Fred whitton 2012

The-beast
The-beast Posts: 140
edited May 2012 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
I was lucky enough to get a place on my first attempt... Any advice from past participants on how to pace this event ?
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Comments

  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    Hello 'The Beast'. I too was lucky enough to get a place as a first timer. If you search through this forum topic you will find plenty of great advice for the day. I would say your approach should be just take it at your own pace. only you know what fitness level you are at & what realistic pace you can maintain. Remember there are some savage brutal climbs to get over so don't push too hard, take it easy on the flats & don't go mad on the descents. Also eat a little but often & stay well hydrated. With a name like 'The beast' though, you should be able to.tame this one! :wink:

    Good luck, see you on Hardknott!
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    If you want to just get round, then take it steady away and you should be ok to climb all the big hills. No point in setting off like a nutter, getting to the first food stop really quickly then realising yor legs are shagged.

    All the hills come after the first stop really (apart from Honister) so save yourself. At least then you'll be one of the ones clmbing hardknott instead of pushing up it.
  • The-beast
    The-beast Posts: 140
    just as i thought its a matter of surviving the event at a modest pace... ive done all these climbs just not hard knot and wrynose... quite confident of getting to this point with no walking but its a tall order with 100 miles in the legs and getting up the hardest hill in the land... lets pray for good weather this year unlike last year
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    If you go steady away you''ll be fine. Wrynose is only a short one anyway.
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    I have done the Fred 5 times and echo the above advice about pacing and be careful not to get up with the buzz and start off too quick. Also be sure you have the right gearing - too many people are overgeared and suffer.

    I am just back from the Lakeland Loop and just been over most of the hard bits of the Fred - hardknott is just as bad as ever but I climbed it fairly well and pleased with my fitness. Bring on the Fred
    Brian B.
  • The-beast
    The-beast Posts: 140
    cheers guys... already done etape du dales and pendle predator... so this is the logical progression... doing a training session over fleetmoss and park rash this coming weekend to keep on top of the climbing side but yes i know all about the pacing on other events and carbs carbs carbs...!
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    Not done Fred before but have done many of the climbs on it + sportives like Devil ride, Autumn epic, Cumberland Challenge, 3 counties so confident of completing Fred OK but am planning on using low gears ie 34 x 29, taking it steady , no racing off , eating and drinking plenty, but above all clearing my ongoing chest viral infection pdq :(---which seems to entail minimal low level riding at moment :(
    and maybe bumping into Brain B (and Richie Boy) to see how their fitness has improved since Richmond 3 dales a few years back :)
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    As others say don't go off too fast but at the same time try and get in a group - sometimes it's worth putting in a little bit more effort to stay in a group. As far as pacing goes I'd definitely pace the steepest long hills - don't attack them - go at them as steady as you can while still staying on the bike. Honister it doesn't matter if you lose a group as there is a feed straight after, Newlands you are just out of the feed anyway so unlikely to be in a group, Hardknott is close enough to the finish for it not to matter too much. Wrynose is fairly short and if you are feeling good you can probably afford to attack that - see what you think when you hit it.

    Disagree all the hills come after the first feed - there's a big hill right at the start, then there's Kirkstone, then Honister - what there is in the first third are more flattish sections in between the hills.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • AndyD2574
    AndyD2574 Posts: 1,034
    Pace yourself and dont get tempted to jump on a faster wheel. Done the FW twice and its tough as you hit Hardknott bang on 100 miles.

    Eat and drink properly and you will be fine.......honest!! ;-)
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  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    ditto what is above.

    In addition to not starting too hard, as said, carefully monitor your effort (HRM?) on the middle three climbs (Honister, Newlands and Whinlatter). If you hit those too hard then you're tired by the top of Whinlatter, and the last third becomes very hard work. I've seen plenty of rders get to the top of Whinlatter and give up! The main climb, is of course, Hardknott, so always keep something back for this. Once over Hardknott then you'll get over Wrynose somehow and then you're pretty much done.

    It's a very technical ride, so be super vigilant to eat and drink as you should. Don't leave this to chance.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    :twisted:
    JamesB wrote:
    Not done Fred before but have done many of the climbs on it + sportives like Devil ride, Autumn epic, Cumberland Challenge, 3 counties so confident of completing Fred OK but am planning on using low gears ie 34 x 29, taking it steady , no racing off , eating and drinking plenty, but above all clearing my ongoing chest viral infection pdq :(---which seems to entail minimal low level riding at moment :(
    and maybe bumping into Brain B (and Richie Boy) to see how their fitness has improved since Richmond 3 dales a few years back :)


    Hi James my fitness is better than before and steadily improving overall but my brother has fallen out of love with sportives but still does the miles but prefers doing his own thing. I am looking to beat my best time of 7:28 for the Fred which I did in 2010 but last year I was 7 minutes slower but given the awful weather conditions I was more pleases with that result.

