Sean Kelly 100km - Newbie - Am I being unrealistic?

cpaul

Would just like to get peoples opinion as to whether I'm mad attempting the 100km Kelly legacy on the 30th August.

Only started cycling about three weeks ago. Was considering the Ring of Kerry a while ago but definitely wouldn't be able for that at this stage.

My longest cycles have been 22 miles and 27 miles. Most evenings I have been getting out for short 10-12 mile cycles.

Would it be unrealistic for me to upgrade from the 50km route (Kelly Cruise) to the 100km route (Kelly Legacy) on the basis it might provide more of a challenge? Should the 50km be plenty challenging for me at present?

Most of my cycling has been done on the flat also so that's something else I need to consider I suppose!

Would appreciate advice and your opinions on this.

Colin

Nietzschean

August 30th is a long way away, if you've done the 27miles its near on 50km...so won't be much of a challange getting that in. 2 months+ of practice will see you doing the 100km aslong as you stick with it, just do a spread sheet of about a 10% increase in distance week on week.

cpaul

Cool, thanks for the reply.

Already have a spreadsheet going so will look at adding 10% to my weekly distance!

DirkVoodoo

Not mad in the slightest.

My first sportive was the SK 100km "Kelly Legacy" which I remember quite fondly. I had just bought my first road bike in May and my "training" consisted of my 16km commute and about 3 trips up to the Sally Gap (round about 60km for me, each). I found the actual cycle tough, I wasn't prepared for the distance but the enthusiasm and support of your fellow cyclists in large numbers, over a beautiful and really well marshalled route gives you the extra kick in your legs. Plus, the food at the end, along with that all important certificate of achievement, makes it totally worthwhile.

It's worth mentioning that if you try and stick with a group for the entire today, it will make all your lives a lot easier. I managed to get towed along by some Comeragh CC guys for a good part of it, but the last 30km or so I was on my own and into a headwind which was pretty tough.

Do it, you won't regret it. If anything, it will fuel your cycling interest even more

FrankGrimes

What age are you, what height and weight are you, are you overweight (how much?), what's your general level of fitness like, do you play any other sports and, in my opinion most importantly of all: how determined are you - are you stubborn as a mule or likely to pack something in at the first sign of adversity?

Unless the answers to many of those is very, very negative, I'd say you'll manage to get round the 100km course. Here's a link to the elevation chart, it'll be tough but if you're determined, you'll manage.

I took a call from a similarly newbie mate 2 days before the Wicklow 200 last year having never even heard of it and got talked into doing the 100km and we added on 20km up Glencree and over the Sally Gap to boot given us 120km for the day. It hurt like hell but we did it and we ain't nothin special so if we can do it, you'd want a good reason to convince yourself you can't!

Get a decent bike and get comfortable on it (bike fit is really important when you start doing long distances) and get out there and build up to it - August 30th gives you plenty of time to do it.

cpaul

Thanks everyone - I've made up my mind - 100km it is!

Only early doors for me but I'm loving cycling so far...just sorry it's not something I thought about doing years ago - am 34 now (just)!!!

Yeah, I am about a stone overweight I'd say but working on sorting this out. I also play squash once a week so not totally unfit.

I bought my first proper bike about a month ago - Giant FCR 2.0. Am loving it - almost cycles itself...feels like cheating compared to the mountain bike I had (although I hardly ever even got on that!). Presume flat handle bars are ok for this event yeah?

unionman

Really just echoing what everyone else has said cpaul, given the time remaining to train, and your enthusiasm, I'd say go for it.

I only started doing big distances and mountains last summer (aged 39 then and overweight). I signed myself up to do the Tour of Kildare (a mostly flat 100km ride) before I even took delivery of my road bike. I did the Tour of Kildare three weeks after my first proper spin with the boardsies, up as far as Sally Gap, I think I did around 85km that day.

Now I moaned a lot and fairly creaked along the Kildare tour. The weather had been bad the day before so it was cold, into a headwind, and my confidence declined when it seemed like everyone else could go much faster than me. But when I finished (3hrs and 45 minutes later) I was exhilarated. Getting my medal and my certificate felt great (something I might have been cynical about before).

