Etape 2008 - Time Schedule

pedylan

For all of us who've been wondering about the broom wagon and how to stay ahead of it.

http://www.letapedutour.com/2008/ETDT/p ... eraire.htm

kmahony

pedylan wrote:

For all of us who've been wondering about the broom wagon and how to stay ahead of it.

http://www.letapedutour.com/2008/ETDT/p ... eraire.htm

Thanks for that.

10h20 for those first out. It's not bad. Looking at the breakdown, seems we need to be quick upto the foot of the Tourmalet, but lots of time allowed in the mountains.

Rich.H

You don't want a mechanical early on though do you.... :shock:

Any idea how long it takes to clear the start line if you are bib# 7000+? I reckon I will need 3 - 3.5 hours to get to Campan but as you say, after that, there seems to be a bit more time available

I really want to know my start number now...come on Cyclomundo

Rich

pedylan

I look forward to some tactical help from those with experience of previous Etapes. I too await my bib number from Cyclomundo - please not beginning withan 8!

If it takes until 0730 to cross the line then basically it's 2 hours max to Labatmale at 53km and 4 hours to the foot of Tourmalet at 103km. Not too fast but not a lot of margin for mechanicals as you say Rich. After that we get cut some slack.

Kléber

You just have to work on fixing punctures quickly, a skill that could be useful on the day. Also, don't try anything new on the day, no new seatpost or pedals etc. Fit anything new to your bike in the weeks before the bike. And ride your bike for an hour the day before at a very easy pace, with one or two quick sprints, to ease your legs but also to test your bike's ok.

popette

hi - thanks Pedylan. Can you imagine not crossing the line in 40 minutes and getting eliminated before you'd even started! Let's not hold that thought

I'm seeing a cardiologist on Thursday. My HR is all mixed up and because I'm getting worried, I'm really concious of my heart beat all the time now. Basically, it stays very very low most of the time and then suddenly rockets up to 232! I had thought it was interference but it's too much of a coincidence to be interference - it either happens on a steep hill or when I'm doing a hard interval. Still training as normal and I'm sure there's nothing wrong but it'll be good to see an expert and get the all clear to do the Etape. I'm sure that as soon as I see them, the symptoms will completely disappear :? Doc thinks it's firing in extra beats.

:roll:

portuguese mike

Poppette, good luck at the docs on thursday.

meanwhile i'm going to learn the french for 'you must be joking i haven't crossed the start line yet'

pedylan

On the HR issue do you actually feel like your HR has reached anything like the extreme values your monitor quotes? Have you taken your pulse during these episodes - or are they too short to do so?

My HRM, when I upload the data often shows a few zero's on the graph and I'm fairly sure that no matter how hard I push myself my heart never actually stops.

Good luck on Thursday.

popette

At 232, breathing was quite laboured as I was on a 20% hill and it did feel hard. I went up the cat and fiddle and it rose to about 205ish and I could still breathe through my nose! It was hard work but certainly didn't feel that high. Most of the time my HR is around the 125 mark - even when I'm flying along at 23-25mph on the flat. When I've seen it peak, I've taken my pulse and it's quite difficult to that because it's a bit random - strong beat, weak beat etc. Within 15 seconds or so, its back down to 130 again. I've tried two different monitors now and same thing happens. On my ramp test, the HR hardly rises at all, which looks like a good thing. And my resting HR is about 45. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Kléber

Sounds like tachycardia but get a good view from a doctor and consider getting a second opinion.

stjohnswell

wrote a curl script today for the addx-tech server. there's 5388 dossards issued so far and i'm still not on the list. :? i think i'll drop bikestyletours a line to see if anything's amiss.

SunWuKong

Thanks for that Pedylan.

I wouldn't worry too much about not having your number guys it doesn't mean you've got a high number. Each time I've done the Etape with Baxters and not got my number until around May time. I had a number around 5700 first time and 3500 second time. First time got over the line about 15 after start second time it was less than 10 minutes.

