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Will I be able to manage my first sportive?

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  • July 7, 2011 at 9:54 am #13789
    othello

    I’m taking part in my first ever sportive in about 10 days time, and to be honest I’m having a MASSIVE crisis of confidence. Will I be able to make it around?

    I’m tackling the short route on the Anthony Maynard sportive, which at 105km and plenty of climbing is perhaps not the gentlest of beginnings. But I wanted to support them and as it starts near where I live I thought it would be a good introduction to sportive events.

    I have been training for it, but not as much as I would like (isn’t that the same for everyone!). Having small children and running my own business has meant I’ve not been able to match the training programme I set myself.

    The BIG concern is I haven’t done that distance, or length of time riding before. My training so far has been:

    * A 30-35 mile ride at the weekends, averaging about 16mph
    * A turbo session during the week (using sufferfest videos)
    * A 20 mile ride in the evening during the week (again averaging about 16mph). Sometimes I do hill reps other times just a nice ride to clear the head and legs

    But I haven’t gone anywhere near 60 odd miles on a ride, so it is going to be a big step into the unknown. Should I just go for it, or am I mad attempting it?

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  • October 7, 2012 at 9:45 pm #647921
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    othello

    I reckon you will be fine
    I reckon you will be fine ribbledibble. As you say distance won’t be an issue. A ride like yours, with lumpy climbs, all comes down to recovery. Getting up the first one, then recovering enough in-between to get the next one (and repeat). Doing the miles you’ve been doing your body will be geared up enough to recover.

    October 7, 2012 at 9:05 pm #647919
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    ribbledibble

    No one will respond to this
    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.

    July 27, 2011 at 1:39 pm #647917
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    Fringe

    dave_atkinson wrote:You doing

    dave_atkinson wrote:
    You doing it fringe? i might… :?

    money down, names on the list..better get some hills in eh!

    July 18, 2011 at 1:41 pm #647915
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    Fringe

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

    July 18, 2011 at 1:00 pm #647913
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    dave atkinson

    You doing it fringe? i
    You doing it fringe? i might… 😕

    July 18, 2011 at 12:36 pm #647911
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    Fringe

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

    July 18, 2011 at 12:19 pm #647909
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    dave atkinson

    Good work! The long one next
    Good work! The long one next year then 🙂

    July 18, 2011 at 8:20 am #647907
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    othello

    Well, I did it!
    It was
    Well, I did it! 😀

    It was bloody hard, but had a really good time. I did it in a bronze time too, which I was surprised about! 5hrs 3mins, which included a puncture 100yds from the finish, so I decided to run to the line(!) and I missed a turn and did an extra 4 miles.

    I did far more climbing on the ride than I have done before, but it actually wasn’t that bad. Totally down to hooking up with people on the climbs though. On Boxford hills and Red Shute hill I grabbed the back of a 2 man group and focused on their wheels all the way up. If I had been climbing that solo I would have struggled and perhaps given up. Shows the mental strength needed, not just physical.

    Getting my first sportive out of the way has been really important. I know I can do that distance and roughly the speed, and will be tackling more in the future.

    http://app.strava.com/rides/955534

    July 7, 2011 at 10:21 pm #647905
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    viveLaPants

    Adey wrote: take fluids

    Adey wrote:
    take fluids onboard every 5 miles

    I wouldnt take fluids based on distance, better to do it on time. If its hilly 5 miles could theoretically take an hour, 15 minutes will always be 15minutes.

    And remember there will be food stops, so use to get a deserved breather and just take it easy, anyway going round with a group of riders will give you such an energy boost. Best of luck.

    July 7, 2011 at 9:34 pm #647903
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    othello

    Thanks everyone for the tips
    Thanks everyone for the tips and encouragement. I really appreciate it! 🙂

    July 7, 2011 at 8:02 pm #647901
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    Adey

    Had the same worries as you,
    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!!!!

    July 7, 2011 at 7:58 pm #647899
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    SideBurn

    Was going to reply to your
    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

    July 7, 2011 at 2:18 pm #647897
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    KirinChris

    You’ll be absolutely fine.
    I
    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.

    July 7, 2011 at 1:52 pm #647895
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    Simon E

    Talking of novice riders, one
    Talking of novice riders, one of my colleagues, a 6′ rugby lad and built to suit, rode JOGLE ([url=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=214474788446257998090.00049519a4ca607889214&ll=54.342149,-4.042969&spn=14.32884,39.506836&z=5]route[/url]) 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!

    July 7, 2011 at 1:07 pm #647893
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    dave atkinson

    I took a friend out on a
    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…

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