[Closed] How to get Sportive fast in 5 hours...?

Eat cake.

You're not going to get any faster in that time. Do some low-intensity work just to keep everything moving. If you want to get all professional about it, call it "tapering.

So 3 x zone 2's then? I was thinking of going balls out on Tuesday then doing the z2's.....

Plus, isn't that 6 hours? 😉 😆

I'm riding Paris-Roubaix weekend after next. I've ridden 250km in the last 2 months. It'll be fine - there's beer and frites at the end. What could go wrong?

Don't know what you're used to riding, but 100km on a road bike isn't really very much to be honest. Well, it's enough for you to feel it, and you're not likely to be the fastest for sure, but anyone with a modicum of fitness can ride 100km no bother.

Would go hard and fast for the two 90 minute sessions early in the week, and do a gentle slow paced ride for the 3hrs on Friday to ease your legs over.

Just eat cake all week and treat it as a training ride,it's only 62.14 miles 😛

I'd recommend low intensity reps, drag it out of your muscles then stop.

You'll not improve much but it will help stretch flabby muscles.

2 X 90 mins at FTP its the only way

Crikey Ap I've done more than you in March - with no riding this weekend! Wishing you all the best for the Paris-Roubaix!

Mboy, my regular ride is 70k, mid week or lunch times are 30k. But I've some plenty of 100's. it's my first actual sportive though.

i recommend starting training sooner

2 X 90 mins at FTP its the only way

As your FTP is basically the maximum power you can sustain for an hour that's not possible!

It's not gonna make any difference what you do OP, I'd just do a gentle spin with a couple of short sharp efforts.

it's my first actual sportive though.

Considering a Sportive is just a mapped out route, where you get a number and a timing chip to let you know how fast you've gone, it's not really any different from riding a normal 100K route.

I did a 100 mile sportive as my first, had never ridden more than 60 in a day before. Obviously I found it difficult, and I wasn't competitive, but I finished it.

If you want to be competitive, you're way too late to start trying. If you want to get round in a reasonable time, don't kill yourself riding this week in preparation for the ride itself, get a good nights sleep the night before, and eat plenty of pasta! 😉

Sounds like a Z2 with a couple of Strava efforts on the way njee. 😀

I can manage that. There's a strava climb on one of the short routes and flat on the other, might give those a mid z2 bash in the week and just get an 80k z2 done on Friday morning.

There I've said it - and at least one of you will see the evidence 😉

Sportive <> race. It really won't matter what you do.

Sportive <> race.

Not done many sportives, then?

Fair point Tired.

I like to give decent account of myself though. I think 3.40 in these conditions is ok. I've done 100k in 3.23 solo, so 3:40 is my goal.

I don't feel fit though. I think a good weekend of decent food and no booze will see me through to that ok.

Buy a LOT of Assos and Rapha, a healthy dose of deep section crabon fribe wheelage and a big ole bag of arrogance.

Standard issue Sportive kit.

djglover - Member
2 X 90 mins at FTP its the only way

😀

Either that, or 5 hours in the fat burning zones. It'll all have the same effect.

Well, I have been ill recently, but I did ride 20,000km last year and have ridden la Marmotte, Maratona dles Dolomites and done a lot of big riding in the Alps and Pyrenees. P-B will be a bit painful. But not as much as RvV next weekend which I've done 3 times previously.
But then I don't go on about these things a lot. I might manage 300km this week commuting to work, so I'm not that fussed.

Lol!

*is somewhat massively put to shame*

Not done many sportives, then?

But it's still not a race 😉

If in doubt....... go flat out.

But it's still not a race

It is when you go with a mate 🙂

But it's still not a race

It's a time trial really...

It's not gonna make any difference what you do OP

I disagree actually. Or at least I do if the OP is starting from a point of marginal fitness.

Back when I was fit, I'd have agreed that it makes no difference.

Now that I'm as unfit as a very unfit thing, doing a decent hard ride makes a noticeable difference (benefit!) to the next one. If that was the case, I'd be trying to do a single ride as long (and hard) as possible but giving time to recover before the event.

(I rode 100k for the first time in 6 months yesterday. It really hurt and still does now...)

