Online training buddies for an 80 mile sportive by June

neil²
neil² Posts: 337
edited January 2009 in Training, fitness and health
Greetings,

I thought I would start a topic to try to get a few people together who are training up from a baseline to try to achieve a reasonable performance in a summer sportive.

I've been a bike commuter for years and done a fair amount of leisure riding with family - mostly cross-country (=no cars to worry about for the kids!). I've been persuaded to enter a 77 mile sportive in June to justify my new bike :wink: . My current performance benchmark is roughly 25 miles at 15 mph.

I see the target of a reasonable performance in an 80 mile sportive in June as being realistic so long as I keep up with the training. What I could do with, though, is some online training buddies who set themselves a similar target, so we can track each other's progress and give a bit of encouragement through this forum.

What do you reckon? Do you want to join in?
The Riddler
The GT

Comments

  • McBain_v1
    McBain_v1 Posts: 5,237
    I'm doing the 102 mile Cheshire Cat on 29 March and so far only average about 17mph over 70 miles or so and so I need to raise my game to avoid being captured by the dreaded 'sag wagon' :oops:
    What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!
  • lock
    lock Posts: 32
    ive got slightly differant goals,but they still involve training,i want to get my 3rd cat liscence and do the sdw under 11hrs this year,
    tony
  • pbracing
    pbracing Posts: 231
    McBain are you joking? Is the Cheshire Cat fairly flat then? (besides Mow Cop) I'd have thought 17mph was a healthy average, certainly not slow enough to get swept up :shock: I'm now worried about how much of a pro rider I need to be to do the Dartmoor Classic
    Why not? My bikes.
    Summer & dry days
    http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... /Trek1.jpg

    Wet winter days & going the shops runaround
    http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... rello1.jpg
  • yogi
    yogi Posts: 456
    pbracing:

    You'll be fine on the Dartmoor Classic, 17mph average would be pretty quick.
    http://yogi.terapad.com
  • Jonathan Mcp
    Jonathan Mcp Posts: 2,472
    McBain_v1 wrote:
    I'm doing the 102 mile Cheshire Cat on 29 March and so far only average about 17mph over 70 miles or so and so I need to raise my game to avoid being captured by the dreaded 'sag wagon' :oops:


    Is there a sag wagon on the CC? I'm doing the mid distance CC and have not done a bike ride yet this year, but been spining in the gym a lot. Might yet see you in the bus then!
  • crabstix
    crabstix Posts: 61
    Neil (squared) I have a long term goal of doing a Sportive, but as I only started cycling seriously last September, I expect progress to be slow (I am 53 this year). That said I did a hilly 50 miles in wind with an average speed of 14 mph last week, which I think is pretty good given that I had pretty bad flu a month ago. Happy to join in the online support group and work towards improvement. Seems like a motivator, so count me in. :)
  • crabstix
    crabstix Posts: 61
    double post :)
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    crabstix wrote:
    Neil (squared) I have a long term goal of doing a Sportive, but as I only started cycling seriously last September, I expect progress to be slow (I am 53 this year). That said I did a hilly 50 miles in wind with an average speed of 14 mph last week, which I think is pretty good given that I had pretty bad flu a month ago. Happy to join in the online support group and work towards improvement. Seems like a motivator, so count me in. :)

    Well, 50 miles is more that me at any speed!

    I changed my tyres last night to proper road tyres last night so am hoping that it will make a big difference. My bike is a cross bike as I want to compete in some cross races next winter and so I switched from the cross tyres to some Gatorskins.

    Have you registered for a sportive? I found that confirmation email a great motivator!
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • McBain_v1
    McBain_v1 Posts: 5,237
    Smooth tyres will make a major difference to your speed on the tarmac.

    JonathonMcp - I don't know if there is a sag wagon on the CC, but two colleagues from work are doing the CC as a training exercise (they are both Iron Man triathletes and are seriously fit) and they will be giving me static if I can't post a healthy average speed.

    Been on the turbo most nights but if anything is going to let me down it will be my sense of direction :!:
    What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    Smooth tyres will make a major difference to your speed on the tarmac.

    They'd better! My average speeds are far too far below what the regulars achieve and I consider myself pretty fit, albeit not at elite levels.

