The Wicklow 200 (2009) Thread

victorcarrera

barrym91 wrote: »

Felt like I had bad dose of the shakes after Mann and Elliot episode. Back and neck were tense. Anybody got any tips to alleviate or lessen this problem as I get closer to the end?

Why do you think you got the shakes? Were you cold or were you in shock from overexertion? If cold simply bring a windproof mack or even a plastic bag with you on the day and use it on the main decents. If over exertion try and get some lower gearing this week and dont be tempted to burn your legs on any of the climbs. (Use your gears). Take on extra water and quality natural carbs during the week.
Here is what I do.
On the bike nutrition should be stomach friendly and non acidic eg bananas, apples, home made rice cakes, boiled jacket potatoes, cereal bars and an energy drink you are used to.
If you stop at shop go for milk, cooked chicken or ham. Work out your food rations before you start and try to stick to your plan. Dont wait until you get hungry or thirsty before taking on nutrition as its usually too late. If you feel exhausted at any stage dont give up completely, just give yourself a few minutes to recover and continue.

barrym91

I took some carbohydrate bars and gel capsules. Had enough to keep me going for bout 5 hours but last hour I ran out of fuel before Rathdrum. This was probably the problem. It definitely wasn't cold as it was a glorious day. I think you're right about the gears. Even though, I was in lowest gear going up mountains, I think I may have been in higher gears earlier on in cycle. On reflection, it might not have been a bad idea to get off the bike for a couple of minutes to get breather and short break.

Does anybody take salts while cycling because of sweating?

Raam

barrym91 wrote: »

Does anybody take salts while cycling because of sweating?

I put a small spoon of salt in each of my water bottles. Along with a sports drink, obviously

blorg

It sounds like you bonked. To be honest I don't know that multiple gels are a great idea, they are more of a quick energy boost (AFAIK, I don't use them myself) and for non-racing endurance events like this you might be better with solid food.

Replacing salt due to sweating is very important- sports drinks already have salt in them but if drinking water it is a good idea to carry a few little sachets of table salt and stick them in your bottle when refilling.

victorcarrera

barrym91 wrote: »

Does anybody take salts while cycling because of sweating?

This may depend on your normal salt intake, length and severity of spin, and temperature of the day.
From my own experience if I go over 100Km or 4 hrs in temperatures above 15C I add extra salt, zym or nuun tablet to my drink to prevent cramp.

Lumen

Regarding salts, discovered yesterday than Dioralyte Natural (3 sachets per large bottle) mixed with weak pink grapefruit squash is exceptionally tasty and refreshing.

short circuit

If you bonked .. there is only so much extra food can do .. the body can digest around 250cals/hr ... so for a 100km .. 4 hour spin .. you can utmost take onboard 1000cals. While you will be using in the region of 2500cals for the 4 hours .. The rest has to come from fat.

The faster you go, the more anaerobic you will become and end up using sugars rather than fat. The body has to be trained to become more efficient and use fat as an energy source at higher heart rates.

For the wicklow 200, your only option might be to take on board around 250cals/hr and then keep to a pace which keeps you heartrate around 60 - 70% of max HR .. or you being able to speak complete sentences without problem. This will mean you are still aerobic.

Once you bonk .. its too difficult to recover .. you will need an overnight rest if not more.

Lumen

short circuit wrote: »

While you will be using in the region of 2500cals for the 4 hours .. The rest has to come from fat.

...and glycogen stores in the muscles and liver (up to 350g and 100g respectively). However...



This is a good reason for taking it easy on the climbs in the WW200.

Funkyzeit

Looking good weather wise..

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&postalcode=wicklow&metric=1&fday=8

Beasty

Number 666!

Not sure whether to stick to the 100 (had keyhole knee surgery a couple of weeks ago to tidy up some cartilage, and although everything seems OK, those climbs in the 200 may be pushing it)

Funkyzeit

Funkyzeit wrote: »

Looking good weather wise..

http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/forecast-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&postalcode=wicklow&metric=1&fday=8

Nice one, was 'mostly cloudy' or else 'partly sunny' a few days ago. 16.5 hours of sun too, that's a good goal to set myself against :pac:

Um, silly question - I assume I'm meant to pin the number onto the front of me so whoever can read it (as in, not the back)?

rughdh

Dónal wrote: »

Um, silly question - I assume I'm meant to pin the number onto the front of me so whoever can read it (as in, not the back)?

It goes at the back. Some people put it above the pockets, some put it on with the top of it level with the top of the pockets. Of course, some people couldn't be arsed and others lose theirs at some stage during the day.

petethedrummer

Beasty wrote: »

Number 666!

Jammy Git!!! I'll give you a fiver for it.

The tax man

Just wondering if anyone has covered the route between Donard and Laragh(ish) in the last week or few days,are the road markings in place yet?

Thinking of heading to Donard via N81 and following the route towards Laragh but don't fancy getting lost. Route sheet doesn't mention a few junctions between Donard and Rathangan.

barrym91

Road markings are on the road alright. Just following the 'w' with arrows on them. You follow the road around the town of Donard. Difficult to get lost to be honest. There's signs also that take you off to the right but I presume that these are just for the food and water station that will be there on the day.

The tax man

Well I hit the road at 8.30am.Went through Firhouse-Tallaght-Blessington via the N81. Picked up the 200 route just after Hollywood,the road marker taking you back off the N81. From that marker up to Donard the road surface ain't the best in places,any potholes encountered were on small uphill drags or out in the open,clearly visable. No worries so under the tree shaded sections of road.
Quick stop in Donard to re-water(checkpoint in village clearly marked out.)
Roads out of Donard were better surface wise with a nice drag out of the village to punish anyone that stops for too long.
Most major junctions were marked fine. Some had nothing at all so I just presumed I stay on the road I'm on. Didn't want a repeat of the MB 160k. On the day they may have plenty more signs out,but driving the route a couple of weeks ago did help and I learned then to follow the TOI markings.
Got to see Wicklow's straightest road(see pic) and swiftly after that the climbing started.

