12 hour TT

Bronzie

I'm toying with the idea of riding a "12" at the end of August off the back of (hopefully) riding the Marmotte in 3 weeks time (c. 9 hours in the saddle I'm guessing)

- anyone here daft enough to admit to having ridden one before?
- what sort of training would you recommend?
- any advice of pacing strategy?
- any advice on nutrition strategy?
- can you recommend me a good psychologist?

Ric_Stern/RST

Bronzie wrote:

I'm toying with the idea of riding a "12" at the end of August off the back of (hopefully) riding the Marmotte in 3 weeks (c. 9 hours in the saddle I'm guessing)

- anyone here daft enough to admit to having ridden one before?

yes, 3 of them

- what sort of training would you recommend?

i did them for "fun" on the back of normal training (i.e. for RR)

- any advice of pacing strategy?

about 40% of MAP

- any advice on nutrition strategy?

eat lots. choose stuff that's tasty. your taste(s) may change throughout the ride

- can you recommend me a good psychologist?

yes

Ric

Bronzie

Ric_Stern/RST wrote:

about 40% of MAP

Thanks Ric - I know it's not possible to equate power to heart rate very well, but what would this work out to in terms of average HR versus say your normal 25TT target heart rate?

bahzob

Interested in this as was toying with idea of doing similar, though maybe in 2009.

Ric: Can I just check re pacing? 40% of MAP feels quite low. For, say, 400W that would "only" mean 160W. Is that right or am I misunderstanding something?

Ric_Stern/RST

bahzob wrote:

Interested in this as was toying with idea of doing similar, though maybe in 2009.

Ric: Can I just check re pacing? 40% of MAP feels quite low. For, say, 400W that would "only" mean 160W. Is that right or am I misunderstanding something?

i'm pretty sure that's *about* right. I don't coach many who do 12s (so there's likely some variation). i did my 12s before stuff like SRMs and Power Taps had been invented!

ric

BlackHelmet

Like Rick, I've done a couple of 12s off normal training. For me that means commuting 3 times a week (38 mile round trip). I haven't done any specific longer rides. Food wise, my tastes do change during the event and can't stomach much other than energy bars in the last 3 or 4 hours and nothing but gels in the last 2 hours.

If you're thinking of the Welsh 12 at the end of August then I'd thoroughly recommend this event. They will cater for most of your food requirements and even offer tea! Though there's no food available on the finishing circuit so take your own. You can even ride the Welsh 12 unsupported...

I can't offer much advice on pacing as I just go by how I'm feeling and don't use HRM or any other aid.

One thing I do for a 12 is to raise the height of my tri-bars slightly to get a more comfortable position.

Bronzie

Thanks BlackHelmet - was thinking about the Icknield 12 hour - up and down the A1 for a bit near Sandy, then onto A507 until dizzy, lanes around Guilden Morden and finally a finishing loop around Henlow.

I've helped to do the feeds for the last 2 years and thought to myself it's a "something I need to tick off the list before I get too old" type of event. That and the fact that they got so few entries last year, they did say they'd cancel it if the same happens this year - it's an event with a very long history so it'd be a bit of a shame to just let it die.

Pace wise I'm thinking just start really steady and try and speed up towards the end if there's anything left in the legs - typically how I approach a big sportif.

Mark Alexander

Hey Bronzie. I'm planning to do the Welsh 12hr this year and Marmotte.

Just to cheer you up, it's only 16 days away! :shock:

Bronzie

Mark - we can compare notes in France

dennisn

Bronzie wrote:

I'm toying with the idea of riding a "12" at the end of August off the back of (hopefully) riding the Marmotte in 3 weeks time (c. 9 hours in the saddle I'm guessing)

- anyone here daft enough to admit to having ridden one before? not me
- what sort of training would you recommend? lots
- any advice of pacing strategy? take it easy
- any advice on nutrition strategy? eat tons
- can you recommend me a good psychologist?

no, but I would hope that
if I had mentioned doing something like this to friends and family that they would see the complete folly in what I was contemplating doing and stage an intervention or just have
me committed to the asylum for insane,
hopeless bikers. Good luck, by the way. I would say have fun but I know that's not going to happen. Oh yea, take along some extra butt balm.

Dennis Noward

Mark Alexander

sounds good. you'll give me a tow up those Cols?


I've been told that you can loose your appitite on a 12. so you may have to force yourself to eat.

SteveR_100Milers

No way am I going to consider the 12 hour this year. I think you have to be lsightly deranged to want to do one more than once....

