Just to follow on .....
As a recap : me aged 42 . I'm 6 foot 1 and weigh 112 kgs so I'm what's classed as a fat bastard .
Today I went out and did 66.5 miles in 4 hours and 5 mins at an AVG of 15.8 . 2850 feet climbing .
The first 30 miles I averaged 17.5 and didn't feel as though I was trying bit slowed anyway.
To say I'm knackered would be a fair assumption. My legs are sore but I don't have a head ache.
I couldn't do any more though . The last 10 miles were horrendous .What's made it worse is the pad in my shirts has started to rub a bit which wasn't pleasant.
Over the ride I drunk 6 bottles of various drinks from plain water to sis go (I think) . I also had three gels, one tuna sandwich, two mini pork pies and a nutri grain bar.
I don't think the heat has helped either !!
Any thoughts .
6x750ml bottles of fluid? If so, that's a lot, but then if you were out during the ~1100-1500 time window in this weather, it's not surprising.
I suspect your bike picnic could be improved, I'd be more inclined to eat a tuna sandwich and mini pork pies after the ride, but take more food that your body can quickly digest, such as a handful of Jelly Babies (one every ~20mins or so after you've been riding at a moderate pace for ~90mins). And/or replace the sandwich filling for something like sugary like jam, honey etc.
This heat combined with little wind is absolutely brutal. I horribly overslept this morning to a disgusting ~0900 after feeling like death warmed up when my alarm went off at 0530, which wrote off the prospect of any power training up hills today, again! Even with 2.7 litres of water on the bike, I'm not going to choose to go out in the "midday sun" and do a moderately paced 25-50 miler, if I've not paid to take part in a sportive/event.
Solo?
Firstly - your numbers don't quite add up - 4:05 at 15.8 is 64.5 miles. You're underestimating your overall average - 66.5/4:05 is 16.3mph which is a very decent average for solo over rolling terrain.
That said 17.5mph for the first 30 miles (1.75 hours) is pretty decent speed, to sustain that extra 1.2mph takes quite a lot more effort and I'm not surprised if that wasn't sustainable and you suffered later. It means the second 36.5 took 2:20 = 15.6mph which is still quite decent.
I'd again come back to the ideas previous - if that 17.5mph in the first bit meant you were going too far into the red too often, then once that effort is spent you haven't got the legs to deal with the inclines in the same way on the second half. Yes, you had food and drink going in but you can't replenish the energy stores (glycogen) that you need to sustain workloads above threshold. Could you have sustained a conversation for most of that first 2 hours or so?
It's the way our systems work..... yes you did 4 hours at 16.3 average, but really you did 2 at 17.5 and then 2 at 15.5. I bet if you'd done 16.5 all through you'd feel different now - or you might have done 16.5/16.5/16.5 and then 17.5 because you still had some of that good stuff left to burn near the end, and ended up with a higher overall as a result.
Just had another look at Strava .
66.6 miles .4 hours 12 mins .
My ass was killing. Even though I have the same saddle on my road and MTB I couldn’t get comfy !
Not that surprising. You tend to sit more vertical on a MTB than on a road bike where you should be leaning towards the front - lying "along" the saddle almost. Road and MTB saddles are shaped accordingly. FWIW the pads in road short/bib-shorts and MTB liners are often different for the same reason. Of course, it's more important to find something that you, as an individual, are comfortable with but don't assume the same equipment best satisfies both roles.
I'd also echo what's been said about speed. I'd slow down a bit at the start, pace yourself to the ride in hand. If you get round a 100 miler at 15mph you'll not be last and it'll be a good starting point for improvement.
That ties in with your 15.8 average, but it also means that your second 36.6 miles took 2:28 which is 14.8mph so a really substantial drop off - and I'd expect it wasn't an even 14.8 either, (you said you crawled the last 10 miles)
So even more the perils of going too fast too soon and burning your matches
Renton, is this your ride? https://www.strava.com/activities/1751492917/analysis/5750/8829
If so, there's no HRM or power meter data, but the estimated power for your third hour was a notable increase. Considering the ride started with a ~400 foot incline including a cat4, the estimated power numbers suggest you resisted the temptation to go bananas, which is not always easy at the start of a ride if your legs feel good.
What was your heart rate. If you haven't bought a monitor yet you aren't serious about getting any better or learning what you can and can't do. They are cheap
From the info you have posted you went out too fast and were not riding at a sustainable pace. You've eaten toomuch, and yes it's hot but that's a lot of liquid.
If I get a half decent nights sleep I'll be doing a flatish 50 tomorrow setting off 9ish after 4 bits of toast and jam. I'll take 2 750 bottles and expect to take on one gel riding at around 156b pm \ 200-220w depending how I feel I may have a crack (aka burn a match) at some climbs. I'll finish around 3 to 3.hr a d depending on wind thirsty and ready for a decent lunch which will be a three egg omlete a can of tuna and a naked bar.
note I do not mention speed at all, it's basically irrelevant for training purposes. I don't even have speed on my garmjns s training profile.
God this forum is awful for trying to edot
So just as an update.....
The ride I was doing was yesterday over in Norfolk.
It was a good ride but bloody windy which sapped a lot of energy .
I managed it in just under 7 hours which for me I'm well impressed with .my legs were shot from 85 miles but I dug in and managed the full 100 (it was actually 104 😁) .
