter".

Come to think of it, another will be "the rules are secret".

I may let you know if I succeed.

Ha ha!

I have my own 'secret challenge'. Well, it's not much of a secret since I started a thread about it years ago, but I have gone quiet since the chances of me succeeding looked remote even before the coronavirus came along. If I ever start to get fit enough to think that I might succeed, I will start charting my progress again!

 

[steverob]

As this is the "do 13 rides of your chosen distance at any time during the year" challenge, I don't think we need to add byes or indoor rides (which I would be in favour of for the monthly challenges BTW). Instead I think here we should allow people to alter their initial target to something more achievable - although still challenging of course - as and when lockdown is lifted/reduced.

Now of course I'm saying this as someone who hadn't managed a single ride of their planned target before the lockdown anyway, meaning I could change my mind on my target as it hasn't officially been set yet. But I certainly would have no issue with anyone who'd already logged a few rides on here dropping from say 150km down to 120km, even if that meant they would immediately jump in the number of rides done without actually having to get on their bike!

 

[Sea of vapours]

A good argument, @steverob . One element of the original purpose of this challenge was to provide 'somewhere to go' for anyone who'd missed a month in one of the monthly challenges. That seems to still fit in our current situation.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Actually I just checked the Roolz and unlike the imperial monthly challenge there's nothing to preclude indoor rides. You might want to tighten that up a bit.

 

[ColinJ]

Actually I just checked the Roolz and unlike the imperial monthly challenge there's nothing to preclude indoor rides. You might want to tighten that up a bit.

Something along the lines of "All rides should be done outdoors, and not on a turbo trainer, rollers or gym bike (even if located outdoors). Obviously, it is highly unlikely that a global pandemic, natural disaster, war or other catastrophe would restrict normal long-distance riding opportunities, but if that were to happen... come up with some emergency rules that suit you, and stick to them instead!"

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ill be privately trying to hit a lunacy target of 90 but I wont be posting my rides.

Incidentally the ride I did yesterday was a re run of The Hell of the Ashdown, a sportive which we southerners regard as tough and hilly, but which our Northern cousins would regard as a light leg loosener. The most distressing part came when I hit Hogtrough Hill, a near vertical monster/ slight ramp* at the 100km mark. I discovered that my usual real world tactic wasnt open to me : You can't get off and push a trainer.

* Delete according to latitude.

 

[aferris2]

5th ride for this challenge completed. Lockdown has been relaxed a bit here so we are now allowed out for some non-essential journeys. Still can't cross over the border to other regions so I had to see just how far I could get. The road block is just 6km down the road from where we are, so stopped and turned round there. Had a good chat with the two policemen there. They weren't surprised that I wasn't in any hurry to return to the UK! Still very little traffic on the roads though which is great.
With things beginning to open up a bit, I might be getting to some new locations in the next week or so. I've done all of the local roads here and they are getting a bit repetitive.

 

[Aravis]

I've brought my entry in the logging thread up-to-date. Yesterday I set out intending to record ride 4, using interlocking loops close to home, but in the end cut it short. Good for the imperial century a month though.

Without the added incentive of Audaxification, I don't think this will happen this year. Local looping routes may look pretty on screen but when trying to ride 200km it feels as though I ought to be going somewhere.

Also I have to remind myself that 15 (or even 13) rides of over 200km last year was well in excess of anything I'd achieved before, so I shouldn't really expect it to have become normal.

 

[Fiona R]

Without the added incentive of Audaxification, I don't think this will happen this year. Local looping routes may look pretty on screen but when trying to ride 200km it feels as though I ought to be going somewhere.

Also I have to remind myself that 15 (or even 13) rides of over 200km last year was well in excess of anything I'd achieved before, so I shouldn't really expect it to have become normal.

Last year was my first year of doing more than 1x200 in a year, having done 14 (and another 2 very close to 200) of course me being me says I have to do at least 15 this year. It's going to be interesting even if I was well up to speed in mid March having completed 4. Currently can't imagine managing to ride 200km again already I'm allowing myself to say 13 is fine, as long as we can ride 200s legally by June I only mean "legally" in terms of my rules, I'm not a strong mechanic and also a keyworker, so feel responsible not to push much over 50km.

 

[ColinJ]

I have already done 13 x 3 kms (to the local shops and back) so that is me done for this year!







Only kidding... I will boost that somewhat, one way or another. In fact, I no longer have a computer log of my rides so I may already be up on that.

 

[ColinJ]

I just checked. My 2020 Lunacy achievement to date is... [drum roll, fireworks, gasps of astonishment]...

21 kms!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm now out of the Imperial Century Challenge as I didn't get a qualifier done in April so I hope nobody minds me joining you over here as I still want to get a full set of century rides (plus one) this year.

Three done so far, so I'm still happy that it's doable if the restrictions don't hang on all through the summer.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Excellent stuff! This particular scenario was one of the explicit rationales for creating the challenge in the first place (missing a month on another one, that is)

 

[Fiona R]

I'm now out of the Imperial Century Challenge as I didn't get a qualifier done in April so I hope nobody minds me joining you over here as I still want to get a full set of century rides (plus one) this year.

Three done so far, so I'm still happy that it's doable if the restrictions don't hang on all through the summer.

Brilliant, genuinely the more the merrier. We're all in the same boat...🌈