MartinL

Last years Welsh 12, I got thorough something like 20 bananas, 10 gels, rice puddings etc. You've got to keep eating all day, even if you don't feel like it. Don't push too large a gear, and don't start too fast. Ignore the idiots that come screaming past in the first couple of hours, you'll see them later lying at the side of the road. Try and get somebody to support you if poss. just handing up bottles will save you loads of time. I was unsupported, and I reckon it cost me at least 10 miles.

Olly Garth

Bronzie wrote:

I'm toying with the idea of riding a "12" at the end of August off the back of (hopefully) riding the Marmotte in 3 weeks time (c. 9 hours in the saddle I'm guessing)

- anyone here daft enough to admit to having ridden one before?
- what sort of training would you recommend?
- any advice of pacing strategy?
- any advice on nutrition strategy?
- can you recommend me a good psychologist?

Don't you mean psychiatrist? 12 hours phew!

SteveR_100Milers

MartinL wrote:

Last years Welsh 12, I got thorough something like 20 bananas, 10 gels, rice puddings etc. You've got to keep eating all day, even if you don't feel like it. Don't push too large a gear, and don't start too fast. Ignore the idiots that come screaming past in the first couple of hours, you'll see them later lying at the side of the road. Try and get somebody to support you if poss. just handing up bottles will save you loads of time. I was unsupported, and I reckon it cost me at least 10 miles.

Thats about 3/4 of the field then! (was for me). Either way this is good advice.

chrisw12

I have been one of those idiots. It's easy to say not to do it but when your racing and there's season long prizes where two other people are relying on you then what else are you to do. I wouldn't be so flippant in judging people on this one tbh.

I agree with Steve, do one, but if you do more than one you must be mad or stupid. I might be doing my fourth in September, but there is absolutely no way I'd have done more than one if it wasn't for the prizes. 12hrs are horendous.

Bronzie

Olly Garth wrote:

Don't you mean psychiatrist?

No

WikiPedia wrote:

A psychologist studies and applies psychology for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development.

RobbC

There's a nice article by Dave Moulton onhis bike blog about his first 12 hour TT:

http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2006/ ... -ride.html

SteveR_100Milers

chrisw12 wrote:

I have been one of those idiots. It's easy to say not to do it but when your racing and there's season long prizes where two other people are relying on you then what else are you to do. I wouldn't be so flippant in judging people on this one tbh.

I agree with Steve, do one, but if you do more than one you must be mad or stupid. I might be doing my fourth in September, but there is absolutely no way I'd have done more than one if it wasn't for the prizes. 12hrs are horendous.

The again Chris, I ddn't finish, so I haven't technically done one. 2009 it is then...

Mark Alexander

How do you all eat so much obviously, it can't all be taken by you and I'm un-supported and stashing food bags in hedgerows isn't going to work
Do we just pull in att a convienient store bar or PUB

How are "pit stops" accommodated? Where is water? Logistics are my concern more than the riding at the moment.
I'm getting a lift there to Abergavenny but will have to make my way home to Cardiff.

sub55

Mark Alexander wrote:

How do you all eat so much obviously, it can't all be taken by you and I'm un-supported and stashing food bags in hedgerows isn't going to work
Do we just pull in att a convienient store bar or PUB

How are "pit stops" accommodated? Where is water? Logistics are my concern more than the riding at the moment.
I'm getting a lift there to Abergavenny but will have to make my way home to Cardiff.

mark,
logistically the welsh 12 is the easiest of any 12 i`ve ever ridden and i must have ridden over 10 now. firstly, there is a neutral feed. they will hand up ,provided food and fluid on everylap, approx 25 miles. you dont have to take it if you dont want to. you can also stop at the feed area to fill up water bottles etc . reading your post it would appear ,you wont have a car there, which is a shame . as many of us who ride unassissted ,park up on the old main road near the pub which used to be called the horse and jockey. the beauty of this is ,you pass it on every lap and every lap of the finishing circuit. so it`s a quick change of water bottles ,fill pockets with food and off again. can do it in less than a min. normally at 120 miles and 200 miles. then i`m sorted to the finish. either way ,dont worry about it the organiser will bend over backwards to assist you in your ride.
pacing , you dont want to kill yourself in the first 100 miles,but if you take it to easy ,you`ll lose more time than you can ever expect to pull back in the second 100. this is because you will be sore and tired,no matter what speed you ride.
nutriction, normally ride with 4 bottles, 3 containing sports drinks and the forth with plain water in it. that will last me 4 hours. as for food ,what ever they hand me up and a pocket full of wine gums. but there again i dont eat much anyway. good luck. any queries please ask.

SteveR_100Milers

Mark, your best finding a "helper" someone who will look after your food and drink and prepare it for you. Last year, 4 of us shared a car full of water and food parked by the raglan road / usk raod junction. As it happened i packed early on so stayed and helped the other 3 by filling bottles etc ready for them.