You're not going to get any fitter between now and next Monday, but if you make a really concerted effort to batter yourself then you could make yourself significantly slower. For a grade A championship sportive though, prep should have started months back - maybe sack your coaching team if that's not the case.

Personally I'd now be fine-tuning details: sort the team car, some wind-tunnel testing to maximise marginal gains (the right bar tape could be worth seconds over the courts of the event) briefing my lead-out train etc.

If you haven't already done so, consider a sports psychologist, even worth a go if you're not nuts already. All these are more likely to improve your chances of medalling than any number of Zone 1A Tabitha Phosphatic interval sessions.

6 pints sunday night?

Actually, I think that no one has given the right advice yet, me included.

What you need to do for a sportive is buy a new bike - £5k should do it. Make sure it has deep section carbon rims, a very low front position and as small a saddle as possible. Then spend the whole ride on the tops because you're not flexible enough to stay on the drops 🙂

At least you'll look good!

I'd ride the most inappropriate bike you own (the SS Kinsesis?) so you have an excuse for a poor performance 😉

You should write the coverlines for those Men's Health sort of magazines OP.

This thread title screams middle-aged fitness mag.

Personally, i don't think you can get any fitter, but you can make sure you are well rested, hydrated and eat well for the remaining time.

Then have first ride at a good pace, then the following two rides just keep your legs turning over and stretch well after?

I'd personally do a fairly quick ride for the first one to waken everything up and then plenty of stretching all week, with zone two on the other two rides.

Even if you pootle at 22kph on the 3hr ride, you'll inevitably do 2/3rds distance easily so the 100km should come pretty easily.

Biggest risk will be getting swept along early on with a group that's too quick – you can think you're fine but really you're working too hard. If you are in a group, and you feel like you could drop them all without killing yourself, you're probably doing alright. If you're comfortable but getting to the front for a turn is an effort, you're probably in too strong a group. If you're falling off the back on rises and working back to them on the flat/descents, it's way too quick.

That's a very cautious approach but it will see you round. Or you know, MTFU and go balls out from the off, no guts no glory eh?

Lol.

Wwaswas you could be close to the truth - the Road bikes had to go in to the LBS this morning - possible the BB30's gone south.

Look like I'll the the SS out tomorrow which'll be my hard ride and Z2 Thurs/Fri when the bikes back.

GaryLake good advice about the group, must overcome ego if it feels a bit hard work.

Montage.

Ask yourself this:

"What would Lance do?"

Then call Dr Ferrari

🙂

Don't forget to pencil in 15 mins to shave your legs.

I don't get this place. Yesterday I was (in my view) unfairly moderated in the Chat forum and I wasn't even being naughty. Today I'm asking for sensible advice in the bike forum and a mod joins in the piss take.

wtf....

Yours

Mr sensitive.

At this stage what you eat and drink will have most effect on your performance . Assuming that you have a decent base fitness then I would keep the intensity and frequency of the rides down , any cycling you do this week will have minimal effect unless you overdo it in which case you could turn up with "heavy legs" which isn't what you want .

How good are hill climbs and would knocking out an hours worth of repeated cat 4 on an SS MTB tomorrow on lieu of a hard ride (road bike in the shop) be good?

I'd relax now and treat the sportive as the 'hard' ride.

I'd set off quick but keep the powder dry and wind it up. Actually that's silly advice, that's just what I do.

Resurrecting after linking from another thread.

So what happened to the OP? Did he buy a Pinarello Dogma with deep section carbon wheels? Did he charge from the line and get caught up in a club chain gang and blow up after 50k? Or did he smash it and win the "race"?

@Krypton - you've been told already, take it fairly easy. It's too late to do anything except blow yourself up. At this stage it's about tactics for the event as per post on which group or not to be in. I'd also suggest the bike gets a good check over and ride after coming back from the LBS.

Sportive

Means fit blindfold and earmuffs

Go balls to the wall for first 30 minutes - explode and grovel for the rest. Seemsto be what happens at any sportive ive been too . Just end up riding off the front till the idiots are dropped then ease up into a group that looks safe.