500 Miles in 5 Days

TFC1

Hello all,

I am a relatively new road rider having got my first road bike in October after signing up for a 500 mile (supported thankfully) charity ride from Madrid to Lisbone which is at the end of May.

As we finally seem to be coming out of a really grotty winter which hasnt been the best for riding I thought i should collect some thorughts on training for the last two and a half months.

so far i have been doing 15-20 miles two to 3 times a week on an exercise bike in the house and a decent ride at the weekends. Most rides are in the 40-50 mile range but i have done one 65 mile ride. I bonked with 10 miles to go as i didnt take enought food or drink but didnt stop and got there in the end. :shock:

Average speeds on the longer rides are 13-14 mph so still not very quick but I am pretty pleased overall as I had never been on a road bike until end of October.

I am now looking to ramp up the training as the weather improves and will be on the bike after or before work as things improve as well.

Tips / thoughts etc most welcome!

Cheers

imposter2.0

One thing seems staggeringly-obvious - you need to up your game a bit (a lot). You really should be hitting bigger distances out on the roads - and a lot more often.

marcusjb

Agreed. Even on the excercise bike, you need to be doing a bit more and especially at the weekend - back-to-back rides to make sure you know what it's like when you get back on the bike after a long day.

But the most important thing to focus on is making sure that bike fits you and doesn't cause you any issues. A small niggle on a 60 mile ride can turn into a big issue on day 3 etc. After each long ride, think about what hurts and take steps to adjust your position to suit.

A relatively untrained rider with a comfy setup, who is mentally strong, has a reasonable chance of success.

meanredspider

Yes - no substitute for mileage. You don't need to have done a century in a day before the event but it would be good to have done a couple of 60-70 mile rides on consecutive days and maybe 5 days in the row of 30-odd miles each. Then, on the ride itself, pace yourself. I did the Rat Race Road Trip last spring (440 miles in 4 days) and the guys that were struggling on the last day were the guys that went too quickly on the first couple of days. I set myself a heart rate limit of 70% and rode to that regardless of what anybody else was doing. And you've already learned the lesson about eating - small and often is the trick. Eating a good breakfast too - which can be more difficult than you think: cheese, ham and fruit that you might get in Iberia isn't ideal fuel for the day. Some instant style porridge in your luggage isn't a bad idea: Sky Pro cycling team take porridge with them when racing abroad. Good luck

borisface

Depending on the route that you are going to take, this could be seriously mountainous. Back to back 100m days with 2-3km vertical climbing will need some proper fitness. Good luck.

TFC1

Cheers for that. I have done a 50 mile and then a 40 mile in two days and that didnt feel too bad. Looking to start upping my distances and do a lot more on the bike midweek from now on. Two and a half months to go so plenty of training will hopefully see me OK.

PompeyPaul

And in ALL weathers 100 miles in the rain a different prospect to a dry 100.

Remember recovery for the next days starts the during the day befores ride.

Tjgoodhew

I am trying to up my distance - not to do what you are doing but i want to be comfortabely riding centuries when the summer kicks in.

From somebody that isnt too far above the level you are at currently you really need to ride more and ride longer distances.

I found the difference between 40 miles and 75 miles quite a big step so i imagine the step up to 100 is even more of a challenge.

dennisn

FWIW riding 100 miles, for most riders, is definitely a days work and can take even fairly fit riders somewhere in the neighborhood of 5, or more, hours to complete. After which, most of them will be glad it's over. Trying to do it 5 days in a row is quite a challenge. I honestly don't think you have been riding long enough to tackle something like this. At least it's "supported" and the option of sagging on a bad day or two(and you will have them) is always there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dissuade you from cycling but you have bit off an awfully big chunk of riding for you skill and fitness level. Good luck.

ai_1

dennisn wrote:

FWIW riding 100 miles, for most riders, is definitely a days work and can take even fairly fit riders somewhere in the neighborhood of 5, or more, hours to complete. After which, most of them will be glad it's over. Trying to do it 5 days in a row is quite a challenge. I honestly don't think you have been riding long enough to tackle something like this. At least it's "supported" and the option of sagging on a bad day or two(and you will have them) is always there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dissuade you from cycling but you have bit off an awfully big chunk of riding for you skill and fitness level. Good luck.

