Never done more than 55km before, is 130km too much

rich.d.berry

I'm taking part in a sponsored ride (Mondello Cycle Challenge: Round the World in one day) on the 21st, only 8 days away, and I'm trying to set myself an attainable goal. I'm thinking 30 laps around Mondello at 3.5 km per lap (105km) in the allotted 6 hours. I will also be cycling 12.5 km from home (Newbridge) to the track and and back after. That's a total of 130 km.

I'm wanting to give the option to my friends and family to sponsor me based on the number of laps I complete. If I don't complete my goal distance then I will refund the sponsor the difference. For example, if I complete 20 laps having set a target of 30 laps then someone who sponsored me 25c per lap will get €2.50 back from my pocket after initially sponsoring me €7.50. However, if I exceed my goal then I will collect more money from them in sponsorship, so 2 additional laps will earn an extra 50c.

My concern though is that I've set my sights too high. I do 100 km a week commuting but the furthest I've ever been in a single outing was a 55 km group spin at around 25km/h. I found that bearable but 2 and a half hours in the saddle (cycled to and from the meeting spot too) felt as if I was reaching my limit and I really started battling on the hills towards the end. I do a 40 km plus spin at least once a week, though I tend to average around 23 km/h on my own.

So, to achieve my goal, if my maths is correct I would have to average 17.5 km/h to complete 30 laps in 6 hours. My current planning goes something like this:

Time Elapsed time Laps Distance Speed (km/h) Remarks
10:00:00 Start
10:25:00 25 3 10.5 25.2 Complete 10.5 km
10:30:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
11:00:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 21 km
11:05:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
11:35:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 31.5 km
11:40:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
12:10:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 42 km
12:15:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
12:45:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 52.5 km
13:50:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
13:20:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 63 km
13:35:00 15 0 0 0 Rest and lunch
13:55:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 70 km
14:00:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
14:20:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 77 km
14:25:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
14:45:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 84 km
14:50:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
15:10:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 91 km
15:15:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
15:35:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 98 km
15:40:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
16:00:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 105 km

During the rest stops I'll snack and take on fluids. I will also have a water bottle in the bike bottle cage.

Do you experienced long-distance guys think my current fitness and endurance levels will make this achievable? Further limiting factors are that I am 48 years old and about 10 - 15 kg overweight. I've been for a recent medical and my blood pressure and resting heart rate are both down since I started cycling regularly in April last year.

sidewaysdrivin

sounds a bit ambitious but the breaks will help no doubt, your group outing of 55k was there steep uphills? mondello is fairly well off in that theres no real steep inclines...

keep blood sugars up, bananna's are good for this, a drop of original lucosade i find helps me when im totally burned out, its pretty much glucose

rich.d.berry

There were a few steep climbs but relatively short. The worst though was the wind. For most of the time we were cycling into a 15-20 km/h headwind. The return journey was a breeze, but I was quite fatigued by then so I felt the hills more.

velo.2010

Sounds fascinating! 30 laps around Mondello. Can anyone tag along on the day or is it now closed to entries?

Regarding your ability, I think your well capable of completing this event. Crucially its a circuit where your always close to support, not like being out on the road and starting to suffer far from home. Sounds like you have the day planned well. Best of luck!

rich.d.berry

The on-line registration closes on the 19th but they will still allow late registrations at the track. Thanks for the good wishes.

sidewaysdrivin

advantage to mondello in this case, you're in a circle, one half is with the wind one half without, wont fatigue you as much as constantly against going in one direction against the wind... definitely capable i reckon

Nwm2

You'll be fine.

A couple of years ago my longest cycle was 45k before I did a tough 130k in 5.5hrs including getting off the bike for food stops. Nice flat Mondello should be a breeze in comparison.

seamus

You do 100km a week total, you'll be fine, especially given the plan you've set out. A 55km hilly spin @ 25km/h is probably tougher than a flat 100km.

I've never been to Mondello, but I assume it's quite wide open, so there will probably some kind of winds that you tend to encounter in the wide open midlands. But that should balance out on the circuit, so ease up when it's a headwind, and take full advantage when it's behind.

smacl

A 55km hilly spin @ 25km/h is probably tougher than a flat 100km.

+1, although 6 hours on the saddle can be sore on the backside if you haven't done it before. A bit of chamois cream or similar mightn't be a bad idea. Going round the same circuit for that long could also be a bit head wrecking, and while I don't normally listen to music when cycling, I'd probably make an exception for an event like this.