First climb wasn't too bad,steep and short but legs still ok,nice descent,lovely scenery barley get time to appreciate it and BANG Slieve Maan. First time up this for me today and it took me by surprise. After the first part the view opened up to show me what lay ahead...bo**ix. The heat was starting to take it's toll so my goal was to get to the trees along the right of the road. The shade helped and let me just spin a nice easy pace while taking on food and water. Before long I was back in the strong heat but just kept pushing and finally made the top. Could've done with the water stop at the summit today. Again nice descent with good TOI cautions marked along the way.
Then along came the Shay Elliott climb. By now I was starting to question myself and was I mad doing this on my own,"yes" came the reply. Legs still hurting from SM and little time to recover I just dug in and kept peddling.
Someone here said the climb has distance markings on the road. Saw the 1k summit mark....where's 900m...800m? next marking a saw...1k summit. Someone's taking the piss here I said but eventually came across 200...100...made it. Quick couple of snaps and back down I went,again paying close heed to the TOI cautions. One sweeping left hand bend has a deep pothole right on the line you'd take so watch out.
At the bottom of that descent the 200 goes right towards Rathdrum,I hung a left to Laragh to restock on water and followed the MB route up over Glenmacnass-Sally Gap-grid lock@Lough Bray, stayed left at Glencree and down Stocking Lane.
Can't wait for next weekend.:D:D

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AstraMonti

Change of plans! I am doing it! I am looking for doing the 100 though, not strong enough for the 200.

emty

AstraMonti wrote: »

Change of plans! I am doing it! I am looking for doing the 100 though, not strong enough for the 200.

I think you will be a bit disapointed with just the 100,you are well more than able for that.Going by your performance on Saturday the 200 will be a little bit of a push but then again that's what these events are for;to push ourselves to the limit.And don't forget,you will have plenty of company out of our extended "group".There will be a lot of folks pushing themselves to the edge of their ability on Sunday-like Cadex, for instance

blorg

@Taxman- I did that route myself on the last day of the Tour of Ireland earlier this month. Nice to see the cautions are useful, honestly the level of detail those guys went to in marking out almost 1,000km all over the country was really incredible.

blorg

+1 on what emty said AstraMonti, the 100 would be no challenge for you at all. We did almost as much climbing Saturday as is on the 200 and you were not far behind at any point. I can assure you many people with far less miles in their legs do the 200 (including me my first time in 2007- it was bloody tough but I got around.)

BTW when I first did it in 2007 I was planning on doing the 100 too, it was a nice day and I decided to take the right after Enniskerry- very glad I did!

Raam

AstraMonti wrote: »

Change of plans! I am doing it! I am looking for doing the 100 though, not strong enough for the 200.

I agree with Emty.
I think the 100 would be too easy for you. The 200 would be a better challenge and you'll feel great having completed it. Sure have another think about it

xz

Did a lot of the route on Saturday, on the Martin Codyre, the only variation was the first half, from Bray, up the side of the Sugarloaf, then right onto Lugalla and Sally Gap down into Laragh, then up The Wicklow Gap, out to Donard up Slieve Maan, then instead of doing Greenane into Rathdrum, we went up the Shay Elliot, back into Laragh and back to Bray, which worked out at the same distance as The Martin Codyre original route, so we didn't cheat much, I think we did more climbing than is on the 200, and it hurt like hell, but after doing it, I'm looking forward to Sunday. The bottom of the Shay Elliot is the worsed as is the bottom of Slieve Mann, don't be fooled into going hard at the bottom of these climbs for those that haven't done them before and btw, if I can do them anyone can, I was 17st 13 lb starting out on Saturday and arrived home 7lbs lighter even though I had taken on board at least 4 litres of fluid for the day plus food, at that rate of weight loss, I think I will do it every day for a week:D

P.S. for those that don't know the route, there is a small nasty little steep climb just before Slieve Mann, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was the climb itself

petethedrummer

@AstraMonti: On the day you will be badgered into doing the 200, so just give in now.

blorg

petethedrummer wrote: »

@AstraMonti: On the day you will be badgered into doing the 200, so just give in now.

I prefer the term "supported" but your take on it is probably more accurate

petethedrummer

Cajoled.

Raam

Forced

Gavin

Shamed

The tax man

xz wrote: »

Did a lot of the route on Saturday, on the Martin Codyre,
P.S. for those that don't know the route, there is a small nasty little steep climb just before Slieve Mann, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was the climb itself

I was wondering what the MC stood for. That climb certainly warms you up for what lies next.:)
Road junctions are getting as crowded as a lamp post outside a polling station.:D

@Blorg Yeah I'm amazed just seeing the amount of work they put into the road markings. At any junction there's little to no doubt which way you go. I'd love to see how much yellow paint they went through.

@AstraMonti.Do the 200.The power of the group will get you around. That's what I'm hoping it'll do for me.:)

Nietzschean

blorg wrote: »

@Taxman- I did that route myself on the last day of the Tour of Ireland earlier this month. Nice to see the cautions are useful, honestly the level of detail those guys went to in marking out almost 1,000km all over the country was really incredible.

yeah those caution signs really made the Slieve Mann decent far more fun when i did it the other week, can just go for it till you get a caution

victorcarrera

xz wrote: »

I was 17st 13 lb starting out on Saturday and arrived home 7lbs lighter.

Well done and best of luck next weekend.
A friend of mine of similar build as yourself has just started cycling. I would be interested to know what kind of bike you did it on and what gearing you used.