While I agree that 100 miles a day for 5 days is a lot to take on, it's not necessarily equivalent to 5 x 100 mile sportives or hard training rides. Depending on how it's organised and the ability of the other riders it may be quite do-able. Yes, some riders might do a 100 mile ride in 5hrs but if it's not a race and it's just about completing the distance then it becomes purely about endurance. The pace can be kept slow and regular breaks for food or a stretch will make things somewhat easier. Also I don't see the OPs age mentioned. That can be pretty significant!
When I was in my mid 20s I was backpacking in New Zealand and decided to take on a cycle. Myself and a friend bought a couple of very cheap mountain bikes with slick tyres and panniers, strapped 20kg of baggage on the back and cycled about 500km across New Zealand including some fairly tough hills. We took 6 days (5 days riding, 1 day off). True this is only 100km/62miles per day but it was unsupported on heavy mountain bikes with heavy baggage and was done with only 1 week of "training". It also included some pretty tough terrain - at least it seemed that way at the time. i don't know what I'd think of it now. I think my longest ride before starting was about 30km. Age makes a difference!

I reckon 100 miles a day for 5 days back to back will be very tough but if you can take your time I think it's feasible. Just make sure you don't start off fast on the first day!

TFC1

I am 41 so not quite a spring chicken. It is a ride organised by our company where a different route is done every year. There will be around 100 of us in all so all fitness levels and experience levels are covered. I am currently aiming to do the ride in the second last group in terms of pace so i certainly wont be blowing everything on day 1.

nweststeyn

dennisn wrote:

I honestly don't think you have been riding long enough to tackle something like this. .

I have to disagree. I did a similar challenge of riding 520 miles up the west coast of Scotland and then across to the east over 5 days in August 2012. I got my road bike in January 2012 and had done 3 months on a mountain bike before that. You can definitely do it, but you need to start upping your distances to get used to spending a long time in the saddle. Eat little and often, as said, and pace yourself so as not to tire yourself out prematurely. You'll manage no bother.

dennisn

nweststeyn wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I honestly don't think you have been riding long enough to tackle something like this. .

I have to disagree. I did a similar challenge of riding 520 miles up the west coast of Scotland and then across to the east over 5 days in August 2012. I got my road bike in January 2012 and had done 3 months on a mountain bike before that. You can definitely do it, but you need to start upping your distances to get used to spending a long time in the saddle. Eat little and often, as said, and pace yourself so as not to tire yourself out prematurely. You'll manage no bother.

"You'll manage no bother". :roll: Who are you trying to kid? The OP is going to do this and everyday he's going to be asking himself "What the hell was I thinking?" and will most likely tell himself, over and over, "I can't do this, I can't do this." or "Why am I doing this?" In the end he may or may not succeed but he will have questioned his wisdom in taking this venture on many, many, many times in the course of it. "...no bother" my *ss.

meanredspider

dennisn wrote:

nweststeyn wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I honestly don't think you have been riding long enough to tackle something like this. .

I have to disagree. I did a similar challenge of riding 520 miles up the west coast of Scotland and then across to the east over 5 days in August 2012. I got my road bike in January 2012 and had done 3 months on a mountain bike before that. You can definitely do it, but you need to start upping your distances to get used to spending a long time in the saddle. Eat little and often, as said, and pace yourself so as not to tire yourself out prematurely. You'll manage no bother.

"You'll manage no bother". :roll: Who are you trying to kid? The OP is going to do this and everyday he's going to be asking himself "What the hell was I thinking?" and will most likely tell himself, over and over, "I can't do this, I can't do this." or "Why am I doing this?" In the end he may or may not succeed but he will have questioned his wisdom in taking this venture on many, many, many times in the course of it. "...no bother" my *ss.

I think the distances the OP has done and the training time left will make this very doable. Over and over I've learned that we are often only limited by what we believe we can do. If, by pitching in saying he can't do it, you're trying to sabotage his ride - you're going the right way about it. Train hard, OP, then pace yourself in a disciplined way (doing hills at YOUR pace not the group's pace for instance) and you'll be fine. It won't be easy but nothing worth doing is easy.

marcusjb

Amen.

Mental fortitude will take us a long way.

If the rider is going "I can't do this" etc. as per dennisn's post, then there is a good chance of failure yes.

Never consider failure before you start a long ride, assume you will be riding the distance, but don't think about the distance. Break the ride up into small chunks - agreed stop locations with your support team and then only focus on the 25 miles (or whatever) until that sit down and a cup of tea.

