How many miles?

Beachslapper
Beachslapper Posts: 45
edited October 2008 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
How many miles a week should i be doing before i tackle john o groats to lands end?


rob

Comments

  • bhm100
    bhm100 Posts: 102
    a piece of string question really... and very hard to give an answer.

    It depends how many days you plan for LeJog, how hard you go on your daily rides, if they're hilly or flat terrain, etc.

    Personally I was doing around 6-700miles a month over hilly routes. I don't think I did a single ride over 40miles but most were ridden as hard as I could go - 18-20mph avs. On LeJog I had no real fitness problems, did a couple of 100+mile days and took 10days with a couple of those being shorter sessions to allow a bit of touristy stuff.

    One thing for me was not just bashing out training miles beforehand but to get used to riding every day without running out of reserves/getting saddle sore, etc. So in the month before I tended to ride every day (25-40 miles) at a slower pace and it worked for me.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,255
    You should start the year with 100 a week and progress towards April and May to do 150-200 a week.
    left the forum March 2023
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Agree with bhm100 - depends on how many days you are planning to ride it in. I'd aim to get comfortable doing 2 days back-to-back of your planned daily average mileage.

    That said, it's the sort of challenge you can ride yourself into if you have a good (but not spectacular) base fitness, although the 2nd and 3rd days will probably be hard going.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • BillR1
    BillR1 Posts: 271
    Have you read about the guy that completed this in 2 days ????

    BillR1
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    BillR1 wrote:
    Have you read about the guy that completed this in 2 days ????
    Or even 1 day 20 hours and 4 minutes :wink:
    http://www.rra.org.uk/
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • johnbirkby46213
    johnbirkby46213 Posts: 399
    Beachslapper wrote:
    How many miles a week should i be doing before i tackle john o groats to lands end?


    rob

    I assume you have been to visit http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/links.htm
    I think you'll find that most did very little in the way of "training". Most had the intention but then things happened (as it so often does in life). Unless you live in cornwall or devon, nothing will prepare you for the awful first 2 days as you try to get away from there.
    I cycled LE to Dover and the best training I got was from loading up my panniers and cycling with them. You feel a fraud but it beats cycling without them. Base fitness is what you really need plus a few weekends where you cycle maybe 50-60 miles on each day to get the feel of daily distance riding.
    The LEJOG should be enjoyed. Whats the point otherwise? Oh yes, the route planning is tons of fun (and frustration) but be prepared for after the ride has finished. I wasn't and there was a huge sense of anticlimax the week after the trip.

    Ooops, just re read and spotted that you are doing JogLE. Well maybe you'll be fabulously fit by the time Devon and Cornwall start to rip your legs apart. :oops:
    2 minute grovels can sometimes be a lot longer..tho' shorter on a lighter bike :-)

    Ride the Route Ankerdine Hill 2008

    http://peterboroughbigband.webplus.net/index.html

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