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out at dawn this morning for another 56km outdoors but now have a puncture to fix before tomorrows ride.
Moderna booster put paid to my Festive500 plans. It was like a bingo card of side effects yesterday and only starting to feel better today. Can’t be bothered trying to squeeze 500k into 6 days outside of 7-7 family hours. Next year.
Did 130k (80miles) yesterday in gopping conditions. Was hoping for a imperial ton but ran out of time. Only got a two day window next week so it’ll be two big rides 😬
Squeezed in a bonus 40km on swift today, had to use sister in law's bike on their turbo, not ideal but will probably try the same tomorrow to ease pressure next week, hopefully get outside come Monday and top up on turbo as required
Had Christmas lunch then went out on the bike up into town. Some of the central bit was quite busy - LOADS of people riding around on hire bikes. Followed the river down to Richmond and then dipped into the park through the pedestrian gates. It's quite something riding through Richmond Park in the pitch dark with nothing but a Toro on full beam. No-one around. Absolute bliss, might try that more often!
London was looking nice and festive, had a few stops for photos of the Christmas lights. Hardly any traffic and no buses so it was actually a nice relaxing ride rather than the normal London gig of constantly looking for the next close pass.
Waterproofs and winter gear at the ready for tomorrow. A camelback packed too. Taking the MTB on a 100km round loop. Mostly bridal ways and some road. 6am start...cannot wait...not 🤪🤣
santa brought the gift 'rona to chrispy towers.
all plans for the next week are pretty much null and void.
Pouring with rain.
I've gone back to bed.
another puncture/slashed tyre limited me to 37km today.
Weather was total shithouse in the NE. Went to gym instead, done 30km on peleton then weights. Decided to abstain for the 500 as this stage, given the week ahead of awful weather. Still looking to put in 3-400km in the end.
Sitting at 210km after today's 50km ride in the pissing rain so on target.
Got a 95km planned for tomorrow, I've run out of chamois cream and my bum is sore!
Forecast looks OK for tomorrow compared to the rest of the week.
Ice and snow for about 10 miles over the Carron valley road this afternoon which quickend the sphincter somewhat gave me 75 miles today, not too shabby for boxing day. I imbibed the contents of my hip flask (Green Spot) for the whisky lickers which numbed the pain, sadly it didnt warm up my freezing digits. 🙂
Now at 188km after a 70km ride yesterday morning. Full force gale for the last 10 miles straight into my face on the Angus coast 🌀🌀 Now got to withstand a longer ride with FiL where he tries to drop me on every climb with already sore legs. Still keeps me honest.
Just back from a 100km road-ish cross bike jaunt around the Peak District in proper dreich conditions, which takes me up to 290km. In a way the crap weather is a blessing as it means I'm not pining for the mountain bike too much, though I did do 20km on it yesterday.
The whole thing is intrinsically pointless of course, but it's reassuring that my long covid battered body seems to be holding up so far. Weather looks uninspiring for the rest of the week, brilliant!
Just done a few laps of Richmond Park as it was coming up to dusk. Last one was traffic free as the gates had all closed - absolute bliss! Still a few riders going around though.
Stopped off at Herne Hill Velodrome on the way back to cheer on the ten nutters who were just starting the 500-in-one-ride. Last year 2 riders did about 23hrs riding laps of the outdoor velodrome (it's about 1150 laps!), this year it's become a bit more of a thing and there was some decent support, the bar was open. Good atmosphere.
Halfway here, never done it before and it will help me tick over 5000miles for the year which is 2000 more than I've ever done previously.
It's already a PITFA but I'm into it now so might as well finish. Gonna do a couple of big ones outdoors Thursday Friday to complete it.
People say group rides on zwift make it easier but not with my attention span, each km feels like a lifetime.
224km done with 4 days left.
Driving to my sister's tomorrow and it would be regarded as bad manners to get there then bugger off for a ride. Might manage a few km later in the night once we've eaten and her kids have gone to bed. Plan is for an early spin on 29th before the kids are up and then it'll have to be two long days on 30th / 31st to finish it off.
If the weather is truly horrendous, I may just bin it off, I'm not suffering for the sake of it. Done 10 consecutive years, not got much left to prove on it to be honest!
Finished it today - due to covid positive it's all been indoors on zwift. I've also kept things in zone 1 in terms of heart rate as although my symptoms have been very mild i didn't want to tax myself too much.
