1 Week to go, what do I do this week?

supermurph09

Hi

I'm riding this route on Sunday: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1967426
Its 25 miles further than I have done already, but happy enough that I'll have the fitness to get round. It'll be tough and I'm obviously a little nervous in that's in my first sportive. I've done most of the tought climbs on it though.

I'd like thoughts on what I should do this week in terms of riding and eating. I did 55 miles yesterday so my plan was:

Monday: 45 minute with dog, 30 minute spin on Turbo
Tuesday: 30 minute dog walk AM/PM
Wednesday: 30 minute dog walk AM/PM + 25 miles, a number of big hills (cat 3 & cat 4 on Strava)
Thursday: 30 minute dog walk AM/PM - Rest
Friday: 30 minute dog walk AM/PM. 25-30 miles, mixture of terrain
Saturday: Rest.

Food wise, look to eat pretty clean all week (I don't drink or smoke), and then look to carb load on saturday without making myself too slugglish. I plan to do as little as possible on Saturday, apart from an easy walk with the dog.

Sound about right?

poynedexter

if thats what you have time for then thats it. 2 days rest before the event is more than enough if you are a regular. seems like short runs to me tho overall.

supermurph09

That is all I can do, not home from work until gone 5:30pm, I'll do as many miles as the light allows.

marylogic

I'll obviously defer to the more experienced but I thought it was best to go very easy in the week before your event - not sure about the big hills on wednesday? I suppose it might depend if you're going to spin up them low gear high cadence rather than trying to sprint?

supermurph09

marylogic wrote:

I'll obviously defer to the more experienced but I thought it was best to go very easy in the week before your event - not sure about the big hills on wednesday? I suppose it might depend if you're going to spin up them low gear high cadence rather than trying to sprint?

That's what I thought, but I was wondering if some hard efforts were needed to remind the legs what's coming as opposed to coming out sluggish and forgetting! Somewhere in between perhaps.

Tom Dean

Yes - keep the intensity but reduce your volume if you want to be as fresh as possible for the weekend.

supermurph09

Cheers Tom, that was my thinking.

marylogic

Good luck for sunday, let us know how you get on

sloppyschleckonds

What breed of dog do you have?

supermurph09

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

What breed of dog do you have?

Labrador Retriever. Is that relevant!

Herbsman

Carb loading is not a 1-day thing

imposter2.0

Does the event involve dog-walking, like some kind of duathlon ?? Just wondering, as the dog seems to be playing a fairly key role in the training plan there. If not, then I'm struggling to see the relevance/benefit of the dog-walking stuff.

marylogic wrote:

I'll obviously defer to the more experienced but I thought it was best to go very easy in the week before your event -

Hardly. If that was the case, people who rode events every weekend would never get any training done.

bernithebiker

Supermurph09 wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

What breed of dog do you have?

Labrador Retriever. Is that relevant!

Maybe you should swap it for a greyhound?

supermurph09

Hi, I put the dog walking on there to show that I wasn't just sat doing nothing. Whilst it doesn't serves as a recovery ride it helps to keep loose. I thought it would inform opinion.

If it helps:

imposter2.0

walking/dog walking - irrelevant, tbh. It comes under the heading of 'living a normal life'...

AK_jnr

It's a sportive.

A glorified club run.

supermurph09

Thanks AK, appreciate your enthusiasm. Surprised at your poor attitude tbh, I realise you race but some of us don't so we might like to get excited about a glorified club run.

bernithebiker

Supermurph09 wrote:

Thanks AK, appreciate your enthusiasm. Surprised at your poor attitude tbh, I realise you race but some of us don't so we might like to get excited about a glorified club run.

nice dog - ours is similar, but 1/2 boxer. I would say an hour's brisk dog walking is a useful addition to anyone's fitness - far better than being plonked on the sofa. It's not going to win you the local TT, but it's a damn sight better than nothing.

Good luck on the ride.

supermurph09

Thanks Berni, appreciate it.

thiscocks

Nice dog. Ignore AKs retarded comment.

Looks ok for a week up to event. Id be tempted to leave out the hills and just add a bit more easy distance. Only if you have done hill training in previous weeks

alihisgreat

So its on a Sunday?

I'd have done this:

Saturday - long and hard ride - 4hrs+
Sunday - 1hr active recovery (preferably on the turbo)
Monday - easy 3hrs
Tuesday - moderate 2hrs or easy 3 hrs
Wednesday - 1hr active recovery (preferably on the turbo)
Thursday - easy 1.5hrs
Friday - rest day
Saturday - easy 1hr (active recovery intensity).
Sunday - smash the Sportive and go for a Gold time.

I'd keep the bulk of the riding earlier in the week - you've got 25-30 miles on Friday, I'd be resting then and have done 40-50 earlier in the week instead.

Nice dog btw.

supermurph09

Was dropping misty out there tonight so went a bit harder than planned. Absolutely smashed a few PB's tonight, felt really strong. http://app.strava.com/activities/48183671

Cheers Alihisgreat. Plan to do a nice 1 hour spin on the Turbo tomorrow, Friday rest, easy spin saturday morning. And then smash it sunday!

supermurph09

Managed an official time of 5h 59m (Garmin shows a bit less because of stops etc). It was absolutely brutal out there. 20-50mph (not kidding) winds the whole way around. I was on my own 99% of the way around so got not shelter, although others were hugging my wheel! Here is the route: http://app.strava.com/activities/48759317

Happy with the Silver award for my first Sportive, look forward for the next one, thanks to all those who advised me.

thegreatdivide

Good work that man!