I wore some brand new Rivelo Honister shorts and used chamois cream which helped to start with bit I've still ended up a little sore. I may need to invest in a proper road saddle instead of a charge spoon .
Cheers all.
Well the big question, what did you eat?
Ah yes... I had a bottle of water with a tab in every 25 mikes .
Nothing really for breakfast 😱
4 X sis gels
1 cliff bar
2 packs of shot blocs
A few jelly babies
1 nutri grain bar
1 ham sandwich
Plus 1.5 litres of water afterwards and in the evening .
Not surprised you were goosed at 85 miles then.
Did a 60 mile ride today. Struggled the last 10 miles.
I had the following:
2 x 750 ml bottles of water with SIS electrolyte powder in
2 x SIS gels (one with caffeine)
1 x SIS energy bars
lunch which was a sausage roll and choc muffin 40 miles in (prob not the best idea!)
topped up my water bottle at lunch and put a zero tab in
got back and drank 1.5 litres of water, a SIS recovery shake and a large cup of tea.
Think I need to add some more energy gels in. They are easy to take and seem to work. Also the SIS products are horrible. Much prefer the high 5 products (got a mix pack of SIS to try). Also there shake is made with milk but the SIS one with water which isn’t the nicest.
burnt off 3600 calories apparently.
Some decent nutricious food is what you need, not more daft energy gels. And that calorie burn is nonsense too, Strava perchance? Or it's exaggerating buddy, Garmin connect?... 😊
Nobeer.... I wish I had ate more to be honest .I could have done another ham sandwich .
I also had half a flapjack 😁
Renton, think of it as a fire.
You need to get a roar on, plenty fuel at the start and then little and often to keep it going. If you try and add huge amount of fuel, you'll dampen the fire down. Wait too long and add little bits, the fires gonna die down.
I love big plate of scrambled eggs on toasted bagels and plenty coffee before I ride, I'd have less for going running, but I can get away with it biking.
Need to find what works for you mate.
The timing sucked to be honest to get anything decent on board for brekbreak .
The people doing the 100 mile ride were sat off between 8 and 9 .
I was told there would be a catering van set up doing baps etc which I planned to have as the restaurant in the hotel we stayed in didn't open until 8 .
I think in the end I had a cup of coffee and a pack of belvita biscuits. Plus a protein shake.
Well done for doing it Renton. Don't abandon the saddle yet, wearing new shorts for the ride could easily be the issue.
This thread was useful for me a few weeks ago when I decided to do The Dunwich Dynamo then ride home, 180 miles in total. My previous longest was 110 miles and I hadn't done over 65 miles in the past year. I took it easy and did many stops for proper food. Felt fine afterwards, just tired from lack of sleep.
Last weekend I did 75 miles mixed road / off-road on my gravel bike. I underfueled for that and it wiped me out for days.
Well done Renton,
You need to plan your breakfast. At worst you could have had a porridge you just add water to and throw in a banana, some nuts etc
Sounds like you just ignored all the advice <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> 😂</span>
What did you eat the night before?
And is the bike a keeper?
Thanks.
To be honest I'm sure it is the saddle as I've done rides in three different pairs of shorts and I've rubbed in the same place in all three.
Without getting to graphic it's rubbed and now sore on the bit between my sack and bum and also a bit down each leg .
Cheers damascus 😂
Bike is strangely enough a keeper .Dare I say it but despite the pain and feeling knakcered I enjoyed it yesterday .
I had a good sized fish and chips (lots of carbs then) the night before and plenty of fluids
Well done Renton. If I’m honest, that’s less than I’d eat and you are 33% more than me! Three weetabix or a large porridge is always a go to for breakfast. Very slow carb release. One gel per hour, blocks to chew, and maybe 2-3 sis bars mixed in with a banana . You did just fine.
For longer and faster rides I eat tuna and rice or cold porridge with apple. 282 miles in 12 hours is my best this year. I ate a lot!
Good work fella, I had hoped you'd post and say you'd done it...
This thread has also prompted me to look at my own routine and think more about training and diet, so cheers.
Are you planning on doing more similar rides? Or is that it for the foreseeable?
Oh and to do it in under 7 hours you'll have avg'd ~15mph so dropping the pace wasn't the worst advice... 😉
Cheers cookeaa.
Im going to carry on instead of stopping .however I need to get a few things sorted first before I attempt that sort of distance again .
I need to get a saddle sorted and also perhaps I need to look at some proper road bike shoes and pedals instead of my clumpy Shimano DX pedals and shoes 😁
We had no choice to drop the average speed... Bloody wind did that for us 👍
Well done!
If you are doing a lot of long distance road rides then it's worth getting a bike fit as you spend most of your time in one or two positions.
I think the best modification to your eating I could give from your description of what you ate is eat a big breakfast. It's far easier to eat then ride than to try to do both at once!
Sounds like you did well though, nice one.
If the food you're eating during the ride tastes pleasant to you, keep going with it. I find cake more palatable than gels, and also that a packet of fig rolls in the back pocket is easy to access on the move and quite edible.
Graeme O'bree recommended a block of marzipan on the basis that if someone launches a sprint you can put it in your cheek and carry on eating it later.
Glad to see you at least interspersed it with a sarnie.