I am of the belief that pretty much anyone who rides their bike, or other activity, for even only a few hours a week can ride 100 miles at a moderate pace given the right weather conditions. If you want to do it, you will. I am not saying 100 miles is not a long way, it is, but it is also not beyond anyone with the comitment mentally. Who cares if it takes you all the hours of daylight (and more?).

Now, the OP is wanting to do 5 back to back 100s - that does up the challenge and comfort and fitness become more important. Sort out comfort, in particular, and a mentally strong rider is in with a good shot. What will cause issues is if you don't have comfort sorted and you are straining a joint - the cumulative effects over the days may well take the ride completion out of your control).

There are many tales of people who've never ridden more than a century tackling things like London-Edinburgh-London (875 miles in a little less than 5 days).

If you want to do it, you have already managed to do more than half the hard work.

But, all that said, the OP does need to up their time on the bike and is hopefully doing so.

hypster

I think the training's pretty much covered but one thing I want to highlight is nutrition and the timing of it. You say you bonked on a 65 mile ride which was obviously due to lack of energy replenishment. I'm wondering with your lack of experience in cycling whether or not you realise the importance of nutrition timing.

Before the Ride

As some have said you need to make sure you have a decent breakfast before each day, porridge being a very good suggestion with maybe some dried fruit like raisins. Don't eat too big a meal before the ride though. You don't want to be getting on the bike feeling bloated with food.

During the Ride

The best way of refuelling on long rides like this is to put it in your drinks bottle. You can carry a lot more of the right type of food i.e. carbohydrate in a drinks bottle and it will be easier to digest than stuffing your pockets or carrying it on the bike. I use what has been called a "multi-hour bottle" system on long rides now whereby I put 3 times the recommended amount of energy powder in one bottle i.e. 180g and just use water in the other. That way you can plan to drink one third of the energy bottle per hour and keep topping up the water bottle as required. You can also supplement this energy strategy with solid food as well if you require. You will need to carry (or have access to) roughly 60g of carbohydrate per hour to see you through the ride. Some protein will also be useful but avoid any fats if you can. Also make sure you have decent hydration as well but don't drink too much. If you are peeing too often then you are drinking too much. Drink when you are thirsty not when you think you have to drink.

After the Ride

On a multi-day event like this, riding consecutive days, recovery is going to be very important. TdF riders pay very close attention to this factor and even though we are not riding at their level this will still be very important to you. Even if you follow a decent on-bike refuelling strategy you will still end each ride with depleted energy stores and tired muscles. It is imperative that you consume a recovery drink within the 45 minutes after each ride. This will ideally consist of a mixture of carbohydrate, protein and some amino acids to help boost your immune system and start the repair job on your muscles. I usually mix up my own but "For Goodness Shakes" make a very good product which comes in convenient sachets as powder for making up with water or pre-mixed in bottles which are available from Tescos.

I would advise you try all of this out on your coming training rides before the actual event to make sure it all suits you and you are comfortable with the strategy. Don't be afraid to tweak various parts or seek further advice because everyone is different and what suits me might not suit you. The basic energy strategy of making sure you are fuelled before, during and after a ride is fairly universal and well-tried though.

You have already experienced what bonking is like and you don't want that happening to you again especially not during the event. Having some sort planned energy strategy should help to alleviate that problem.

dennisn

To the OP. Wake up this weekend and do a 100 miler, then wake up the next day and do another. This is a little over one third of what you will be attempting. I think you'll discover a few things about yourself and your ambitions. First off, you're going to wake up after the first one and not even want to look at a bike. The thought off another 100 miler will not seem like a good idea at all and you will most likely say to hell with it.
While I agree that a bit of mental toughness is required, I think you'll find that it can literally disappear on a day that gives you nothing but headwinds all the way. And there is a good chance of that on a day or two.
Am I trying to be negative? No not really. Just realistic.
On the plus side, for me, I have found that the first couple of days are the toughest. After that I tend to start getting with the program and feeling a bit more like riding. By the end of the week though I'm definitely ready to get off that bike, eat a ton of junk food, and power down a fair share of beer.

meanredspider

dennisn wrote:

To the OP. Wake up this weekend and do a 100 miler, then wake up the next day and do another. This is a little over one third of what you will be attempting. I think you'll discover a few things about yourself and your ambitions. First off, you're going to wake up after the first one and not even want to look at a bike. The thought off another 100 miler will not seem like a good idea at all and you will most likely say to hell with it.
While I agree that a bit of mental toughness is required, I think you'll find that it can literally disappear on a day that gives you nothing but headwinds all the way. And there is a good chance of that on a day or two.
Am I trying to be negative? No not really. Just realistic.
On the plus side, for me, I have found that the first couple of days are the toughest. After that I tend to start getting with the program and feeling a bit more like riding. By the end of the week though I'm definitely ready to get off that bike, eat a ton of junk food, and power down a fair share of beer.