Popette, hope everything is ok with your ticker.

clanton

Popette is your HR monitor coded? My non coded one picks up interference from a number of sources which screws around the numbers - other hr monitors, overhead wireds and annoyingly my cordless cateye! Sometimes my HR can be totally incorrect (either v high or v low).

daowned

Hope your ok Popette.

I have a Polar HRM and it times it can jump up for no reason sometimes it even cuts out and comes back on even tho I am sure my heart is still beating

I am with Baxters and my number went up at the etape site the other day (1900) not that bad the I am in the first 3rd to go off I would think.

flattythehurdler

I went off in the last group and crossed the line at 25 past in 2006. There is still plenty of time to go real easy to the tourmalet. It's not too hard this year. Just go steady until the tourmalet and it should be no problem. I reckon they'll cut you a bit of slack if you have a puncture (though I'm not sure).

TomF

Last year I managed to get over the fear of the wagon and just ride. All you need to is check what the elimination times are for each of the feed stations and then pace yourself between them.

Oh, and you'll get away at the start pretty quickly. So long as you don't hammer out of the start, you'll be fine. Enjoy riding with so many people.

Wish I could do it this year, so to those of you doing it, enjoy!

Popette - if it isn't actually interference or a malfunction of the HRM, you may have some sort of rhythm disturbance - aka arrhythmia. Awareness of your haertbeat tends to be a mental symptom of concern - when I discovered last year that I have bifascicular block, I found myself highly aware of my heartbeat.

When you see the cardioologist, they'll give you the full resting ECG. They are very skilled at reading the wiggly lines. However, if you want peace of mind, ask him/her for an exercise ECG (to see if it's something that only happens when exercising) and, if you're really concerned, ask for an exercise echocardiogram.

I have to have an ECG every 6 months - which reminds me, I must book another appointment - and have also had an exercise ECG. I want to have an exercise echo done, too, to put my mind at rest that there is really nothing too serious up with the old ticker!

popette

HI TomF & others,
Thanks for the replies and sorry to hijack the thread a bit
Yes, I've been advised to ask for the exercise ECG. I saw my HR going up today on some steep hills but was able to stop it continuing upwards by breathing really deeply and backing off a bit. Got up to 191 today, which is within the realms of normal (but not for me - I did a max HR last year and it only got up to 165). In the past I've had trouble taking a full breath in, particularly following recovery from a cold or in cold weather. It's what I imagine asthma would feel like - not sure if there is a link between asthma and high HR?
TomF - did you do the Etape before you realised you had a condition. Did they tell you to restrict your cycling? I don't fear for my life becuase I know that it typically stays really low during normal activities. I'm just worried they'll tell me not to cycle intensively (as on the Etape) - I've found something I love doing and it would be a major blow if I couldn't continue in the same way.
Had a great ride today btw - did the cheshire cat short course again and knocked 25 minutes off my time from 4 weeks ago.
Will let you know how I go on tomorrow

popette

hey Chaps,
Well, there is a problem I have an Atrial Flutter which means I need more testing to make sure the heart is ok followed by a month of warfarin and then I need to have it shocked under general anaesthetic! I need to back off the intense training and pull out of the sportives coming up. He initially said that the Etape wouldn't be possible but then backtracked a bit and said to take it one step at a time. Once the heart gets back into the right rythmm, there is no reason for me not to do big events like the Etape but he thought that I would have missed too much training in the run up.
I'm feeling a bit low but it's good to have found it now rather than on the slopes of the tourmalet. Let's just hope I do still get to the Tourmalet in July. I wrote on another thread that the build up to the Etape is a bit like the build up to my wedding - tonight, it feels like the wedding is about to be called off.

clanton

Very sorry to hear that. I hope it gets sorted and you get back to the big rides soon.

pedylan

Ouch. Popette

You've shown great enthusiasm for cycling and the Etape. It seems very unfair you might miss it. But having picked this flutter up early and with good care I'm sure if you bring the same attitude to bear on managing the problem you'll be back in no time.

PS is Warfarin a banned substance? :?

IanTrcp

popette wrote:

hey Chaps,
Well, there is a problem I have an Atrial Flutter ...

