I've been Conned!

t4tomo

I agreed to do a sportive with my neighbour at Christmas. Its in 3 weeks time. I did a 25 mile solo ride the other week and the London to Brighton in 2007. Added to my 6mile a day Brompton commuteand its adequate training for the 100km route I thought.

Yesterday he starts talking about doing the 100 miles route, claiming thats what we agreed. I'm away this weekend, next weekend it one of my kids birthdays and then its sportive weekend?

I reckon I could get around the 100 miles, but it will hurt like hell and take up most of the day.

So do I start training at 4am in the morning every morning for the next couple of weeks, which is realistically the only time I have any free time, or tell him to bog off we're doing the 100km?

notsoblue

Can you commute on your road bike? If you extend it to 15-20 miles each way at a decent tempo between now and the Sportive you'll be fine. If you have a decent commute and you usually ride at pace then you'll probably find yourself in a much more comfortable position than most other people doing the sportive.

t4tomo

No its a Cycle - train - cycle into London, only folders allowed, and too far to miss the train bit out.

On the brightside we;re moving office on Friday so my daily commute will be 8 rather than 6 miles!

CiB

You've done L2B, so you can do a hundred. It'll take about 6 hours if you press on, 7 if you amble, plus as long as you need for proper breaks etc. 100's all in the mind. Same amount of effort as 50, just takes a lot longer. It'll probably be ok though. Once you're at it, it just happens.

I've got 2 100+ milers coming up in the next few weeks and it's coincided with my mojo upping sticks & sodding off without giving enough notice. Typical.

ToeKnee

t4tomo wrote:

No its a Cycle - train - cycle into London, only folders allowed, and too far to miss the train bit out.!

Get on/off the train one, two or more stops down/up the line to increase your mileage?

notsoblue

CiB's right about it being all in the mind. If you can do 50 you can do 100. Just keep hydrated and fed and go at a pace you feel comfortable sustaining.

The good thing about bikes is that you can always just coast or glasscrank if you're knackered How experienced/fit is the chap you're doing the ride with?

t4tomo

We're a pretty good match when we've been out on mountain bikes, hes a a tad older late 40's to my early 40s but we're both pretty fit, although he's done a couple of 100km sportives lately and I haven't.

I'm leaning towards doing 100km - that will make for a pleasant morning out and leave the afternoon for family stuff and hurt less, 100 miles will lose most of the day and the last 20-30 miles will be a chore rather than a pleasure.

notsoblue

Ah, you should bite the bullet and do the 100miler. Get one under your belt, its not that much further. In for 62p, in for a pound

jds_1981

Yeah, by the time you've faffed around and got out there, the extra 38 miles won't add much time.

Green Brompton

Can you detour on your commute to add a few miles each way?

greg66_tri_v2.0

You have two choices.

1. Do it.
2. Curl up on the floor in a foetal position, crying like a baby and gentling rocking back and forth.

What's it to be? :twisted: