75 miles this weekend - tips

secretsam

Right - in a mad fit of impulse, I've signed up to a 75 mile ride this weekend, having never done more than 65 and only averaging around 35 miles at the moment.

Need top tips ASAP on how to survive, particularly around food - bear in mind I'm a short but stocky 90kg lump of pure...lard...

Ta in advance

Monty Dog

Start eating and drinking as soon as you start and keep it regular e.g. every 20-30 minutes - if you wait until you are hungry or thirsty you will likely end-up "dying in a ditch" somewhere. You'll probably need to stop for a whizz frequently but a 10s stop every half-hour will be far less than the consequences of dehydration.

marcusjb

Depending on where you are, this weekend looks like the weather's going to be pretty warm - so drink well!

Don't go mad and set off at top speed - take it steady.

Eat and drink little and often - don't experiment with sports gels/powders for the first time on a longer ride like this.

If your legs are feeling it - take 10 minutes off the bike and stretch a little.

At the end of the ride - think about which bits hurt - see if you can work out how to make the bike fit better to stop it hurting next time.

Enjoy it!

EarlyGo

Remember to load up on carbs the night before and have a good breakfast on the day. Pasta or potatoes the night before and porridge for breakfast works for me. Plus all the advice above!

Hope you enjoy it (well at least the first 35 miles!)

Regards, EarlyGo

RideOnTime

marcusjb wrote:

Depending on where you are, this weekend looks like the weather's going to be pretty warm - so drink well!

Don't go mad and set off at top speed - take it steady.

Agreed. You should be fine...

thecrofter

Agree with all that's been said.... pace yourself nice and easy, don't forget to drink, and eat a bit. Simples.

warrerj

2 things to remember :

1. Eat today for tomorrow - as above eat good carbs the day/night before

2, yellow or straw need to drink more - thats the motto to check your hydration

desweller

1. Go out on the pop the night before. This is important to condition your body to handle tiredness and dehydration. If you don't start a fight and get back home with your trousers still on then you won't reap the greatest benefits of this training.

B. Ensure that all your meals between now and your ride come in a plastic microwaveable package. These types of meals contain high levels of salt, which will be essential to stop cramps. A steady diet of fish and chips is also acceptable.

iii. Take plenty of Mars Bars with you on your ride. Put Coca-Cola in your drinks bottles. Ignore anyone who bleats on at you about being careful not to crash after your sugar rush. It's chocolate, not heroin. Honestly.

Fore. Stop for a couple of pints of ale half way round. Pick a heavy dark bitter with twigs in it; they count as a food group all by themselves.

6. Attack the course as fast as you can from the off. Your average speed will be the same as your slow pace at the end will be balanced out by your fast pace at the beginning. Ignore any rash talk about 'pacing' yourself. That's for wimps.

HTH.

DW

marcusjb

^^^ seems like pretty good advice - ignore my earlier comments and get out on the lash!

secretsam

DesWeller wrote:

1. Go out on the pop the night before. This is important to condition your body to handle tiredness and dehydration. If you don't start a fight and get back home with your trousers still on then you won't reap the greatest benefits of this training.

B. Ensure that all your meals between now and your ride come in a plastic microwaveable package. These types of meals contain high levels of salt, which will be essential to stop cramps. A steady diet of fish and chips is also acceptable.

iii. Take plenty of Mars Bars with you on your ride. Put Coca-Cola in your drinks bottles. Ignore anyone who bleats on at you about being careful not to crash after your sugar rush. It's chocolate, not heroin. Honestly.

Fore. Stop for a couple of pints of ale half way round. Pick a heavy dark bitter with twigs in it; they count as a food group all by themselves.

6. Attack the course as fast as you can from the off. Your average speed will be the same as your slow pace at the end will be balanced out by your fast pace at the beginning. Ignore any rash talk about 'pacing' yourself. That's for wimps.

HTH.

DW

So, in summary, nothing different from a normal weekend, then??

Lucky Douglas

Doing 75 is just like doing 65 and you know how do that already. Nothing more to it - enjoy

jim453

DesWeller wrote:

1. Go out on the pop the night before. This is important to condition your body to handle tiredness and dehydration. If you don't start a fight and get back home with your trousers still on then you won't reap the greatest benefits of this training.

