Sportive preparation- This Sunday

eddycb7
eddycb7 Posts: 5
Hello all,

I am doing a sportive this Sunday. It is 100KM and very hilly.
I have done other 2 this year (but were not as hilly but both 100km)

On average I go once every 2 weeks for around a 60km ride.
in 2017, on strava I have done around 800KM (this does not include a session once a week on the turbo trainer)

SO:
There is a sportive this Sunday.
I took Thursday, Friday, Saturday off work.

I was thinking of 'training' for it. But I just need a bit of advice in regards to how I should do this.

I though of the following:
25KM - 90% effort on the Thursday
25KM - 90% Effort on the Friday
0KM- Not ride my bike on the Saturday

Sunday- Race day!


I know there are so many variables to take into consideration, but does this seem like the best I can do without overtraining?

Thanks, and your advice will definitely help me
:)
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Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Not sure if you are being serious or not. But if you are, there is no training you can do now which will make any difference to your performance in six days time. If you were talking six weeks time, or six months time, then obviously the answer would be different.

    Also, a sportive is a sportive, not a race.
  • Imposter wrote:
    Not sure if you are being serious or not. But if you are, there is no training you can do now which will make any difference to your performance in six days time. If you were talking six weeks time, or six months time, then obviously the answer would be different.

    Also, a sportive is a sportive, not a race.


    No need to question if I am serious or not.
    No need to take the high ground because you are some kind of well experienced amateur cyclist. But you are still an amateur .



    I just want to do the sportive as best as I can, and just asked for some practical advice in regards to what I can do in those days before the 'sportive'

    Thanks
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    You cant improve with 2 days training. All you can do is tire yourself out.

    Spend the time reading up on training plans and making sure your bike is ready to ride - and get the right kit together.

    Taking it steady and pacing well and eating and drinking as you go is your best bet.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    Not sure if you are being serious or not. But if you are, there is no training you can do now which will make any difference to your performance in six days time. If you were talking six weeks time, or six months time, then obviously the answer would be different.

    Also, a sportive is a sportive, not a race.


    No need to question if I am serious or not.
    No need to take the high ground because you are some kind of well experienced amateur cyclist. But you are still an amateur .



    I just want to do the sportive as best as I can, and just asked for some practical advice in regards to what I can do in those days before the 'sportive'

    Thanks

    Calm down mate. Like I said, there is nothing you can do which will make any difference. You've ridden less than 500 road miles this year and you haven't said what kind of weekly turbo session you put in. Your fitness is what it is, and six days of ramping up your training is just going to fatigue you at this stage, not improve you. So just ride it and hope for the best.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I love that he underlines you're an amateur mr Imposter. That'll show you....
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    cougie wrote:
    I love that he underlines you're an amateur mr Imposter. That'll show you....

    Yeah, if only I'd turned pro when I was still young enough.. ;)
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    Is this a windup?
  • eddycb7 wrote:

    Sunday- Race day!

    Jesus wept
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • Rest, eat well, enjoy yourself with a gentle stress-free spin or two. :)
    You can't gain any tangible fitness in a couple of days, but you can certainly damage it.

    eddycb7 wrote:
    Sunday- Race day!
    Good luck with that...
  • john1967
    john1967 Posts: 366
    VamP wrote:
    Is this a windup?

    Yes and not a very good one.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,802
    Big mistake - should have taken the full week off work.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Hah ... I love the indignant responses ...

    Race day ... yes indeed - I'm sure the OP needed it pointed out that it isn't a race ...

    Anyway - there's nothing you can do to improve your fitness - however, you might be able to prepare yourself for the task ahead ...

    You need a bit of experience to know how your body reacts to various training styles - IME, I find if I have a week off the bike then I'm quite stiff by the time I get back on again - and noticably slower (to start with anyway) - so I'd do a few spins - mostly low power, but with a few efforts just to keep the legs reminded as to what's expected of them - just not long enough to fatigue them ...
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Slowbike wrote:
    Race day ... yes indeed - I'm sure the OP needed it pointed out that it isn't a race ...

    Well, he did call it a race. So other than agreeing with him that it is a race (which it isn't), what else would you have suggested?
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,751
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Thanks, and your advice will definitely help me
    :)
    I'm not so sure.
  • Thanks for the responses everyone.
    Some more insightful then others.
    It will definitely help me in my race Sunday

    By looking at the responses here, I can set a clear demography of the posters.

    -In their 40s-50s having a severe mid-life crisis

    Many Thanks,

    Velociraptor
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Imposter wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    Race day ... yes indeed - I'm sure the OP needed it pointed out that it isn't a race ...

    Well, he did call it a race. So other than agreeing with him that it is a race (which it isn't), what else would you have suggested?

    Not biting?
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,751
    The only helpful advice with so little time to go is to make sure all your gear is sorted, maybe go for a few easy rides without exhausting yourself and make sure you eat properly before and get a good night's kip. As was said up thread it's too late to improve fitness but you may well damage it. Then all that remains is to enjoy the ride.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Thanks for the responses everyone.
    Some more insightful then others.
    It will definitely help me in my race Sunday

    By looking at the responses here, I can set a clear demography of the posters.

    -In their 40s-50s having a severe mid-life crisis

    Many Thanks,

    Velociraptor

    Says the man who over-reacts when given good advice.. :lol: Do you fit into that demographic then, 'eddy/velociraptor'..??
  • john1967
    john1967 Posts: 366
    I was just wondering if everybody else in the sportive realises they've actually entered a race ?
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    They will when he goes steaming ahead for the first mile, then expires in a sweaty soggy heap.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Imposter wrote:
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Thanks for the responses everyone.
    Some more insightful then others.
    It will definitely help me in my race Sunday

    By looking at the responses here, I can set a clear demography of the posters.

    -In their 40s-50s having a severe mid-life crisis

    Many Thanks,

    Velociraptor

    Says the man who over-reacts when given good advice.. :lol: Do you fit into that demographic then, 'eddy/velociraptor'..??


    I'm in my late 20s.
    Trying to conform to society after years of booze, drugs and women.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Have you considered darts as your sport of choice?
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    eddycb7 wrote:
    Thanks for the responses everyone.
    Some more insightful then others.
    It will definitely help me in my race Sunday

    By looking at the responses here, I can set a clear demography of the posters.

    -In their 40s-50s having a severe mid-life crisis

    Many Thanks,

    Velociraptor

    Says the man who over-reacts when given good advice.. :lol: Do you fit into that demographic then, 'eddy/velociraptor'..??


    I'm in my late 20s.
    Trying to conform to society after years of booze, drugs and women.

    At least you didn't waste your 20's then.
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,751
    eddycb7 wrote:
    I'm in my late 20s.
    Trying to conform to society after years of booze, drugs and women.
    I wouldn't give that lot up yet. You'll find as time progresses recovery takes longer, keeping fit can help with that.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,802
    Probably best to avoid any wanking between now and race day. You don't want to be depleting those vital testosterone reserves.
  • pastryboy
    pastryboy Posts: 1,385
    Whatever you do, don't mark it as a 'race' on strava when you upload it.

    All hell will break loose.
  • john1967 wrote:
    I was just wondering if everybody else in the sportive realises they've actually entered a race ?

    Surprised this post took that long to occur in the thread.

    How'd it go. Sunday has passed.

    In all seriousness..........lots of those events go that way. Get a bunch of "type A" folks together and a race breaks out.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    But it's still not a race
  • Webboo wrote:
    But it's still not a race

    No, it's not. And it kind of hurts the atmosphere a little when it goes too far.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,751
    Webboo wrote:
    But it's still not a race
    Yeah, but did he win?