Etape Caledonia ?

RandG

Hello folks, I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on possibly entering the etape caledonia. 2013.

As someone in his late forties who is just getting in to cycling (before the TdF btw) I am wondering if I will mange it....81 miles. As someone who is pretty unfit and drives all day for a living, it might be a tough ask.

Now I know it's 10 months away, so plenty time, but I have no idea of how much training I'd need to do, and also sure I wouldn't mange too much training thru Winter. Another thing is diet, I've not got the best diet and I need to be eating the right things to start doing endurance events such as this.

So any help and advice is welcome.

Thanks in advance.


(oh and I know about the etape pennies in October, but too close for me)

cougie

81 miles in 10 months time - absolutely no worries.

Just get a calendar out and work back from the race. So you want to be able to do 80 miles say the month before your day. Month before that - maybe 70 mile long rides at the weekend. Month back - 60 - Month back 50 - etc etc etc.

There's no magic to it really - just be consistent and man up. If you're not going to cycle thru winter though - that wont help. Snow and ice you need to be careful - but if its just cold or wet - wear extra kit.

Anyone should be able to do this if they want it.

Diet - well just try to eat a bit better. No need to become vegan or anything.

avoidingmyphd

You can definitely do it. Do what you can in the winter. Then build the distance up gradually in the Spring. Like Cougie says, work backwards to see what you need to do. If you can do 2x100km rides by a couple of weeks before, you'll be fine.

d4evr

Go for it!!! Just get out as much as you can. As long you can build up to 50- 60 miles before hand you will manage to do the full distance on event day.

As for diet, just cut out all the crap, cut back on the booze (if any) and get out as much as possible and you will be fine.

You may suffer a bit along the way but you WILL DO IT and you will feel brilliant for doing so!!

d4evr

There will be various threads in here viewforum.php?f=40007

Muffintop

Hi,

Done it twice now so tips are - get used to sitting in the saddle for a good couple of hours, and practice your hills. Despite it's slightly longer distance it's one of the easier sportives I've done - with a couple of short sharp shocks near the end. Use 2013 to set your time and then come back in 2014 and try and smash it.

Mx

RandG

Thanks for the replies folks.

I don't even have a road bike yet, bought a new fs mtb recently thinking that was the road I wanted to go down, but really have been mega inspired by Wiggo and today's just gave me even more.

Trying to get out at least 3 times a week on my mtb, and mostly off road, but distances aren't near what is required though was thinking that off road mtb'ing might be good value for training at this stage.

As for the Winter, I really can't see me going out on cold, dark Winter nights to hammer in 20/30/40 mile runs, but hopefully put some good work in at my local gym.

Was gonna buy a roadie soon, but seriously thinking of hanging off now and just keep pushing in the mileage on my mtb ?? (thoughts on that ??)

Finally, as for the course it's self ? Is it the same course every year ? If so, I'm fairly familiar with it, done those roads a hundred times on my motorcycle so nothing would come as a shock to me, unless it changes ??

I'm relatively local so doing a few recce runs is also within my plan I guess.

Just concerned about the mileage and the eating side of things...

d4evr

Get a road bike, you will enjoy riding it much more IMO.

Same course every year.

Mileage (81 miles). A few small climbs around Queens View, fairly flat up to 45/46 miles, the one 'big' climb over Schiehallion, 4/5 mile descent, rolling road until 76 miles, short sharp climb at Logierait followed by 3 other little climbs then downhill to Pitlochry.

Eating? Drinking? Little and often. Stick some flapjack or banana in your pockets. Two water bottles, 1 water, 1 energy drink. Use the 4 feed stations (20mile, 43mile, Schiehallion summit, 60mile)

RandG

I was more referring to the build up in regards eating and mileage

Like what marathon runners do ?? but whatever you don't, don't mention pasta, I must be the only person in the world who hates pasta and everyone says, eat pasta it helps with carb build up

d4evr

Just get out and do as many miles as you can, as often as you can. You don't need anything to eat for anything less than a couple of hours IMO. Just water. Eat something at least 30 mins before heading out. Once you build up the miles take malt loaf, flapjack or a banana with you.

Silly Old Hector

Brilliant - get bike, get friends to do same, get training - job done !

I started last October (lapsed teenage cyclist, now 45 !), enjoyed the training as much as the race and now couldn't do without a regular cycle.

Don't discount winter training runs (ths year was better than the summer) and you can get tips from Cycling Plus ( they printed a training guide 3 months beforehand, which helped immensely).

Where are you located ?

RandG

Silly Old Hector wrote:

Where are you located ?

Dundee.

thegreatdivide

RandG wrote:

Dundee.

Deffo get a road bike then. You have loads and loads of great (and safe) routes on your doorstep with plenty of similar climbs to the ones found on the Etape Caledonia. Once you get a few miles under your belt you can tag along on our Tuesday night Thistle club runs in the spring to gain some group riding experience.

Robert72

did it for the first time this year. My thoughts, i'm 52 so age isn't a problem, the start is a bun fight with what seems like no organisation so get together with some mates and stay together. Being not used to riding with that amount of people is a bit strange and sometimes scary. I found the course tough, but then again i have to change gears to get over speed bumps so no surprise that the hills were tough going. The wind and rain made it soul destroying along with two punctures. Crowd support and atmosphere was brilliant and will be returning next year to do better. Go for it.

