Mastering the final 20km of a Sportive

phreak

I'm usually fine up until that point but nearly always suffer more than is usual in the final 20-30km of a long ride. Is this a nutrition thing or are my legs simply not fit enough?

softlad

could be either - or both....

itboffin

Might sound silly but have you considered the psychological effect? I know myself if I know i'm nearing the end or a particularly difficult section I ease off, slow down and generally go into "get home mode" I always do better on new routes and or not knowing exactly how far I have left to go.

Kind of like when your in the car and you need a pee just before you get to you final destination it becomes unbearable :oops:

Maybe it's just me, I'll get me coat

Alex_Simmons/RST

It could be a few things but it might be the first 20km that needs fixing, not the last.

phreak

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

It could be a few things but it might be the first 20km that needs fixing, not the last.

Bit too quick out of the gates you think?

GavH

Came across a video with Joe Friel on YouTube (search for Friel and Polar CS600) where he talked about everyone having a certain and finite number of matchsticks in their book during any given race or event. Every time you put in a big effort, you burn a matchstick. He showed using some of the data available from a CS600 that a guy who struggled towards the end did so because he used most of his matchsticks near the beginning when he arguably did not need to.

Anyway, it kind of augments what Alex is hinting at. I think. I too have had the feeling in the last few miles of a longer than usual ride where normally easy hills become quite an effort. In fact, my new bike is arriving tomorrow with a 12-25 on the back. I normally use a 12-26 and can get up most stuff with 34x26. I'll be putting a 12-27 cassette on before Sportives though just for this reason if nothing else.

Alex_Simmons/RST

phreak wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

It could be a few things but it might be the first 20km that needs fixing, not the last.

Bit too quick out of the gates you think?

It happens, especially at the start with lots of other riders around, the temptation to go with the faster riders and not stick to a pacing plan can come back to bite you in the proverbial .....

Other riders can be an advantage as you can get a draft and actually maintain good speed while using less energy but that requires good knowledge of oneself, good skills and a group that rides smoothly and is willing to allow people to be towed along.

Most groups however ride so inconsistently that often one is better to ride at one's own pace.

But it also could be energy and fluid intake (both before and during event) as well as the simple endurance needed for such a ride.

mrushton

I remember doing the Time/Megeve sportive and was doing 50kph within 10 mins of starting! 90 mins later I was cooked and had to recover slowly. That was a hot day and it was purgatory getting to the finish line. What I should have done was ride at a comfortable pace because when the field gets to the climbs, a lot of faster riders struggle and this is where you can make the time up. I also did the full 150km whereas if I'd chosen the 120km i could have had a nice day instead of slogging thro' a furnace. I also later realised that all 3 distances (80/120/150) started together, so yes you could go full-gas but those at the front you were trying to catch/keep up with were may only have been doing half the distance I was.

phreak

All makes sense. With a relatively unknown route it's hard to know what's a sustainable pace. Do you guys have any tips? Obviously things like heart rate would be one way but I tend to find my legs give out more than running out of puff.

softlad

Did my first sportive of the year a couple of weeks ago - a local hilly 50 miler. I can usually ride 50 miles alone quite comfortably round here, but within the first few hundred yards of the start of the sportive I felt immediately out of my comfort zone - I kept telling myself to slow down, but I didn't. I paid for it in the end though - the last 20-30 minutes were very painful indeed, fighting off cramp and close to blowing.

so the moral is - listen to what your physiology is telling you. If you feel like you are going off too hard, then back off a bit...

skavanagh.bikeradar

Assume the last 20 miles are going to be hellish and so start off slower to allow for it - that's my motto! Seriously though, in running circles this is known as running negative splits which equates to consitent pacing (well, alright getting faster) as you go.

Generally last year I managed this much better than in previous years and concentrating on feeding/drinking helped too although on the harder events I still forgot to do this too, but in general if you can pace yourself better when feeling fresh and eat correctly that'll go a long way to helping.