B. Ensure that all your meals between now and your ride come in a plastic microwaveable package. These types of meals contain high levels of salt, which will be essential to stop cramps. A steady diet of fish and chips is also acceptable.

iii. Take plenty of Mars Bars with you on your ride. Put Coca-Cola in your drinks bottles. Ignore anyone who bleats on at you about being careful not to crash after your sugar rush. It's chocolate, not heroin. Honestly.

Fore. Stop for a couple of pints of ale half way round. Pick a heavy dark bitter with twigs in it; they count as a food group all by themselves.

6. Attack the course as fast as you can from the off. Your average speed will be the same as your slow pace at the end will be balanced out by your fast pace at the beginning. Ignore any rash talk about 'pacing' yourself. That's for wimps.

HTH.

DW

Good advice from Des but he forgot to say MTFU.

so,

MTFU

thecrofter

DesWeller wrote:

1. Go out on the pop the night before. This is important to condition your body to handle tiredness and dehydration. If you don't start a fight and get back home with your trousers still on then you won't reap the greatest benefits of this training.

B. Ensure that all your meals between now and your ride come in a plastic microwaveable package. These types of meals contain high levels of salt, which will be essential to stop cramps. A steady diet of fish and chips is also acceptable.

iii. Take plenty of Mars Bars with you on your ride. Put Coca-Cola in your drinks bottles. Ignore anyone who bleats on at you about being careful not to crash after your sugar rush. It's chocolate, not heroin. Honestly.

Fore. Stop for a couple of pints of ale half way round. Pick a heavy dark bitter with twigs in it; they count as a food group all by themselves.

6. Attack the course as fast as you can from the off. Your average speed will be the same as your slow pace at the end will be balanced out by your fast pace at the beginning. Ignore any rash talk about 'pacing' yourself. That's for wimps.

HTH.

DW

Shit, that's what I've been doing wrong.

essjaydee

SecretSam wrote:

Right - in a mad fit of impulse, I've signed up to a 75 mile ride this weekend, having never done more than 65 and only averaging around 35 miles at the moment.

Need top tips ASAP on how to survive, particularly around food - bear in mind I'm a short but stocky 90kg lump of pure...lard...

Ta in advance

Kendal Sportive (?), which is what I'm doing 8)

As been's said by OP's, lot's of carb based foodstuffs night before (pasta & chicken always good). Good hearty, but healthy breakfast on the day. I always go for porridge with sultanas and honey, followed by a banana, and make sure your well hydrated too. I'll munch another banana 1/2 hour before the start. Two bottles on the bike and start sipping regularly. It's easy to forget until your thirsty which is too late, so keep an eye on this. I'll take 2 energy bars and eat the first one during the 2nd hour on the bike. At the feedstop I'll grab a nice tasty snack, and hour after this I'll start munching the 2nd energy bar. I'll carry 2 gels for emergency use toward the latter part of the ride, and use them if I start feeling fatigued or go beyond an hour of my last energy bar.

Most of all enjoy it

secretsam

So - I did it! Was hard work, totally knackered for last 10 miles but gritted teeth and dragged my ar5e over the line

Thanks for all the advice...I think I'll need some training for the 100 I'm planning in the summer!

rick_chasey

SecretSam wrote:

Thanks for all the advice...I think I'll need some training for the 100 I'm planning in the summer!

A few more 75 milers will do the trick.

marcusjb

SecretSam wrote:

So - I did it! Was hard work, totally knackered for last 10 miles but gritted teeth and dragged my ar5e over the line

Thanks for all the advice...I think I'll need some training for the 100 I'm planning in the summer!

Well done - good effort.

Going up distance is just more of the same advice (eat and drink well, pace yourself etc.).

As I said earlier - think about which bits of you hurt on the ride (knees, arms, bum, all of it) and look at how you can adjust the bike to make you more comfortable next time. Comfort is the most important thing of all when riding longer distances.

A century is a very good achievement to aim for, and as long as you apply what you've learnt on the 75 miles, you should be able to step up to that without too many dramas.