ROK Challenge: I'm struggling with my training...

shamwari

I'm trying to get myself as fit as I can for the ROK. The weekend before last, I covered 50 miles and am hoping to stretch to around 65 before I do the ring. However yesterday, I found doing 30 miles an absolute ordeal and headed home. I can't figure out why as I did all the correct same preparation as before. I even lightened the bike by nearly half a kilo.

Anyone any idea's what sort of distance I should be able to comfortably cover in order to get thru the ROK on the day? I'm not planning on breaking landspeed records, but am hoping to average a speed of around 20kph.

sxt

Hey ,just curious to know what preparation you did? Maybe it has someting to do with your fuel intake?

kennyb3

Maybe find someone around your area to go out with training and you can chat and you wont notice the km's go by. also swords cc have a touring section maybe look up their site. might suit you

km991148

sometimes you just hit that wall.. I have been out and after just 10kms could not face it..

Have you been eating/drinking properly?

For distance, I would try and get a 90/100 miler in before it as you still have time (next 2 weeks or so) then take it a bit easy in the 2 weeks before by maybe doing another 50 and a few shorter spins, but that would be me only and I aint done many long distance cycles so defo not the best one here to comment!

penexpers

Before I did the ROK, the longest spin I had done was 30km. I finished it in about 9 hours (including breaks). It's not a hard spin to do, lots of people do it with little/no training. I wouldn't be too worried about it - just look forward to the day and try to enjoy it.

Lumen

A comfortable 100km would give you confidence that you can do the ROK.

30 miles @ 20 kph is two and a half hours. Anything over an hour and a half and you want to be eating on the bike.

Don't panic, just take it steady with the preparation and don't let one bad ride mess with your head.

shamwari

Thanks everyone!

I've been eating plenty of pasta in the evenings, and porridge before I headed ok. I've been using Isotar in the drinks bottle and am comfortable with it. Usually eat an energy bar or a bananna en route and stop for a sandwich at around two thirds distance. The 50 mile route is up and down a few steep hills, and again these haven't been too much of a problem. Average speed is coming in at 22kph.

Yesterday I took it handy at the start, and then when I cracked open the throttle (!!) I found that the legs were like lead. Perhaps it was just a once off and hitting the brick wall. I turned back fearing I wouldn't be able to stay out. Weather conditions were actually ideal for cycling too. No sun, 16C temp and little wind and humidity.

km991148

shamwari wrote: »

I'm trying to get myself as fit as I can for the ROK.

Have you been overdoing it? any other training in between cycles or trainign every day? Rest days are also important.

Fredo

I don't know much about training but what works for me is to go out on the bike more often with less kilometers instead of lots of kilometers twice a week. I try to alternate easy rides with high cadence and ride where I'm pushing big gears. I'm sure I'm making lots of mistakes but it works for me.
I would not worry too much about average speed. As the others already said nutrition and rest are key to get quality rides.

shamwari

km991148 wrote: »

Have you been overdoing it? any other training in between cycles or trainign every day? Rest days are also important.

Doing a big spin on a Sunday, and two shorter spins (30k) on a Tues and Thurs

km991148

I guess you just had a random bad one.. as Lumen says - dont let it mess with you and get on again this weekend!

I havent been out much last couple of months, struggled to do 30km on Friday evening then done 105 on sunday (first 70 not bad) - and I eat well before it on Friday (although could just be that I was tired after work etc)..

Good luck, I am sure you will be fine!

bcmf

shamwari wrote: »

However yesterday, I found doing 30 miles an absolute ordeal and headed home.

What exactly do you mean by ordeal? Mentally your head just wasnt into it or physically you just couldnt do it?

shamwari

bcmf wrote: »

What exactly do you mean by ordeal? Mentally your head just wasnt into it or physically you just couldnt do it?

Definetly physically.....the legs felt horrible and stiff. And did so for the remainder of the day. Even out now walking after lunch, they feel slightly achey.

fenris

Do you have a cold?
Sometimes the tail end of a cold can really knock you when you are training even if you barely notice it normally.

Your training and times sound almost identical to mine, I had a day about a month ago where there was just nothing there to draw on, legs didn't feel tired at first, just incredibly heavy and eventually bone weary as soon as I started to climb, took me 3 stops to get up the hill out of Kilmacanouge normally I can do it one one go and just feel like dying!

I took a week off the bike and made sure that I was getting enough sleep and that seems to have cured it.

The only other time that I ended up like that was when I was trying to lose weight and train at the same time - got it wrong and did neither properly!

bcmf

shamwari wrote: »

Definetly physically.....the legs felt horrible and stiff. And did so for the remainder of the day. Even out now walking after lunch, they feel slightly achey.

I get that a lot myself. especially the day after a few beers/ glasses of wine. Legs feel like lumps of lead. Achey and nothing in them. They way I get out of it plenty of water and a goods night rest.

papac

Doing a big spin on a Sunday, and two shorter spins (30k) on a Tues and Thurs

That sounds grand.
I wouldn't sweat over a bad workout or two. Sometimes you have good legs sometimes you don't I have found.
If I am feeling tired/weak for three spins in succession I take a few days off and usually come back stronger.
You may be incubating a virus or something also. Whenever I get sick there's a pattern of feeling tired on bike leading up to it. Another good reason to rest if you are feeling knacked on bike.

ROK ON

OP. You will be fine.
The ROK is long but not a tough route.
With your training you will be fine.

The first time I did it I was grossly overweight, the longest spin I had done was about 90km.
I avoided all hills in training. I actually did the ROK on a heavy crossbike with knobbly tyres.
8,5hours I think of pain and fun.
With your training of three spins a week you will be well capable. Its a long enough day in the saddle but you will rarely be alone on the road.
Relax and enjoy it.

shamwari

Thanks everyone for your opinions and support. I'm gonna avoid the bike for a few days of rest and then go at it again gently this weekend, and take it from there. One way or another, I'm gonna lap that Ring in July!!

shamwari

Well, I headed out again yesterday from home, via Blakes Cross along the old N1 via Balbriggan to Drogheda, thru Drogheda and up Tullyesker and stopped at the Monasterboice Inn. The whole round trip door to door was 55miles.

Leaving aside getting a puncture on the decent from Tullyesker, I found the trip very tough. I got very tired coming home and had to dismount for a breather or two in Balbriggan and Julianstown. I had plenty of carbs before I left with two enery bars and two Power Bar drinky things (gels perhaps?) en route. Isotar was in the bottles and had another bottle of water at the Inn @ half way.

Weather conditions were perfect too with light winds and cloudy (no strong sun or heat)

A few questions from this: should I be eating more or eating anything differently? Dinner 90 mins before I left was pasta (yummy!!)

Given that the ROK is in three weeks, what should the balance of my training consist of between now and then to maximised my chances on the day? I don't care about being slow once I don't head for a shutdown little over half distance. AM hoping to manage an average speed of 20kmh on the day, and that is what I did yesterday and still had problems.....:(

penexpers

This is personal preference but I wouldn't bother with any powerbar or that sort of stuff. Usually when heading out, I bring a couple of bananas/fruit and a few biscuits (fig rolls or jaffa cakes usually) and I have two bottles one with water and one with Hi5. I'm even thinking of ditching the Hi5 because it doesn't agree with me all that well. Using this, I find I'm usually fine. I start eating after 30 minutes and try and having something every 30 minutes after that. You should also look at this thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055916892 some good ideas about some homemade alternatives to powerbar.