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of this negative approach - is it that you can't do it or failed at some point? The OP isn't doing it this weekend - he's got loads of time. He's going to be riding in a group (which, if done properly, is significantly easier) and he's going to be supported. He's got all day.

I did my first century ride on the 10th May last year. I did my 2nd on 11th May. My 3rd on 12th May and my 4th on 13th May - in total I did 440 miles in 4 days. Day 2 was across Lincs into a headwind. Day 4 was over the hills into Edinburgh. A couple of days later I headed into London and rode from London to Cambridge (in foul weather) in the middle of the night (and finished nearly an hour quicker than the next fastest person). I'm 49 years old and I weigh over 90kg. I did all of those rides "solo" (not as a bunch) with only 2 feed stops each day. Before the event the longest ride I'd done was 80 miles. Due to the evening stop locations, I struggled to feed myself properly at night and even more so at breakfast - it was far from "ideal". It's perfectly doable.

This year I'm riding up Alpe D'Huez 6 times in a day - the longest, hardest, climb I've done by a huge margin and then I'm going to do it 6 times over. I have zero track record but I know I'll do it. If I took your approach, I'd still be wondering if I could do last year's ride....

dennisn

meanredspider wrote:

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of this negative approach - is it that you can't do it or failed at some point?

EVERYONE. You, me, us, them have failed at some point in our lives. While you may not want to admit it, I'm positive that you, me, us, them(cyclists) have failed at some point, or a few points, out there on the road. I'm glad you have these accomplishments under your belt but this failure is not an option mentality is just plain bullsh*t. Failure looms out there. It has already found you, many times, in this life. Including cycling.

meanredspider

dennisn wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of this negative approach - is it that you can't do it or failed at some point?

EVERYONE. You, me, us, them have failed at some point in our lives. While you may not want to admit it, I'm positive that you, me, us, them(cyclists) have failed at some point, or a few points, out there on the road. I'm glad you have these accomplishments under your belt but this failure is not an option mentality is just plain bullsh*t. Failure looms out there. It has already found you, many times, in this life. Including cycling.

Of course - failing is part of learning. BUT you don't start out thinking "I'm going to fail at X or Y" so I'm not even going to try. There's absolutely NO REASON why the OP can't do this - it's nothing to do with "failure is not an option mentality" but is all about being positive and setting out to succeed, putting a plan in place to succeed, GETTING SUPPORT to succeed, and then giving it your all. Or, he could just say "That looks a bit difficult - I might fail - I won't even enter". The world is full of people like that who never came close to achieving their potential.

dennisn

meanredspider wrote:

dennisn wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I'm struggling to understand the purpose of this negative approach - is it that you can't do it or failed at some point?

EVERYONE. You, me, us, them have failed at some point in our lives. While you may not want to admit it, I'm positive that you, me, us, them(cyclists) have failed at some point, or a few points, out there on the road. I'm glad you have these accomplishments under your belt but this failure is not an option mentality is just plain bullsh*t. Failure looms out there. It has already found you, many times, in this life. Including cycling.

Of course - failing is part of learning. BUT you don't start out thinking "I'm going to fail at X or Y" so I'm not even going to try. There's absolutely NO REASON why the OP can't do this - it's nothing to do with "failure is not an option mentality" but is all about being positive and setting out to succeed, putting a plan in place to succeed, GETTING SUPPORT to succeed, and then giving it your all. Or, he could just say "That looks a bit difficult - I might fail - I won't even enter". The world is full of people like that who never came close to achieving their potential.