I had worried that the pain, discomfort and lack of fitness and speed would put me off ever doing anything like it again. On the contrary, while my training since has been patchy, I did the Wicklow 200 this year as planned (in 9 hours and 45 mins). I've discovered just how much further a group ride will carry you (always much further than you imagine), I've taken part in a couple of club sportives and I'm planning to do the Ring of Kerry, Tour of Kildare ( a bit faster this year I hope:o) and the Sean Kelly 160km before the summer is out.

It sounds to me like you can do it, so why not?

topper75

The SK is great. You'll love it (finishing that is, not when you are still 25k out and climbing!).

Free Tip: Be aware that Clonmel seems from the map that 2/3 of the trek are down. In fact, there is a bit of climbing going home to Dungarvan, so you are better considering yourself only half way home.

I'm mad looking forward to another 100k again this year. One of my personal highlights of summer 08.

lyders

I'm a newbie, and hopefully gonna do this event too

scottreynolds

cpaul wrote: »

Cool, thanks for the reply.

Already have a spreadsheet going so will look at adding 10% to my weekly distance!

This 10% stuff is mullarkey. Add more if you can handle it just make you rides easier. So your currently possibly doing 2 hours riding. Just ride a bit easier for 3 hours then you'll get more distance. You may need extra rest but I wouldn't worry about the 10% at all -- I'd just keep adding time

Nietzschean

scottreynolds wrote: »

This 10% stuff is mullarkey. Add more if you can handle it just make you rides easier. So your currently possibly doing 2 hours riding. Just ride a bit easier for 3 hours then you'll get more distance. You may need extra rest but I wouldn't worry about the 10% at all -- I'd just keep adding time

i know your the master of going nothing into a TOI(major props on that...), but isn't there the risk of over-use injury to the ole knee's just adding on time always?

Caroline_ie

The Sean Kelly was also my 1st sportive and I started with the 160km, did it with Dirkvoodoo, LDB. Was great

The pace of the 100 as far I could see was faily relaxed, it avoided the major climbs, so it was just ondulated.

Do the 100km without a doubt you will manage. And you have to take these randonee as a challenge, it's not fun if it's too easy!

eggie

How tough is the 160km SK Comeragh challenge? Debating whether to do that or the 100km.

scottreynolds

Nietzschean wrote: »

i know your the master of going nothing into a TOI(major props on that...), but isn't there the risk of over-use injury to the ole knee's just adding on time always?

Yeah but it's not like running there's very little strees on your knees unless your grinding or pumping all the time . Slow steady ride is all you need to do with a few hills to build up fitness.

P.S. I am the master of exactly nothing, except maybe taking the piss

Captain Havoc

I know it's getting repetitive but you can do it, maybe try joining a cycling club in your area. I know our cycling club does beginners on Monday evenings, intermediate on Saturdays and the nutters experienced on Sundays. I'm sure it's similar in other clubs.

Also if you have a nokia phone with maps, you can download sports tracker for free, here's a link to my training for the last couple of months: https://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/user/profile.do?u=jerseyeire

This has been brilliant for me as I always try and go further than the week before.

DeepBlue

cpaul wrote: »

Was considering the Ring of Kerry a while ago but definitely wouldn't be able for that at this stage.

I dunno. If you could keep up with doing roughly 12 - 18 miles per day training along with maybe a 40 mile spin on the Saturdays over the next couple of weeks you'd probably be fine for the Ring of Kerry.
I think I did a month's training last year with my longest spins being about 40 miles and got around fine. As said above cycling with a large group makes it seem so much easier/fun and add in rest/refuelling stops and it's quite manageable imo.

rottenhat

eggie wrote: »

How tough is the 160km SK Comeragh challenge? Debating whether to do that or the 100km.

It's not a killer - Seskin is pretty steep and I saw a lot of people walking it last year but you can always skip it (and you wouldn't miss much by doing so.) Powers the Pot and Mahon Falls are long and fairly steady - I found Mahon Falls a bit of a beast last year but I hadn't many miles in the legs and I don't expect to be struggling this year. I get the impression that the 100k is nice enough but a bit too flat to be truly satisfying so if you're thinking of doing the 160, I'd go for it - still over two months to buiild up to it.

