Hows everyone getting on towards Kielder and training?

Fitness good/bad?
Nervous about distance if you've done any recent events?
Any tactics to share?

Maybe a 'cancellera' motor in the frame might help!!!

I'm just going to get a bungie cord and tie it to your bike.

Fitness is grand and distance will be fine. Just debating whether or not to singlespeed it or not.

Here is the short summary; 9 months should be plenty of trainig time – christmas, bad weather, illness = start training in March. Failed attempts at stopping smoking mean fitness not really worthy till May/June.

Been riding three times a week for 6 months but nothing more than two 1 hour sessions and a 25 miles off or 40 miles on road. Probably might be in with a chance of finishing if I was where I am now three months ago.

Did I mention I've stopped smoking… signing up was a motivation to keep trying. After 20 years that is a better result for me than winning.

I have zero chance of getting past 50m in the allocated time, so if anyone wants to buy and knows how to transfer an entry, email in profile.

I was feeling good up to 3 weeks ago, then work and an infected wasp sting on the hand scuppered two weeks, and then a car crash on Thurs has left me feeling like an elephant sat on my chest. Think I'll now be happy to finish. At least it's made bike choice easier – I'm going for full sus comfort.

p.s. tinribz – good effort with the death sticks. Any chance I can borrow a couple of those tin ribs if you're not going to be needing them?

Not great on the training front, I am still going to do it regardless if I get to the 55 miles mark then great, if I get to 65 even better and a finish will be a miracle.

Training for various reasons hasn't been as good as it should have been with less than two months to probably left it a bit late, but will give it my best shot.

was feeling positive, till yesterday at 10@kirrough where i had an absolute mare, thinking if i'm going to do it or not at the moment. Highpoint of training was coast to coast, on road in 8.5 hours.

till yesterday at 10@kirrough where i had an absolute mare,

kirro was bad for me too, i pulled out, but kielder is totally different. The routy sections are few and far between and most of it is fireroad so keeping your cadence and speed going is the challenge. The climbs are long but not too severe although there is 1 in particular which alot may walk. If you did bad at kirro dont let it put you off, kielder is a different kind of endurance challenge

Hi rad, saw you walking away from the bikewash looking a bit tired, reckoned there had to be either somthing wrong or you were lightening your bike for another lap 😉

See you at Mabie quite often so will say Hi, time you bought yourself a pumo tho 🙄

radoggair – Member

till yesterday at 10@kirrough where i had an absolute mare,

kirro was bad for me too, i pulled out, but kielder is totally different.

There is hope, you are human after all! 😆

Trekster – Member
Hi rad, saw you walking away from the bikewash looking a bit tired, reckoned there had to be either somthing wrong or you were lightening your bike for another lap

See you at Mabie quite often so will say Hi, time you bought yourself a pumo tho

It was more disappointment than tiredness TBH but as BDB said i got into Glasgow airport from tenerife at 2:40am that morning so only had enough time to go home, put stuff in car and go to kirro so had no sleep and 10 days off bike which aint a good training plan. My wrists and fingers went numb and got pins and needles so had alot of pain in that area. Think if i carried on i would of got seriously injured. Theres still plenty more events to compete for. Please say Hi, linking faces to names helps alot

P.s. whats a 'pumo'? or am i being dumb again

where is everyone staying?

I phoned the campsite and i think i've got my name down for the "spare" field that is being opened for the event but i've got visions of having to sleep in the car!! oh dear!

Id echo radoggair comments about it being totally different. Theres plenty of chance and time to eat and refuel at Kielder. Kirroughtree was really tough and even if it does chuck it down, theres not too many places where the mud will get anywhere near as bad as yesterday!

I reckon plenty of road training and you'd be fine at Kielder to be honest!

I'm not doing any training at all. I get 100 miles a week on the road commuting and average one 2 hr MTB ride a week. That should increase now that I'm moved (instead of preparing for and moving)!

Anyone want to do a Kielder ride on 24/25th??

P.s. whats a 'pumo'? or am i being dumb again

Naw, should raed pump

Still feeling like I wont finish it. Not been getting in the training I wanted to do, have been doing too many fun rides, go out for 5hours and only cover about 20miles – hike a bike and technotastic downhills does not make good training.

Eeek..getting closer isn't it. 😯

Training : Not been too bad, lots of road commuting and a few long 30 mile'ish off road rides. Was doing really good, but then got struck down with a bug just before CRC Grassington 100km (which was going to be a fitness test to see how I was doing training wise, but missed it). Trying to pick myself up again and step away from the beer and crisps. Gonna be a busy summer, lots to do, but hopefully, keep on putting in some long road miles and it'll pay off. I'm going to turn up and see how I do. If I don't finish this year, I'll be back next year.

Camping : Booked a place at the camp site ages ago. I suggest if you haven't booked a spot, you best do so quickly. I've a feeling it's going to fill up fast.

I'm really looking forward to it. Big f-off rides start again this week after a bit of an easy period after OSMM.

Long hot week at work, short on sleep and last week I managed to miss a cut off at Grassington on the long route. ended up with 42 miles in 6 hours of travelling time which was disappointing, but it was bloody awful weather and some genuinely steep (everyone pushed one hill, simply not possible to ride a good amount of it). So hopeful that with a summer of preparation I will be able to get deep into the 100 miles, and stand a fair chance of finishing even if the weather is a bit ropey.
If the weather is crap then I will struggle, a lot, but don't expect to be alone.