Doing a group ride on a flat course or following the C pace bot then a couple of hours is about 80km then had another couple of slightly longer days while watching the cx. To be honest it didn't feel like much of a challenge this year as with self isolation I had lots of time to do it and the zone 1 didnt really add much fatigue. Of course i could have made it harder and selected more difficult routes or harder group rides but i just wanted it done as quickly and as easily as possible...
Another 105 windy km done today takes me to 415km overall. Short one planned for tomorrow as I need to appease my wife with a nice walk around Westonbirt. Should finish on 30th.
115km done today in further chilly windy conditions. The total 337km. Hoping for a solid 60-70 miles of the weather holds on Thursday then finish it off on Friday. Doing it outside is a different ordeal to inside no doubt although no matter how you manage it, it's blooming tough!
2nd ride of the challenge for me today. Bloody crap for the first 3hrs (2 of those were in the dark) Rain and wind so very cold. Was struggling to change gear at times due to numb hands.Thankfully the rain stopped and the sun came out and it made all the difference. Set off with the intention of doing the first few miles fasted then take food on as soon as I felt my energy levels drop. Amazingly I managed to do the whole ride with just water, my longest ride fasted. Today’s stats :
120miles (194km)
18.2mph av
130bpm av
220W av power
The forecast for the next two days around here is pretty dire so a 110mile ride on the 31st should see me complete the challenge.
Had yesterday off due to driving up to my sister's.
Got out early this morning. Lovely sunrise, met a mate I rode LEJOG with a few years ago and we set off for a 40-miler. Rain started. Rain got worse. Wind picked up too. It was that sort of rain that will eventually find its way past any and all waterproofing.
Mate started getting very cold and we arrived back at the start just in time for him - he'd driven out there, I'd ridden to the meeting point so we got into his car and he turned all the heating on max and we bought coffee from the local cafe. His hands were shaking so much he could barely hold it.
Before we got to that point, the ride had actually been quite fun in a sort of "well it's so ridiculous, it's funny" way. The roads were absolutely soaking, was like riding through a stream in places. Thank God for my new waterproof, there's no way I'd have survived without that.
89km today and that's me up to 313km done, 187km to go. Not sure I've got it in me to finish off to be honest. Someone tell me to MTFU...
Man the **** up!
I've bailed - rubbed raw from cycling in too much wet, missus noticed blood on my gillet and went mad.
Going out on a potter with #1 child around the local woods to get me up to 250km today after 2 days of healing. Aiming for an additional +50km to get me over the 300 on my first attempt (only managed 2k km this year so not too annoyed tbf).
Weathers been crap and I'm sticking to doing it outdoors, trying to squeeze it in with family time and days out. Thursday and Friday I'm at work from 7.30 until 5. 114km to go...
Like @bjj.andy.w I'm starting in the dark and I live nearby to him. It's a double edged sword whichever way you go round here. It's either pan flat or hills with shit covered roads!
120miles (194km)
18.2mph av
130bpm av
220W av power
Nails.
468km done now, so a club ride tomorrow will see me over the line. All done outside and whilst the weather has been decidedly soggy, it’s at least been mild. This is my fourth on the trot and has probably felt the easiest - last year I was alone and with no stops due to lockdown and it nearly broke me. This year I’ve had company and it’s made all the difference. Unfortunately my mate is a bit further back and I’ve promised to ride with him on Friday to get him the distance he needs, so looks like I’ll be nearer to 600km…
Unfortunately, getting the confirmation from a PCR test that I have COVID on the 26th, not as much of my riding has been outdoors as I was aiming for due to isolation. I've done the whole thing solo, tomorrow should be my last ride at 68km, however for my 1st attempt I'm still pleased. After tomorrow, I'll hit 35% outdoors, 65% indoors for the 7 days.
60 wet and windy kilometres today saw me over the line to complete with a total of 520km. Day off tomorrow. It felt harder this year than last, must be my age.
Well after a whole load of Other Stuff throughout the day, including trying to get a problem fixed on the car and waiting for the rain to pass over, I finally got out for a couple of hours on the CX just as it was getting dark.
The drenching the other day hasn't done the rear hub any good, can hear it starting to crunch. That's taken me to 350km so 150 to go tomorrow. I can do it, there's a decent enough imperial century loop that I know well so the plan is to go for that on the SS road bike. However I still think it's 50:50 if I complete it. If I wake up tomorrow and it's pouring with rain, I don't really feel the need to be out in it all day!