Lumen

There is a big difference between what is achievable and satisfying after the event, and what is pleasurable during the event.

After suffering pathetically on the Wicklow 200, TinyExplosions told me "you didn't stop or walk on any hills, and you finished without injury, therefore the distance was fine for you".

I remain somewhat unconvinced that a leisure event should be anything but pleasant.

Nietzschean

rottenhat wrote: »

It's not a killer - Seskin is pretty steep and I saw a lot of people walking it last year but you can always skip it (and you wouldn't miss much by doing so.) Powers the Pot and Mahon Falls are long and fairly steady - I found Mahon Falls a bit of a beast last year but I hadn't many miles in the legs and I don't expect to be struggling this year. I get the impression that the 100k is nice enough but a bit too flat to be truly satisfying so if you're thinking of doing the 160, I'd go for it - still over two months to buiild up to it.

how do the climbs on it compare to our firm fav's in wicklow SG/SM/SE/Kippure?

Nietzschean

Lumen wrote: »

There is a big difference between what is achievable and satisfying after the event, and what is pleasurable during the event.

After suffering pathetically on the Wicklow 200, TinyExplosions told me "you didn't stop or walk on any hills, and you finished without injury, therefore the distance was fine for you".

I remain somewhat unconvinced that a leisure event should be anything but pleasant.

Well i guess it mostly comes down do you get enough satisfaction when you get home having done the event to justify the effort/pain of doing it? i can't say i find climbing an immensely pleasurable experience but the satisfaction when i get to the top does normally make it worth it

rottenhat

Nietzschean wrote: »

how do the climbs on it compare to our firm fav's in wicklow SG/SM/SE/Kippure?

Good question...memory is a bit hazy but I was able to carry on a conversation most of the way up Powers the Pot so that's probably similar to the Laragh side of Wicklow Gap. Mahon Falls is probably closer to Slieve Maan but it doesn't level off in the same way - I think it's steep to start with, then a little easier, then steeper again towards the end. Seskin isn't really like any of those - it's more like that brutal little climb you hit if turn right at Stepaside village (as you head out of town), pretty steep and the road surface is crap.

Anybody else with a better memory caare to chip in?

DirkVoodoo

Powers the Pot was nice and steady, with some great views. Mahon falls was a bit steeper but I seem to remember it varies gradient so there are chances to recover until the last little bit at the end. The hardest part for me was the descents, pretty tricky and the road surfaces weren't spectacular. A lot of cars passed myself and 72hundred which was a bit annoying as you were restricted in what lines you could take.

Seskin was by far the best. It's early on so there are a lot of people on it and short enough that you can blast up most of it. I remember a funny incident where a girl in Dublin Wheelers (I think) kit had a freak out and started screaming at people who came within 3 feet of her, spooked one young lad who nearly went straight into the side of me.

I would say that if you aren't fond of climbing and it is your first long event, might be best doing the 100km so you enjoy it more.

showry

Nietzschean wrote: »

how do the climbs on it compare to our firm fav's in wicklow SG/SM/SE/Kippure?

I can't speak from too much experience of the Wicklow climbs as the WW200 was my first time over them but I prepared for it on most of the Kelly climbs.
Seskin's hard, short but hard, and when you think the worst of it is over it kicks up again at the end. I'm sure everyone has a similiar local ballbreaker.
Powers the Pot is a lot like the Sally Gap, long and steady, Sally Gap's maybe a tad harder.
Mahon Falls is a pig of a climb, harder than anything I found on Wicklow tbh.
The Mámá's grand on its own but coming straight after Mahon Falls it hurts. It's long (not too long) and steady.

Op: the 100k wouldn't be beyond you. As someone else has said the 50k probably wouldn't even be a challenge to you now. There's nothing too scary on the 100k and with plenty food and a big group it should be no bother with a bit of training.

cpaul

Thanks to everyone who replied. Great to see such an active and enthusiastic forum. Can't wait to get going now!

Have just signed up for the 100k now so bring on the training