It'll be 'reet.

Oh it will… probably 🙂

I'll be fine. Going to be a dogs body and drink beer, I've had over 20 years if training for that.

Training going well, did 101 miles on road yesterday 70 miles round Dalby red route on wednesday and 40 odd round peak district last sunday. Couple of easier weeks now and then competing in my first ever event the Torchbearer at Bonty 24/12. Feel like i'm there or there abouts for fitness and stamina for Kielder but its the mental side that i'll have to watch but i'm looking forward to it now 😀

What Miketually said

My fitness is getting there after a really bad start to the year. I had LOTS of colds and flu, basically one after the other with Chickpox to top it all off (not much fun at 33!).

I was hoping to try set a good time but have settled for hoping to finish!!
I'm off the the Selkirk CRC marathon in a few weeks and will do the sportive and the mtb marathon so will judge my fitness after that.

Not sure how well I'll do
The current work pressures [14hr/6 days per week]are pretty much killing me meaning zero training
I should make the 55 mile point OK – whether I can do it inside the cut off time is another matter
I don't really care though

Not done as much as a I would have liked but done three / four 30 to 40 mile road runs a week for about the last 2 months. Been doing some interval training on the the exercise bike which can only help. Entered the 100k Selkirk CRC and Im looking to do that in 5hrs. The last few years have cut off to the 75k due to lack of fitness so this year I know I will complete it but hope to do a decent time. Will give me an idea as to how i'll do at the Keilder.

Im looking forward to it, not sure if I will meet the time points to continue but hoping to get round the full thing.

Just realised I havent booked anything for staying there yet – better sort something out

These are the main things i found that helped:
Don't set off fast – ride steady and well within yourself, its a very long day. Eat lots (and drink plenty too) – put something nice/ unusual in your drop bag – marmite cashews were good for me last year (my friend john went for nobbys nuts).

Training – as long as you can do about 50/55 miles in 6 (ish) hours off road you'll be fine. This was my longest training ride. I managed to finish ok and i normally ride between 2 and 3 times per week.

Try and ride with someone else – this really helps as you can chat on the way round and help get each other through tough bits.
Have a good one (i'm doing the helvellyn tri this year instead).

Been doing at least one 60+ mile ride each weekend with my mate who is also entered plus 2-3 shorter rides in the week so hope this will be enough.

Kielder is tough, and not a fast ride (or wasn't). The cut-offs seem generous before but on the day two of my fit mates didn't make the cut-offs by very little.

You can't eat enough, and even if trained some of it comes down to on the day performance. I felt pretty rough on the day but made it with a steady time. Last 8 milers were murder, and at that distance seem much more than 8. Mental toughness is key, just refuse to give in and ride through the low points. Also don't start with part warn disc pads, that really took time from me changing these.

jont I would be interested in a ride 25th but I am not at what one would call peak fitness so depends on the pace but would like to do a training ride.

I think the advice about riding with someone is good. I tried it on my own last year and bailed half way round, as much due to having got myself in a funk as being knackered. I'm sure there were people a chunk behind me who finished and I think that if I'd been riding with someone then I'd have been much less likely to bail.

So, this year I'm doing it with a mate.

And researching the correct offerings and the appropriate deity required to ensure good weather 😉

Those of you doing it singlespeed – what ratio?

double post

Those of you doing it singlespeed – what ratio?

I rode 32:17 last year.

The training was going very well, every two days, never less than 3hrs, most 4hrs plus longer rides at w/ends and really gunning it up those hills with no let up; I was feeling the strongest I've ever felt on a bike and just getting stronger and fitter and faster; it's infectious!

Now I've been off the bike for 4 weeks… no idea when I'll be back to the saddle. Physio agrees with me that after 3x sessions we should have seen some improvement, so Friday's session with be with another physio present to see if we're missing something.

See you next year.
(tear / strain of the bottom of the Lat' quad where it ties into the tendon)

Training was going well but hit a little dip, trying to get as many longer rides in as possible.

First attempt so slow and steady and hope to meet cut of times me thinks.

As rone said, mental toughness is what it's about. Just don't give in. If you're already saying to yourself that you're not going to finish then my guess is you wont.

Riding with someone is good, but don't rely on it. During last years race I started out riding with Miketually lost him around 30 miles, had a period alone, joined up with a total stranger who I to'ed an fro'ed with over the next 20, had another period alone, met said stranger again for 5 more etc, etc.

Can't see there being as many lonely stretches with so many more riders this year.

There's a down side to riding with someone too. I discovered in my two previous 12hr races that negativity can be infectious. I found myself riding with people hating the conditions and talking about quitting and my mind starts to think the same. Once away from them I focused on not quitting and just keeping riding.

I agree with MartinH, I like to deal with the job in hand and if that means being introspective and not really being social on a 12hr slog then talking/riding with people does me no good, though I understand it works for some.

Hope I wasn't too negative Martin – was enjoying it too much!

I haven't done much specific training yet but I did ride 210 miles round Northumberland the other day . . .