Training for a 350 mile, 24 hour event

steve_kay

Hi guys. I'm relatively new to cycling and this site so please bare with me and excuse any stupid questions or comments. I'm currently serving in the Royal Marines and as part of the 350th birthday of the corps this year, the Royal Marines Charitable trust fund is holding a 350 mile event over the course of 24 hours. The event takes place in early August and is for charity. My fitness in general is good and I've had a few steady 30 milers in and around Devon which is extremely hilly. I'm after some advice with regards to training for such an event. I currently ride a 2014 Cube Agree GTC SL whith custom DT Swiss RR 440 wheels and weigh around 90 kg although I hope to be around 85 kgs for the event. Thanks in advance.
Steve

Grill

You need to get in the base miles. 350 over 24 hours isn't much of an issue as long as you have practice at spinning your legs.

steve_kay

Yeah I think once I'm used to time in the saddle over an extended period I'll find it a lot easier to cope with the miles

sub55

Have a word with Mr Garry D. At the RN&RM CA

MikeWW

Not tried this personally yet but if I was going to focus on endurance events I would be looking hard at ketogenic diets http://www.examiner.com/article/ironman-triathlete-ben-greenfield-high-fat-diet-can-aid-endurance-training

bahzob

MikeWW wrote:

Not tried this personally yet but if I was going to focus on endurance events I would be looking hard at ketogenic diets http://www.examiner.com/article/ironman-triathlete-ben-greenfield-high-fat-diet-can-aid-endurance-training

An extreme diet like this is not required for an event of this type and may well do more harm than good.

350 miles in 24 hours is not especially difficult from a cycling/fitness pov, especially if its a group ride as opposed to a TT, even more so if, as I guess will be happening in an event like this, you get support along the way in terms of food/drink. (I speak from experience, having done 12 hour+ TTs and touring days and ultra randonees like the LEL)

Anybody who can ride 100 miles solo should be able to do this fitness wise. The main challenge is staying awake and motivated for 24 hours, something I guess the OP is already well suited to given his occupation.

>> OP: Just keep training upping the mileage with the objective of doing 100 mile solo ride and you should do fine.

Things I would suggest though is get a good bike fit as soon as possible, make sure your bike is in a good state of repair and have some good rain gear. Having both ridden and supported 900 mile events I know the main reasons for failure/event turning into a nightmare are:
- aches/pains/strains/blisters caused by a badly fitting bike
- mechanical failures
- getting soaked to the skin

marcusjb

On the keeping awake thing, I am a great believer in abstaining from caffeine for around 4 weeks before any long event and then getting a right kick up the arse when I do then drink a coffee on an event. I've done this for 3 long rides and will also do this for the 24hr TT this year.

Totally agree on the bike fit - a bike that is comfy for 100 miles is not necessarily comfy for 350. Make a note of which bits of you hurt, even a little bit, after a 100 mile ride and work to address those issues (a little niggle at 100 miles can turn into something that'll make even a Marine cry after 350 miles!).

ednino

I'm doing one in September. My typical weekend ride at the moment is 80 miles (unless weather is bad)

I plan to get some 30-40 mile rides in after work during the week when its warmer/lighter. Im also going to do some Audax rides as part of the training. Starting at 200k then a 300k. I recently got a Retul bike fit that has helped a lot for long rides, I'd recommend it.

steve_kay

Thanks everyone for your input. I think the biggest issue i have at the minute is my saddle. I've just bought a new one ( Selle italia Max Flite Gel Flow) and i'm waiting for it to arrive. I've also just bought a great set of bib tights for training in and they're so much more comfortable. My main sore points are my sit bones. Hopefully this is down to my current racing saddle. As regards to the bike itself, It's brand new and I plan on having it fully serviced the week before the event. How often would you recommend I stop? If I average 15 mph I'll complete the event in 23 hours and 20 minutes.

marcusjb

It is difficult to say how often you should stop - some of it is personal preferences and some of it depends on how your ride is setup in terms of support etc.

Some people prefer to ride shorter stints of maybe 1.5 to 2 hours and stop more often, but shorter stops. Others, like myself, are probably happier with riding for 3 to 4 hours and having a slightly longer stop.

