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How to prepare to ride 500 miles in a week?

(9 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by Greenroofer
  • Latest reply from minus six
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. Greenroofer
    Member

    I've committed to ride 500 miles in five days on the second week in September (12 weeks hence). How do I prepare for it?

    I still think of myself as a bit of beginner, and I tend to plod along at a cadence of around 80rpm, and an average speed of about 13mph. I've never ridden that far before, or done long rides back-to-back.

    That said, I did two century rides in June, the second being Ride to the Sun. The only bit of me that suffered in either was my rear end, despite lots of chamois cream.

    What should I do in the next 12 weeks to make sure that I am prepared as possible for a 500-mile ride? I'd welcome advice from the experts!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. HankChief
    Member

    Ride your bike, ride your bike & ride your bike....

    Continue getting some miles under your saddle to get your legs & body prepared.

    When you get to the ride itself it is conveniently broken up with 2 breaks so just think of it as three individual 30-40mile rides. You know you can do that sort of distance so it is then a mental game of putting them together. Don't get hung up on the mileage they tell you - they were up to 5 miles out last year.

    Off the bike - you can really aid your recovery time off the bike by reducing the amount of faffing you do.

    Write a check list of what you need to do each night before you go to bed so that you can sleep well and have a quick turnaround in the morning.

    Personally, I took pots of porridge with me to have in the hotel before the bus trip to the start so I wasn't rushing to get breakfast just before the off.

    You may want to try some group riding before the event as well as want ever speed you are doing there is likely to be others about the same speed and it's useful for giving yourself a rest in the bunch while someone else pulls you along. Happy to take you (and some of the other eventees) out for a ride some time of you want.

    You will find you chum up with other riders of a similar pace each day and it's worth finding them out the next morning so you can stick together the next day.

    Oh & don't forget to enjoy it.

    HC

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. fimm
    Member

    HankChief is more of an expert on this sort of thing than I am, but I would just add that if you can get two consecutive days with long rides in, that would probably be a good thing to do.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Greenroofer

    I know nothing of this kind of cycling, but I do know a bit about endurance events and my tiny advicelet would be to focus on the aspect that will give you the most pleasure, whether that's your own sensation of speed, the good functioning of the peloton or the passing landscape. It's amazing what you can do if your mind is not focussed on the muscles and joints that are working hardest.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    Did you hear Froome describing feeling like a kid again cycling just for the speed? He was a happy bunny.

    Is it five days at 100 miles a day. RBS thing my buddy Hamish wants to do?

    You can do a 100 a day for five days just set yourself a comfortable pace. Eat regularly to avoid the bonk, proper stretching exercises at the end etc. Your legs might feel heavy the next morning but as long as you ease them in at the start then they recover.

    If you are clipped in your tolerances/parameters will be tested but you did that on the Carlisle crammond route and just your rear end complaining? Buy a brand new pair of bib shorts - vulpine are selling Chris hoy super technical ones for £75 just now but other good deals around, and maybe want to try them on etc. A new pad is a a good thing. Get a lot of sudocrem as a barrier right up where the sun don't shine. Tesco own brand sudocrem or pseudo sudocrem just as good a barrier. Germolene through the night if in pain sorry to labour this but it did sound like a possible issue and was the reason Tom Dumoulin cited for pulling out of the giro if that is to be believed.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    I was going to suggest better shorts but beaten to it.

    Perhaps try to avoid other painful problems like neck pain and knee pain.

    Don't try peering out from under a brimmed cap unless you have quite an upright position on the bike or you could get a neck strain.

    Use a buff to prevent cold air getting in around your neck and shoulders which might cause frozen shoulder like you get from sleeping in a draft.

    Bend your arms so you don't transfer shocks straight into your neck.

    Try to spin at a higher cadence - around 90-95rpm - to enlist your unlimited cardiovascular system and save your limited stored muscle glycogen ie spin breathing hard instead of grinding.

    Eat steak to help repair muscle damage.

    Learn some Pilates exercises to prevent tightness which can cause soreness around the piriformis muscle and sciatic nerve.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. Greenroofer
    Member

    Sage advice. Thank you, all. I shall investigate new shorts, a range of creams and upping my cadence.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. amir
    Member

    Extending commutes is a good way to train. Although it is important to do some longer rides to get your mind and body prepared, short intense rides are effective. Try to incorporate the idea of intervals into commutes. But also be aware of your body - do allow it time to recover and not become over tired.

    Eating the right thing on a long ride is important. In time you will find out what type of food works best for you. For me I find that too much sweet food on longer rides results in an upset stomach so I now try eat more savoury food. Give your stomach a chance to digest as well after a meal - upset stomachs can result from high tempo riding straight after a big meal.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. minus six
    Member

    Sounds like fun

    On a road bike, i'd bash the week out on 53-36 and maintain a relaxed 18mph average

    If it were on a pannier-laden tourer, i'd be looking at 48-36-26 and hope for a 13mph average, weather permitting

    prep ? nah, its going to hurt anyway

    Posted 8 years ago #

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