    Mentally I was given a boost yesterday as regards to how I did on the LL. I never really dug deep and had plenty in reserve and virtually sailed up Hardknott Pass without any problems. I could have done it so much quicker but wanted to really enjoy yesterday and then blast the fred - big talk eh
    Brian B.
  • holmeboy
    holmeboy Posts: 674
    Aaaaarg, Am I ready for this? Done the Rideit event at Callender a few weeks ago, blown after 70 miles. Have run a 10K and the RocknRoll Edinburgh Half-Marathon yesterday. Have got a 20 mile run Edinburgh to North Berwick the week before Fred. So need to get my running and cycling milage up in the next five weeks. It'll be the Triple again for the Freddie and try to plan my eating strategy better than before.
  • The-beast
    The-beast Posts: 140
    Just reading about the guy who finished in 6.05 last year... Is that around 19mph average? Holy sh!t !!
  • badgerlurve
    badgerlurve Posts: 31
    2nd time for me, really wanted a sub 7 hours last year and got 7 hours 7 minutes....gutted! however the weather was awful and thats what im attributing it too.

    ive trained as hard this year and managed 4 hours 21 in the loop (45th place) so feeling good for the whitton.

    anyone else aiming for 7 hours and if so what time are you starting at, we could get a bunch of likeminding people together.
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    I am aiming for 7:15 but as per my previous post my best time so far is 7:28. Was slightly slower last year but with the weather and the amount of time I stopped to put my jacket on/off I was more pleased with that time. I went out only to get a sub 5hr time in the LL which I did easily and just wanted to enjoy myself in the Lakes.

    Due to the good weather I have done a lot of miles this year and I have the best fitness ever for so early in the season.
    Brian B.
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    Due to the good weather I have done a lot of miles this year
    :shock:
    please send some good weather here then, although a mild winter and a warm week mid March it has now gone back to cold / wet again :(:( ; reckon though done 1 500 miles to date
  • holmeboy
    holmeboy Posts: 674
    Me datails came in today. Out on Sunday for 96 miles, probally best ever high milage I've done feeling wise. I have lost almost a stone in wieght in the last 6 months, hopefully out this weekend again with a few more hills. :)
  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    Same, got my weight down from 12st to 11st. Got the Wiggle Ups & Downs this sunday which will hopefully be a good 100 mile workout with a few decent climbs. Managed to get in 4 80 mile rides so far aswell as my training rides. Not done nearly enough training but my job is so demanding it takes up a lot of my time & energy. My training has mostly been Hill reps in north london where i live. Managed to do 80 miles in just over 5 hrs on the Sandown Cyclone ride which was a gold time but obviously there was only 1500 metres of climbing, even so i was pleasantly suprised! Cat wait for the Fred, just hope the weather will be ok. That said, if it does chuck it down it will just add to the 'epicness' of it all!
  • Bordersroadie
    Bordersroadie Posts: 1,052
    Same here, have gone from 12st to 11st in last few months. A couple of bouts of illness have buggered up the last month or two of training so I'm a bit lower on miles than I'd prefer, but I have enough miles in the bag and am looking forward to the Fred despite my anxieties (eg I've never done Sportive in my life!).
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    [quote="nunowoolmez". That said, if it does chuck it down it will just add to the 'epicness' of it all![/quote]

    It certainly chucked it down last year and did not really add to the epicness - wind, hail, sleet it was not pleasant :cry:

    I am hoping for fair weather as I have had enough epic rides over the years :wink:
    Brian B.
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    If it rains like last year, I'll probably sack it off.
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    just hope the weather will be ok. That said, if it does chuck it down it will just add to the 'epicness' of it all!

    no it won`t--- :(:( riding in a fabulous area, great scenery and views, would rather not have conditions as described for last year ==miserable, and potentially dangerous wet roads ?? no thank you :(
    + I intend camping the weekend so good weather MUST be ordered :)
  • The-beast
    The-beast Posts: 140
    descending hard knott and wrynose is dangerous enough with out it being wet... supposed to be the worst may on record.. great
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    well it does seem to be forecast that way the 384 hr ahead forecast ie for w/e Fred is currently showing rain, 5-7c and fresh easterly winds--oh joy :(:(
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    Glad I havent been spending my weekends "putting in the miles" in preparation for it then!
  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    oh lordy, so then it will be a battle against the savage climbs & whatever mother nature can throw at us. Bring it on! Yes it will hard & yes it may get truly miserable at times (or all the time) but we will just have to get our heads down & grit our teeth & grind it out! I have done sportives in crappy weather before & loved it! It will be a struggle for sure & it might break our bodies but it can't break our minds! Just poses a few kit dilemmas tho. Get wet from the inside out or the outside in. And what gloves to wear? Decisions decisions...
  • styxd
    styxd Posts: 3,234
    Wear the warmest gloves you had. Last year my fingers were so cold I couldnt change gear (no gloves!). I was having to take my hand off the bars and push the shifter across with my palms!
  • The-beast
    The-beast Posts: 140
    Doing the 110 mile wrynose or bust this weekend so I'll let you know what it's like descending wrynose in the freezing wet as a moral booster for the Fred which Im also doing
  • holmeboy
    holmeboy Posts: 674
    styxd wrote:
    Wear the warmest gloves you had. Last year my fingers were so cold I couldnt change gear (no gloves!). I was having to take my hand off the bars and push the shifter across with my palms!
    Yeah I remember going to change gear and being unable to feel the paddle.
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    Just poses a few kit dilemmas tho. Get wet from the inside out or the outside in. And what gloves to wear? Decisions decisions...

    well if the waether turns out as bad as forecast :(:( then I`m working on basis of a noraml winter wardrobe, silk liner gloves, IMO far better to be warm and wet than cold and wet
    as anyone who rode teh MTB event Marin Rough Ride will know from 2011 (4-7 c, persistent heavy rain, strong winds >>>mypothermia risks)--I wore a buffalo jacket for that in June !

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