Best of luck with it, enjoy your day, and let us know how you fared. I'm betting on > 105k on the track.

Wishbone Ash

velo.2010 wrote: »

Sounds fascinating! 30 laps around Mondello

Facinating? I'd say it would get a bit tedious after the 3rd or 4th lap.

Mycroft H

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Facinating? I'd say it would get a bit tedious after the 3rd or 4th lap.

Engage Autopilot

serendip

Take it nice and steady. There's no rush. That's the trick.

rich.d.berry

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Facinating? I'd say it would get a bit tedious after the 3rd or 4th lap.

Hopefully not. I hope that there will be so many participants that we'll be able to engage in the odd conversation or perhaps assist each other by setting up a drafting train with the leader alternating (something I've never done before but would love to try) or the mini races (I must catch that guy who is 200 m ahead), or I've just been passed - I must hang on.

If it was me on my own then, yeah, I'd die of boredom.

seve65

you will have no problem, just eat something frequently.

reallyunique

In a car that track is fairly twisty (180 turning uphill at the end of the straight) and although you'll be on a bike all the corners are designed to slow you down so you might like to consider that in your average speed calculations. Have a look at it on google maps or something to get an idea of it and there's plenty of video hanging around too. Just don't be too ambitious speed wise.

Best of luck with it, sounds like it'll be a fun day

021CRETE01

rich.d.berry wrote: »

I'm taking part in a sponsored ride (Mondello Cycle Challenge: Round the World in one day) on the 21st, only 8 days away, and I'm trying to set myself an attainable goal. I'm thinking 30 laps around Mondello at 3.5 km per lap (105km) in the allotted 6 hours. I will also be cycling 12.5 km from home (Newbridge) to the track and and back after. That's a total of 130 km.

I'm wanting to give the option to my friends and family to sponsor me based on the number of laps I complete. If I don't complete my goal distance then I will refund the sponsor the difference. For example, if I complete 20 laps having set a target of 30 laps then someone who sponsored me 25c per lap will get €2.50 back from my pocket after initially sponsoring me €7.50. However, if I exceed my goal then I will collect more money from them in sponsorship, so 2 additional laps will earn an extra 50c.

My concern though is that I've set my sights too high. I do 100 km a week commuting but the furthest I've ever been in a single outing was a 55 km group spin at around 25km/h. I found that bearable but 2 and a half hours in the saddle (cycled to and from the meeting spot too) felt as if I was reaching my limit and I really started battling on the hills towards the end. I do a 40 km plus spin at least once a week, though I tend to average around 23 km/h on my own.

So, to achieve my goal, if my maths is correct I would have to average 17.5 km/h to complete 30 laps in 6 hours. My current planning goes something like this:

Time Elapsed time Laps Distance Speed (km/h) Remarks
10:00:00 Start
10:25:00 25 3 10.5 25.2 Complete 10.5 km
10:30:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
11:00:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 21 km
11:05:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
11:35:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 31.5 km
11:40:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
12:10:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 42 km
12:15:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
12:45:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 52.5 km
13:50:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
13:20:00 30 3 10.5 21 Complete 63 km
13:35:00 15 0 0 0 Rest and lunch
13:55:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 70 km
14:00:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
14:20:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 77 km
14:25:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
14:45:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 84 km
14:50:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
15:10:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 91 km
15:15:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
15:35:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 98 km
15:40:00 5 0 0 0 Rest
16:00:00 20 2 7 21 Complete 105 km

During the rest stops I'll snack and take on fluids. I will also have a water bottle in the bike bottle cage.

Do you experienced long-distance guys think my current fitness and endurance levels will make this achievable? Further limiting factors are that I am 48 years old and about 10 - 15 kg overweight. I've been for a recent medical and my blood pressure and resting heart rate are both down since I started cycling regularly in April last year.

You will do this no problem.Just pace yourself nicely for the first few laps and adjust your speed if you have to as you go along.Stay within your limits and don't get over anxious.You will probably finish it a lot faster than you thought anyway as the atmosphere on the day always helps.Just remember again --- PACE YOURSELF & GOOD LUCK

rich.d.berry

reallyunique wrote: »

In a car that track is fairly twisty (180 turning uphill at the end of the straight) and although you'll be on a bike all the corners are designed to slow you down so you might like to consider that in your average speed calculations. Have a look at it on google maps or something to get an idea of it and there's plenty of video hanging around too. Just don't be too ambitious speed wise.