I've done a pretty good share of these type of rides and have found them to be struggles, at best. All this "no bother", "enjoy the ride", "beautiful up there in the high mountains", "should be no problem", "I did it so can you", is all macho cr*p. Climbing Mt. Evans in Colorado never made me think "enjoy the ride" kind of thoughts. Doing a 100 miler on a 100 degree day never made me think "wow, isn't this great". I hate to think of how many people do a 2 day weekend ride, 100 miles a day and never attempt it again.
I have no real problem with everyone being positive and touchy feely cuddly to the OP to encourage him about doing this, but he had better start riding, and right now, or he is going to most likely be in some sad shape the second or third day out. Even if he does finish it's not gonna be "no problem". Ask him how great it is when he's changing a flat on that 100 degree day with no shade in sight. Ask him how great it all is while he's pushing his bike up a section of road that is too steep for him to ride up. Ask him how wonderful it is when he has 60 miles to go and a cold rain is coming down.

meanredspider

Nothing worth doing is easy: you don't know your capability unless you explore the limits. The OP knows it will be tough else he wouldn't have posted. I'm sure he was looking for positive advice rather than people telling him he would fail :roll:

Do you know the good news? He doesn't HAVE to finish it. His life doesn't depend on it and if it's too tough he can just stop and get picked up by the Broom Wagon. As risks go, it's pretty benign. I still don't understand your motivation for being so negative about it...

ai_1

dennisn wrote:

To the OP. Wake up this weekend and do a 100 miler, then wake up the next day and do another. This is a little over one third of what you will be attempting. I think you'll discover a few things about yourself and your ambitions. First off, you're going to wake up after the first one and not even want to look at a bike. The thought off another 100 miler will not seem like a good idea at all and you will most likely say to hell with it.
While I agree that a bit of mental toughness is required, I think you'll find that it can literally disappear on a day that gives you nothing but headwinds all the way. And there is a good chance of that on a day or two.
Am I trying to be negative? No not really. Just realistic.
On the plus side, for me, I have found that the first couple of days are the toughest. After that I tend to start getting with the program and feeling a bit more like riding. By the end of the week though I'm definitely ready to get off that bike, eat a ton of junk food, and power down a fair share of beer.

Quite frankly your advice is unhelpful.
This sort of challenge is mental as much as physical and you seem be determined to convince the OP he's not up to it or going to hate it. Neither is likely to be true unless he listens to you in which case it could potentially become a self fulfilling prophecy. For that reason I don't believe you're being realistic and helpful, quite the opposite. The advice you're giving is rubbish too. Why would he try and do something that in many ways is harder than the final objective, while he's only half way through preparation? Just to risk injury or to destroy motivation too?
I really hope he ignores your posts.

dennisn

meanredspider wrote:

Nothing worth doing is easy: you don't know your capability unless you explore the limits. The OP knows it will be tough else he wouldn't have posted. I'm sure he was looking for positive advice rather than people telling him he would fail :roll:

Do you know the good news? He doesn't HAVE to finish it. His life doesn't depend on it and if it's too tough he can just stop and get picked up by the Broom Wagon. As risks go, it's pretty benign. I still don't understand your motivation for being so negative about it...

As for positive advice? I'm positive he's going to ask himself over and over what he's doing there, he will struggle about the idea of quitting or not. It's gonna happen and I believe you know it will happen. At least he will know what to expect. Instead of listening to everyone else on here tell him how warm, wonderful, and easy it will be.

I know he doesn't have to finish. I've known that all along. The broom wagon comes in handy, as you can call it a day and give it try again the next.

I sincerely wish him luck. The first time doing something like this can be brutal.

meanredspider

dennisn wrote:

As for positive advice? I'm positive he's going to ask himself over and over what he's doing there, he will struggle about the idea of quitting or not. It's gonna happen and I believe you know it will happen.

Absolutely not. I can confidently say that the only time I've asked myself that question was setting off on a 15-mile commute in heavy snow on my MTB which ended taking me 2.5 hours which was just plain stupid as I could have driven. I've never had that thought on any tough ride I've done - including the Strathpuffer 24. In fact, knowing that you can quit any time is a fantastic mental safety net that allows you to push on. The satisfaction as the miles rack up is fantastic.

I still wonder where all this negativity comes from - I've never come across anything quite like it.

dennisn

meanredspider wrote:

dennisn wrote:

As for positive advice? I'm positive he's going to ask himself over and over what he's doing there, he will struggle about the idea of quitting or not. It's gonna happen and I believe you know it will happen.

Absolutely not. I can confidently say that the only time I've asked myself that question was setting off on a 15-mile commute in heavy snow on my MTB which ended taking me 2.5 hours which was just plain stupid as I could have driven. I've never had that thought on any tough ride I've done - including the Strathpuffer 24. In fact, knowing that you can quit any time is a fantastic mental safety net that allows you to push on. The satisfaction as the miles rack up is fantastic.

