For many reasons I've not put in the desired work rate to be where I thought I would be at this point. With a month to go, give or take a day or two, I could do wih some tips on how I can get the stamina to at least finish.

Just been out to Glentress and pretty tired after just climbing the black and having a laugh on Spooky Wood, that's only just 15miles!!

I am thinking of mixing some gym work, stepper, cross trainer and weekday rides and a couple of long bike rides at the weekend.

Any other ideas, I do feel I have left this too late but still want to give it my best shot, Sometimes real life get's in the way of training ideal's. 🙂

How about some amphetamines?

mandog – was trying to keep it clean

Forget gym stuff, you don't need strength or aerobic capacity at this time, you need the ability to sit on your bike saddle for 12 hours and not run out of energy, or give up because it feels painful. So get out and do some long long slow rides (4 hours real riding time min), and just get used to eating and drinking on the hoof.

I am trying the same thing, but for a different reason and I have taken to swimming every day, been doing it for 4 days now and the difference for me is already noticeable – I have gone from doing 60 lengths in 45mins to 74 lengths in the same time today.

Surely if you're looking to up your stamina by that much you'll have to do a shedload of long rides, getting progressively longer from where you're comfortable now to around 80% of your intended distance. Oh, and you'll need 5 – 7 days rest before the main event, so you've really got three weeks to 'get the miles in', which I'd have thought was more important in terms of building stamina than gym work.
If you can do a longish ride home from work every other day and an increasingly long ride at the weekend, say a 50, then a 60, then an 80 mile ride, that should help
Don't forget the rest days and the pasta too!

Commute to work, if its anywhere between 5 and 20 miles its worthwhile and doable.

Then try and get out on 2 big rides every weekend. Get some mates to do 40+mile loops starting about 10 miles form your house, then ride there and back and that ups it to 60miles.

7 days before the event go somewhere like the peaks and take a road bike, find the hilliest 50mile route you can and repeat it, once on the Friday night, twice on the Saturday, once on the Sunday.

No guarantees, but that got me through a 100mile sportive without dying after being off bikes for nearly 2 years.

Great feedback I will see how I can fit that in, I can see the logic just need to put it in practice. Some big miles needed in not much time 🙂 Can't beat a good a challenge though.

Comfortable at 80% distance. I don't have that sort of time. I "managed" 72 miles last weekend at Kielder over similar climbs.

As for getting fit in a month my advice would be as above really, you need to get on your bike above all else. Ride it everywhere and get a couple of good long rides in at the weekends. Be careful not to over do it though so remember to still rest as you don't want to injur yourself and not even get to the start line.

Swimming is good if you can't find the time. I've been back into it now for nearly 2 years and am just starting to get something approaching respectable times (try for 2 miles, 128 lengths, in an hour) but I only manage once a week, not the 7-8 times I did when I was competing week in week out. Still I've noticed it help my fitness, particularly my ability to work hard for sustained periods on climbs.

Planning a century on the road (NR cyclone route) next saturday morn if anyone want to join in. 6 – 6.5 hours.

What they said, do as many long rides as you can without tiring yourself out.

Am failing to see what swimming will do to help in a bike race but there you go.

Get a road bike and get the miles in. And of course get the miles in on your mountain bike also. But the body can put up with more endurance training on the road.

Don't be scared to listen to your body and take time off the bike.

Do the miles and find what food and drink works for you. Stick to the same food and drink in the event.

Get a road bike and get the miles in

or ride mtb on tarmac – it's the sustained riding – ie turning the cranks non stop – that you need. in fact it could be argued that riding your 'race bike' could be better than a roadie.

as said above a weeks rest is neccessary. try and up the milage over the next three weeks. get your fuel; food/ water etc sorted. lots of miles but also some intervals – say once a week – either on the bike or spinning or something else to get the cardio stuff.

make sure you have 1 full rest day a week and maybe a gentle day too (recovery day)

I wouldn't bother with intervals.

You may well overtrain (almost certainly if you are doing long distance rides and only having one day off a week as TT suggests) and you won't get the benefits in 4 weeks.

Just ride …lots and eat loads

eat loads

like the sound of that bit 🙂

Some good advice I will take that onboard and see what I can do 🙂