Normally I like to finish off with a ride in the Lake District but the broken car means I can't get up there. 🙁
Tried for a century to finish it off today but the whole ride was into a 20mph headwind so only managed 70 miles. 52 km left according to Strava. Got to care for my son tomorrow as my partner is at work so it's in the balance whether I can get out or not.
92km left to do tomorrow.
466 done; an off-road metric ton, a couple of mostly-on-road imperials and a Boxing Day 10 on fixed.
Will be doing no more than the bare minimum to get over the line tomorrow.
Not sure if my current fitness or more to do with weather and winter set-up on bikes, but very noticeably 5 or 6kmph slower than normal
I've given up on it. Had no enthusiasm this morning to go out into the wind and rain. 350km is OK though.
This year has been one of the lowest mileage years ever for me on Strava, will try and get back on it next year and spending most of the day slogging into the wind around filthy lanes isn't going to help with a desire to ride more!
Well done to everyone who completed! Same again next year...?
Here in Australia need to do the rides early in the morning otherwise it gets too hot.
Managed 24 miles on the way to work this morning, in the dark and rain, along flooded lanes around Wyre. Just the commute back to Longridge and I'm done! (The suns made an appearance too!)
I have about 2 miles left to 'finish' the challenge. I don't really think I have completed it as most of the miles have been on Zwift, it just makes it too easy to rack up the miles compared to riding outdoors. I was away with family over Christmas, so only started on the 28th, then had more family around on the 29th, so have really had three days of riding, which has made it a bit tougher. Did a 4.5 hour session this morning on the turbo starting at 5:30, had to stop just before 10am as the wife wanted to use the turbo at 10am. Heading out for an mtb ride this afternoon, so will get the 500km done.
I hope they stop the virtual rides counting next year - although I think it has become to much a part of Zwift for Rapha to want to stop the linkup. Maybe a Real Festive 500 and a Virtual Festive 500 are needed.
Well done to everyone who has got the distance in outdoors over the past week, weather has been pretty rubbish. I was planning to get some of the distance in outdoors, but took a look at the weather a few times and took the easy option of turning the computer on.
Well done to everyone who has got the distance in outdoors over the past week, weather has been pretty rubbish. I was planning to get some of the distance in outdoors, but took a look at the weather a few times and took the easy option of turning the computer on.
I've done all of my F500 rides outdoors, never had a turbo / Zwift setup. Wished for one a couple of times this year!
I don’t really think I have completed it as most of the miles have been on Zwift, it just makes it too easy to rack up the miles compared to riding outdoors.
Yep, whilst the turbo can be a psychological challenge (then again so is the weather!), it's made so much easier with Zwift, allowing you to average 23mph when you'd nomally be nowhere near that out on the road, particularly with the weather as it is. Suffice to say I think I ended up doing a couple if rides on the trainer a few years ago for the Festive for one reason or other, but not the whole thing. Another option wold be to increase the virtual to 600k?
Finished this morning mix of outdoors and swift to fit around family and travel. I think about 60/40 in favour of outdoors. We'd I was on zwift to try and maximise mileage Vs time, then I got off and went outdoors much more pleasant 🙂
All done 😎
437km solo outdoors
63km indoors
🍻 to everyone who completed the challenge.
Extra kudos to those who did 100% outdoors
Happy New year one and all
All of my km's were outdoors, I 'could' have done some indoor turbo sessions, and if it was icy I probably would have done, but wind and rain are not stoppers for me.
Well done to all who have finished, outdoors or in!
Just finished with a 150km ride mostly around the Cheshire lanes. I'm pretty chuffed given that 12 months ago I could barely walk for ten minutes after around 9 months of long covid. I cheated by doing around 130km of it on Zwift, but made up for it a little with a 100km Peak ride with 2000m of climbing. Normally I'm dumb enough to do the whole thing on Peak roads.
Congrats to anyone who's been out riding bikes, whether you completed it or not 🙂
All done, all outside.
Today's ride was a bit of a joyless grovel. Not helped by forgetting my water bottle and having to turn back to get it after 15 minutes. It was raining when I started off, I got my layering wrong and was overheating after about 45 minutes.
512km I total.
Glad it's all over.
Until next time.