Not really an answer I know. But maybe it is a little bit chicken and egg - decide how often you want to stop, and then train to ride in that style.

But do be clear that every stop is time not putting the miles in, and they have this habit of becoming festivals of faffing about and a short stop has suddenly turned into 20 minutes. Be very disciplined in knowing what you need to achieve at each stop; make a mental list in the last few miles before a stop (I need to put on another layer, fix that squeak on the bike, have a crap, whatever - if you don't think it through and then jump on your bike without that extra layer, you will want to stop again and it is all time not putting the miles in).

(I am sure they teach you all this stuff in Marine School - so apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs)

bahzob

Steve_kay wrote:

Thanks everyone for your input. I think the biggest issue i have at the minute is my saddle. I've just bought a new one ( Selle italia Max Flite Gel Flow) and i'm waiting for it to arrive. I've also just bought a great set of bib tights for training in and they're so much more comfortable. My main sore points are my sit bones. Hopefully this is down to my current racing saddle. As regards to the bike itself, It's brand new and I plan on having it fully serviced the week before the event. How often would you recommend I stop? If I average 15 mph I'll complete the event in 23 hours and 20 minutes.

It's quite possible that it's not an issue with the saddle but how your bike is set up. Many folk assume a saddle is for sitting on like a chair and as a result set it too low down. This isn't how its meant to be and results in putting far too much weight on your backside >> sore bum + other issues like knackered knees.. What should happen is saddle is set high so that your legs take most of your weight which both results in better power and less saddle/other issues.

If you haven't already had one a good bike fit is worth every penny and really is best done before splashing out on bits of kit that won't work if bike set-up is wrong.

ednino

marcusjb wrote:

Some people prefer to ride shorter stints of maybe 1.5 to 2 hours and stop more often, but shorter stops. Others, like myself, are probably happier with riding for 3 to 4 hours and having a slightly longer stop.

For me its every 2 hours because 2x 500ml bottles won't last me much longer than that in summer

So fill bottles & pick up some more food every 2 hours. Just a quick stop unless I need a poo or wee

steve_kay

Thanks again for the responses. Yeah I agree about it all depending on how the event is set up. Unfortunately i don't know the set up of the event yet so I think I'm going to have to train for te eventually that there isn't going to be an aid station with fresh water every 2 hours. I may just carry a 3 litre camalbak on top of my 2 water bottles. Thus having to stop less often (in theory). As Marcusjb pointed out, I just need to be disciplined with how often and how long I stop for. If I train with stops being short and sweet and not very often then it'll make it much more bearable. As opposed to having long stops during training and then suddenly trying to change that routine come the event

littledove44

Get a bike fit. Its no different than making sure you have the right boots on before yomping 30 miles.
Do several 100 km rides. If you can do that the rest is just down to fuel.
If the saddle isn't comfortable find one that is.
Calculate your food and drink needs and don't skimp on them.
Don't worry about fitness. As a marine you surely can run the course carrying your bike if needed.

Best wishes.

bahzob

Steve_kay wrote:

Thanks again for the responses. Yeah I agree about it all depending on how the event is set up. Unfortunately i don't know the set up of the event yet so I think I'm going to have to train for te eventually that there isn't going to be an aid station with fresh water every 2 hours. I may just carry a 3 litre camalbak on top of my 2 water bottles. Thus having to stop less often (in theory). As Marcusjb pointed out, I just need to be disciplined with how often and how long I stop for. If I train with stops being short and sweet and not very often then it'll make it much more bearable. As opposed to having long stops during training and then suddenly trying to change that routine come the event

I really wouldn't use a Camelback for such a long ride. Chances are it will just cause you even more discomfort and just slow you up if you try to refill it whenever you stop.

If you really are worried about carrying enough fluid just attach more bottles to your bike. As well as the standard 2 fittings you can also fit another 1 or 2 inside the frame plus get extra holders attach to your saddle which will give you another 2/3.

But honestly I would be very surprised if you don't get support on an event like this, health and safety will probably make sure of that. You will need more than just water, feeding is equally important.

I would get in touch with the organisers and find out what support they are offering asap. The extremes of a support stop with food/drink every 2 hours vs no support for the whole event will have an effect on your training and planning so sooner you find out what these will be, the better.