    I'll report back. Unfortunately my evening ride has just been cancelled :( so it will have to wait a few days.
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • Toonraid
    Toonraid Posts: 126
    Count me in - I am training for a 2 week tour in Italy during August where I expect to do 4 hrs/day - 6 days/week with a group and I just don't want to get dropped too often so I should really be able to do an 80 mile sportive in June.

    I started base training several weeks ago with only a couple of hourly sessions and so far have ramped it up to 5 hrs this week in zones 1 & 2 - will be adding 1 hr per week during early base and mid base which will rise to 2 during my late base in April.
  • lock
    lock Posts: 32
    yeh just entering an event really helps,last year i done the trans wales and that got my arse in gear when i payed the cash,ive done a few sportives and got a few booked in this year,but im always looking for that next goal that scares me a bit.
    tony
  • Toonraid
    Toonraid Posts: 126
    Has anyone done London - Paris, was thinking of doing it but not sure which one to enter and how hard it would be.
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    Has anyone done London - Paris, was thinking of doing it but not sure which one to enter and how hard it would be.

    I haven't but there are a few routes on mapmyride

    http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... /776097736

    http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... /676430531

    http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... /320129910

    It doesn't look too bad to me - it depends on how you split it up, I guess.
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • Toonraid
    Toonraid Posts: 126
    There are different routes provided by different organizers - looks doable and I was thinking of doing the Action Medical one which is in July with different route options.

    http://www.action.org.uk/get_involved/london_paris.php
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    Today's sorry tale. This was going to be the first ride to build up my distance....

    New tyres - check
    Route planned - check
    Spares / carbs / fluids / etc. - check

    Got 1/2 mile and was down on the tarmac on the second corner. Damage to hip, elbow, and minor damage to bike.

    I was taking it dead carefully, too. I guess that it was ice, as it was only a couple of degrees.

    These roady things are not like MTBs where you can ride a slide are they?!!!

    This means I will miss my training target for this week :(
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    Current goals:

    Last week (Mon-Sun) -
    target 70 miles, actual 82 miles
    longest ride 30 miles, actual 32 miles

    Next week (Mon-Sun) -
    target 75 miles
    longest ride 38 miles

    I'm thinking of doing some interval training as part of this. Never tried it before.

    What are your goals for this week, then?
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • pots
    pots Posts: 109
    hi
    my goal would be 50 mile ride & then a 100 mile sportive.i had a knee op last june,so i started building up my milage slowly by increasing my time by 10% each week & having a weeks recovery on the 4th week.i ride 3 times a week.20 mins to work twice, and now up to 70mins going home.then i am up to 2 hours at the weekend.my average is 12 -14 mph,but i am using a HR moniter & keeping the rate at about 120 -140.(not quite crabstix 53 ,i am 52)
    i think to be relistic,the sportive will have to wait until next year,were i think i could do a releastic time.i have entered a 62 mile ride with my son on march 1st this year,but think i may pass on this but will wait till closer the time(had a chest infection over xmas,which i just about got over & has put me back a bit)
    good luck with your goals and training
  • monkeypoo
    monkeypoo Posts: 94
    Count me in,

    I started about a month ago ( new years)

    I've got a 123km audax coming up, And i've entered FoD Spring Classic Sportif.

    Been building my self up over the past 4 weeks. Doing about 100miles a week. Did my first 100miler on Saturday too! So far training is going well, my legs are deffinatley getting stronger.

    Also want to try and train in order to get a cat. 3 license. but that's abit out of my reach at the moment!!
  • monkeypoo
    monkeypoo Posts: 94
    Count me in,

    I started about a month ago ( new years)

    I've got a 123km audax coming up, And i've entered FoD Spring Classic Sportif.

    Been building my self up over the past 4 weeks. Doing about 100miles a week. Did my first 100miler on Saturday too! So far training is going well, my legs are deffinatley getting stronger.

    Also want to try and train in order to get a cat. 3 license. but that's abit out of my reach at the moment!!
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    monkeypoo wrote:
    Count me in,

    I started about a month ago ( new years)

    I've got a 123km audax coming up, And i've entered FoD Spring Classic Sportif.

    Been building my self up over the past 4 weeks. Doing about 100miles a week. Did my first 100miler on Saturday too! So far training is going well, my legs are deffinatley getting stronger.

    Also want to try and train in order to get a cat. 3 license. but that's abit out of my reach at the moment!!

    That's quick progress! You must have had pretty good fitness at the outset. :o
    The Riddler
    The GT

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