RandG

thegreatdivide wrote:

RandG wrote:

Dundee.

Deffo get a road bike then. You have loads and loads of great (and safe) routes on your doorstep with plenty of similar climbs to the ones found on the Etape Caledonia. Once you get a few miles under your belt you can tag along on our Tuesday night Thistle club runs in the spring to gain some group riding experience.

I did think the roads around here would be good prep. Not so sure about club runs though, way out my depth and am a bit concerned about cycling snobbery.

Getting a road bike is the next step, but dark nights rolling in is putting me off at the moment, s'pose the longer I think about it, the darker the nights are getting.

thegreatdivide

There’s no bike snobbery at the Thistles – honestly. There are all ages of rider, bike and bib shorts ;-) Deffo take the advantage of a bit of group riding experience next year before you head to the event.

IMO I wouldn’t leave it until it starts to get light again before buying a road bike because that’ll be March and you’ll only have two months to get match fit (although it can be done, but with a lot of work). If you don’t want to ride at night over the winter you’ll have the weekends to get the miles in. Some of my best rides have been on cold Sunday mornings over the Sidlaws or out towards the East Neuk.

cougie

You sound like you're talking yourself out of it. 'Dark nights rolling in' indeed.

You still have weekends dont forget ? Thats when most of us do the vast majority of miles.

If you want to do it - get yourself sorted and get ahead of the game by getting fit this Summer/Autumn. Then look to maintain that thru Winter.

Far easier to do that than start in Spring with no miles in the legs.

d4evr

Start ASAP. You will be glad you did come next May.

RandG

cougie wrote:

You sound like you're talking yourself out of it. 'Dark nights rolling in' indeed.

.

I know how it comes across, I'm just being honest, I know for a fact I won't go out, in the dark in cold Winter nights. I've been round the block before you know

Yes I know there is weekends also, however, I do have other interests that take up a lot of my time come weekends. Thing is, I already have been to LBS, tried the bike I want for size, it's just the buying it that's holding me up

I have a 15 -20 miler planned on my mtb tonight round Auchterhouse/Sidlaws, then a decision on the buying or not of roadie.

d4evr

If you started this Sunday and did a 20 mile run, then added 2 miles on most Sundays from now to event day you would have the required miles/distance in your legs!

unixnerd

As for the Winter, I really can't see me going out on cold, dark Winter nights to hammer in 20/30/40 mile runs

Night riding is actually good fun, just get some good lights and a small head torch. I've had no problems riding at night on or off road. Winter is OK so long as it's fairly dry and not below about -5C, you just need the right clothes.

RandG

Brand new bike, shoes and pedals just bought

Pick it up Saturday, so it's starts Saturday afternoon 8)

thegreatdivide

Well done! Was it a Spokes or Nicholson's purchase?

RandG

Spookes, can't speak highly enough of the chap I dealt with. 3.1 Madone Trek.

Pigtail

Well done. I bought my bike October 2010 and have done the Etape Caledonia for the last two years. Registering for it certainly spurred me on to train and I absolutely loved it. I was pumped up - full of adrenaline and felt it was one of the most satisfying days of my life. Get the miles in, work hard, that first winter I did a fair bit on an exercise bike at the gym, and it should be fine.

thegreatdivide

Nice one. Spokes is my local bike shop (I'm in the West End) and John and Lee are good lads.

If you need any tips on routes drop me a PM.

d4evr

RandG wrote:

Brand new bike, shoes and pedals just bought

Pick it up Saturday, so it's starts Saturday afternoon 8)

Great stuff, welcome to the madness!!

RandG

Picked it up this morning and went out today......however...I struggled....very badly :? Did exactly the same route I did on my mtb on Thursday and I was only .5 mph average quicker

Thursday it was relatively easy, today was hell, legs felt like lead from the off, the climbs around Auchterhouse near killed me, any slight incline and I was toiling :shock:


Etape....yer having a laugh

d4evr

Blame it on the Haar.

rollemynot

I was in the same position as you last year - prior to the buying a bike I was 14 1/2 stone and never exercised for 10 years. Could do upto 20 miles then in November got a turbo for the garage. Through out the winter I would do a 1 hour session on a Monday, 25 mile road circuit on a Thursday and a 20 on a sunday. If the weather went against me I replaced the road miles with turbo sessions. Continued this until April then I increased the mileage of my thurs/sun sessions up to a max of 65 miles prior to the etape. Weight came down to 12 st 12llbs and I achieved a 5 h 20 mins.

In hindsight I was disappointed as I wanted sub 5 hours - reg for next year and I know now what is required to improve my time. However only time will tell!!!

Good luck

thegreatdivide

Rollemynot wrote:

In hindsight I was disappointed as I wanted sub 5 hours - reg for next year and I know now what is required to improve my time. However only time will tell!!!

With the weather as brutal as it was this year I think you can easily subtract 20 mins off your time - and with a time like 5.20 you'll deffo get a sub 5 in 2013.