I'm very sorry to hear that.

I know a littlle of how you must be feeling having been told three years ago that my sporting days were over as a result of degeneration of my patellar tendons. That I'm here and talking about riding the Etape tells you that this wasn't the case at all.

I don't usually proffer advice (unlike many here!) but in this case I'm going to suggest that it's absolutely key that you find yourself a cardiologist with an interest in and experience of athletes. I wasted nearly a year seeing generalist consultants - most of whom saw me walking and wondered why I thought I had a problem. A physio at my office recommended me to a consultant at Parkside Hospital in Wimbledon outside whose consulting room I met Paula Radcliffe and Alec Stewart among others. The difference in approach and understanding was enormous, paticularly when it came to acknowledging the importance that sport and exercise played in my life. This consultant treated me succesfully and suggested I take up cycling as rehab.

Too much about me! Take the time and effort NOW to find yourself a consultant who understands the importance of sport in your life, and understands that good enough might not be good enough for you.

And stay positive. I'm sure my father had what you describe a few years ago. Much doom and gloom but it just went away of its own accord. Maybe this will happen for you too.

Kléber

Like Ian says above, stay positive.

Get a second opinion if you can and remember most medics err on the side of caution, they have images of people just not being able to cope with the exertion when in reality a gentle, progressive training plan can mean you're ready for the ride.

Several pros have had this condition. See here: http://www.cyclingnews.com/letters/?id= ... ers#Atrial

PS Warfarin? That's rat poison, it's true

popette

Thanks guys - the man I saw today said he has treated a number of cyclists from British Cycling and he was all for me continuing to cycle just not at HR of 232 for a bit
There are things I can do in the meantime - steady riding & losing weight. Fortunately, I can ride along at a good pace and not see my HR go over 125 so I will continue with those rides.
Thanks for the link Kleber - will read in a min.
Warfarin - yes he told me it was rat poison. I wonder if EPO will feature in my treatment?

TomF

popette - sorry to hear about the shock.

To answer your first question: I rode the Étape having had an echo performed at the instigation ofn my GP. He indicated that the results were fine. However, only on a separate visit (after I'd ridden it) when I quipped that I didn't understand a word of the report, he replied that he didn't either but that he was sure I was fine.

Rather miffed with such a blasé response, I organised to see a cardiologist privately (thank goodness for work BUPA cover) and he confirmed, via ECG (resting and exercise) that I had bifascicular block (right bundle branch block and block of the anterior left fascicle). And that that I have a slightly leaky mitral valve. However, I was given the all clear to exercise as hard as I like. I do, however, have to have 6 monthly ECGs to check the poesterior fascicle (i.e. the last working electrical conductor to tell my heart to beat) doesn't pack in as well.

While riding the Étape may be in jeopardy for you this year, do remember that your overall health is much more important. If you can't ride it this time, remember that (a) you'll liklely get the chance to ride another and (b) the Tourmalet is going to be around a lot longer than any of us on this forum!

So, stick to the cardioloigists advice. However, don't be afraid to push them on what you can and cannot do. There's every chance that everything will work out fine, and you'l' still be tering up the Tourmalet in July.

Tom

MegaCycle

Popette! You're no longer Etaping? I was relying on riding along with you! :-(

Take it easy....

popette

It may still happen MegaCycle
5 weeks until I can get the shock done - so 5 weeks of steady riding to maintain fitness. Get treated then back to training with 5 weeks to go. It's still possible maybe?. My husband may still do it (I'm sure that I would do it on my own if the roles were reversed) so I may be one of the people cheering you all on if I don't manage to cycle the event. The other option would be to make the Etape a steady ride and just get broomwagonned along the way - just to take part and get the experience without going too mad.
I'm starting to feel quite positive now 8)

SunWuKong

You've done a lot of training Popette and 5 weeks of steady riding may not set you back too far of where you would have been. If you had some coaching input you'll get a better idea. Hang on, you have .

I hope you get it sorted and can roll up on the start with Mr Popette.