Uh huh, right. :roll:
Why do people drop out or climb on the sag wagon in events like this if "The satisfaction as the miles rack up is fantastic."? :?

Grill

You're quite the dream-crusher, aren't you Dennis...

It really is no bother and perfectly achievable. I've done it a few times (once on my TT bike). Did it in Mallorca along with a few others in my club (who had diddly squat for base mileage). Mental fortitude is the most important part of any ride as the physical side is easy enough to overcome as long as you don't spend most of your day in the red.

@OP- Up your base mileage and get used to the saddle. There are lots of audexes out there that will help you achieve your goal.

meanredspider

So coincidentally I found this quote on a bit of cycling clothing I have:

According to Team Sky's psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters, the athlete brain is a natural habitat for Chimps and Gremlins. Both of which need management or removal if a rider is to reach their goal. The 'Chimps' are those emotional machines in our head that can cause doubts and fear to creep in. 'Gremlins' are unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that need to be removed before success can be realised. Dr Peters' job is to work with the riders of Team Sky to be sure there are no Chimps or Gremlins unknowingly signing in a race start

It seems to me that "Dr dennisn's" job is to ensure that the OP is loaded up with Chimps and Gremlins before he's even bought his plane ticket.

The people who end up dropping out simply haven't prepared themselves physically and, probably more importantly, mentally and emotionally for what they're going to do. The OP is doing that and looking for our help and he's got plenty of time to do all of these things. It seems to me that you're metaphorically slashing his tyres, loosening his QR levers and bending his rear hanger. I can't begin to understand why. Pop across to Road Buying Advice as there's a guy looking to do 350 miles in a day on there - I'm sure you could let his tyres down too because no-one else has done that yet....

dennisn

Grill wrote:

You're quite the dream-crusher, aren't you Dennis...

It really is no bother and perfectly achievable. I've done it a few times (once on my TT bike). Did it in Mallorca along with a few others in my club (who had diddly squat for base mileage). Mental fortitude is the most important part of any ride as the physical side is easy enough to overcome as long as you don't spend most of your day in the red.

@OP- Up your base mileage and get used to the saddle. There are lots of audexes out there that will help you achieve your goal.

Love your comment about "no bother".

Yes I can be a "dream crusher". You guys seem awfully worried about me, the lone dream crusher, being able to win out over all your "any macho man / tough guy can do this" thinking.

dennisn

meanredspider wrote:

So coincidentally I found this quote on a bit of cycling clothing I have:

According to Team Sky's psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters, the athlete brain is a natural habitat for Chimps and Gremlins. Both of which need management or removal if a rider is to reach their goal. The 'Chimps' are those emotional machines in our head that can cause doubts and fear to creep in. 'Gremlins' are unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that need to be removed before success can be realised. Dr Peters' job is to work with the riders of Team Sky to be sure there are no Chimps or Gremlins unknowingly signing in a race start

The people who end up dropping out simply haven't prepared themselves physically and, probably more importantly, mentally and emotionally for what they're going to do.

So, you're admitting that people do have "Chimps and Gremlins" and that they can cause people to lose sight of the goal? I thought that it was all "no bother"?

As for "...people who...haven't prepared themselves....". Gee, no kidding. :roll:

Sounds to me like you've just admitted that most people(unlike yourself) have fears, questions, and demons(if you will) lurking around them. Not acknowledging them is the worst thing you can do.

Grill

dennisn wrote:

Grill wrote:

You're quite the dream-crusher, aren't you Dennis...

It really is no bother and perfectly achievable. I've done it a few times (once on my TT bike). Did it in Mallorca along with a few others in my club (who had diddly squat for base mileage). Mental fortitude is the most important part of any ride as the physical side is easy enough to overcome as long as you don't spend most of your day in the red.

@OP- Up your base mileage and get used to the saddle. There are lots of audexes out there that will help you achieve your goal.

Love your comment about "no bother".

Yes I can be a "dream crusher". You guys seem awfully worried about me, the lone dream crusher, being able to win out over all your "any macho man / tough guy can do this" thinking.

You're 'murcan. You should be all like "go big or go home".

The human body is a wonderful machine that still surprises me to this day. A little encouragement goes a long way even if in his current state the OP is woefully unprepared.