Will I be able to manage my first sportive?

No one will respond to this now I don't suppose. But I've been having a few nagging doubts. I'm 60 I ride about 100 miles a week. My long weekend rides are between 50 and 60 miles around the rolling rlandscape of Bedfordshire, Bucks, Cambs and Northants.

I've signed up to do the standard distance of The Dorking original next weekend. The 76 mile distance will be the longest I've ridden sinc my twenties though not much more than my average weekend ride. The distance isn't my concern its those Surrey lumps. Lethal Leith and White down that are giving me loose bowels. Box is tame compared to those.

Anyway. I've got a lot from this thread. Thanks. I hope I find a friendly group of old farts to ride with.

i reckon i will.. just gotta check the calendar etc etc, but thats most prob. a 'yes'.

You doing it fringe? i might...

or maybe the Exmoor Beast in Oct? its fun, honest.

Good work! The long one next year then

Had the same worries as you, on fathers day i competed in my first 75 miler - was basically doing the same trainning as you (2 or 3 30 milers a week)
managed it fine (with similar advice from most of the lads above)
heed all the advice posted above + two other tips i was given (if you wish) take fluids onboard every 5 miles and make sure its the right type (i was told any that end in 'ADE' eg POWERADE - they contain the right nutrients to replace lost body salts
Most of all ENJOY!!!!

Was going to reply to your question; but I note that Dave_Atkinson has already said what I was going to say! Good advice, follow it and you will be fine! Enjoy

You'll be absolutely fine.

I have a rule of thumb that in a single ride anyone can do 50% more than what they do cumulatively in a week - assuming they have been doing it regularly.

So if you are riding 50 lumpy miles a week you can do a single 60 mile ride.

As said above though it will be getting around, rather than hanging with the big dogs.

Food is more individual so you have to go with what you know. Personally I like to have small but frequent snacks, so for example wrap four or five little bite size pieces of flapjack or peanut-butter-and-jam sandwich and have one each 45-60 mins.

Talking of novice riders, one of my colleagues, a 6' rugby lad and built to suit, rode JOGLE (route) in sometimes atrocious weather with his mates after buying a bike and just a handful of training rides. They picked the wettest, windiest week in May to do it, and were going the 'wrong' way, yet they managed it in 10 days!

I took a friend out on a 110km audaux this year who'd only ever done 40km before, and he was fine: suffered a bit in the middle but was strong again by the end...

We had a couple of guys join us this year as they had Sportives coming up.
One I took out three months back hadn't done much more than 15/18 miles. Some rides later and a little input on his riding, plus correcting his awfully positioned cleats he completed a hilly 57 mile sportive (ride to the Horns)

The other one new to riding, though very fit just did the London - Paris 24 hour and rode the lot.

Quote:

Will I be able to make it around?

Yep.

Eat and drink well beforehand, little & often during the ride. IIRC reviews say the Maynard has great (real) food, see http://road.cc/20612

Pace yourself. Don't go off like a scalded cat. Sit in the wheels if you find a group to ride with.

I find this quote is coming back to me regularly, I hope it helps:

"You are better than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can."

By Ken Chlouber, founder of the Leadville 100 MTB race.

For anyone else reading, the event is on the 17th of July and entries close this Sunday (10th): http://www.readingcyclingclub.com/anthonymaynardsportive/

Oh yeah and good advice from Spicypedro: go with what you know food-wise, if necessary taking all your own gels etc. Get a good (c.50 mile) ride in this weekend (or before if possible) and then a shorter one 2 or 3 days beforehand and then do nothing other than VERY light spins and eat pasta until the big day

Good luck, but seriously you'll be fine.

Don't sweat, you'll be fine - you can *always* get round (it might not be funny or pretty but you can *always* get round).

My first sportive was the Forest of Dean Spring classic taken on with less than 2 months preparation during which time I had not one clue on how to actually get fit. I got a turbo trainer 3 weeks beforehand and thought that it would be fine.

It was painful and horrible for my riding mate (who took a bunch of abuse for being so ****** chipper) but *I got round*.

As will you.

Actually, if you've got time, try and do a 50 miler in the next day or so, then a 30 in between that and the sportive.

Personally, I think I'd have pushed my distance up a bit more before hand, but as it's your first sportive, I think you'll appreciate the sense of occasion that comes with riding a distance you've never attempted before. Also, if you're doing 30-35milers often enough, the push up to 60 on the day won't kill you, especially as you've been doing hills.

I think what can really get people is when they train for the distance but avoid hills.

I can offer a couple of tips:

1. Do a 30miler a couple of nights before the ride.
2. Get your fueling right beforehand and during
3. Go off steady. It's your first sportive. Set a time that you can beat in your next one.
4. Try and get in a group with a similar paced rider. This has always just worked itself out for me. It's easy to find people on the same pace as you and then you've got someone to chat to.
5. Make use of the feed stations but don't eat anything you wouldn't normally eat. I made the mistake of trying a cheese and onion wrap at a feed station once that repeated on me for the rest of the ride. Should have just had a banana.
6. Enjoy it. It's not a training ride and you've paid to be there. Push yourself but only in the knowledge of the sense of achievement you'll have in the end.