Best of luck with it, sounds like it'll be a fun day

Having a look at this clip makes me think that corners will not be my biggest limiting factor, most look gentle enough to be taken at near full clip. The fact that the end of the straight is uphill will have slowed down already.

I fear that the flatness will mean that I won't be standing up out of the saddle often enough. On a long cycle I find myself anticipating the next climb so that I can stand up in the pedals and give my butt a good break. On the track it looks like when coming into the odd incline, unless I'm cranking fairly big gears (I tend to be more of a spinner than a cranker) I'd find myself in the saddle more than I'd want. I suppose I could always hope for a stiff breeze to give me some resistance as well :rolleyes:

Methinks that the Assos will be working overtime!

colm_gti

Wow, bit late to try and get involved now probably, but I'd love to give this a shot! God knows I've been around mondello in a car enough times, it'd be nice to see it from a cyclists perspective...

rich.d.berry

colm_gti wrote: »

Wow, bit late to try and get involved now probably, but I'd love to give this a shot! God knows I've been around mondello in a car enough times, it'd be nice to see it from a cyclists perspective...

No, it's not too late. You can sign-up online till the 19th and they will allow registrations at Mondello on the day, be there at, or before, 9am.

colm_gti

rich.d.berry wrote: »

No, it's not too late. You can sign-up online till the 19th and they will allow registrations at Mondello on the day, be there at, or before, 9am.

I mean more with regards to preparation and fund raising...but I might try and make a stab at it...

alexanderomahon

Contacted the organisers and they would like people to raise 100 euros, however you can turn up and pay whatever you feel is justified. The money raised is for epilepsy.

rich.d.berry

A bit of feedback on my day out yesterday.

I'm glad I had a plan for this event otherwise I would never have reached my target.

I had a short hand version taped to my stem. The wind played havoc with my average speed estimates and I was playing catch-up most of the day. I stayed out for 7 laps to start (instead of my planned 3) and managed to get slightly ahead of target. After a short break to fill my bottle and grab some energy bars I did another 5 laps and was still feeling good. After I went out again I seemed to hit a wall halfway through my planned 5 laps and only managed 4, which just pushed me over the halfway mark of my planned 30 laps. The problem was that it was already 13:04 when I finished it leaving me just under 3 hours of the 6 hour time limit to do it. At that stage I already felt beaten and was wondering whether I'd even make 25 laps.

I needed the break desperately though and my bottle was empty again. I also used the break to re-apply some chamois cream which helped to soothe my butt so that I managed to go out and do 3 sets of 3 laps without taking a proper break. Just hopped off the bike next to the track to rest my aching butt, eat a banana or energy bar and do some stretches. Those 9 laps saved the day leaving me only 5 laps short with an hour and a quarter to go. I took another 10 minute break and then went out for 3 laps at which time we were called in for a group photo. After the photo I had just over 20 minutes to complete the 2 remaining laps which I barely managed leaving only 39 seconds on the countdown.

After crossing the line I doubled back and took these two photos for proof that I'd made it:

experimenter

Well done....and fair play to you...

velo.2010

+1 Fair play! You met your goal as predicted. After 6 hours in one day you'll have to pick up the distances now each weekend.:) I think you can learn to forego some of those stops on longer spins in future by having another bottle with you and stuffing your pockets with food. Stopping and starting every so often can actually wear you out as much as if you just cruised on the bike while eating a quick snack.

Well done again.

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

Good work, well done and thanks for the update!

Eamonnator

Well done.

reilig

Well done.

Been following your thread for the last week or 2.

its a great achievement!!

C3PO

Well done .... very satisfying I'm sure!

petethedrummer

Congrats.

Did you have any proper food like a sandwich or just the energy bars? I find it's nice to have real food on a 6 hour ride rather than trying to survive on energy bars.

Seve OB

Fair play to you and well done

this seems like a cool day out, I would have loved a crack at it, shame I only noticed it now!

meercat

following this too
well done you

Tomred13

Fairplay Rich,, Keep it up dude...Get the miles in and enjoy it. you will soon be hooked to cycling for life!! Chapo

021CRETE01

"Well Done" told you so. Keep it up and good luck with your next venture!

Seve OB

After reading this thread again I have begun thinking - -- Am I mad???

My pal has asked me to do the Ring of Kerry (180k) with him this year, and I sad yes!!

I'm not so sure if I can make it!