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by Rob Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:22 am
OK, back to that 160 mile ride again.....

Thought it might be worth discussing how to "get your head around" something like this. So to start us off I'd thought I'd share how I personally get ready mentally. Its sort of what I learnt through a decade or so of riding really long time trials (100mile/12hr/24hr), but watered down a bit, then I've managed to attach some terminology from John's spring seminar (though I'm not sure I've got it right).

Firstly I always try to aim for a nice calm morning of the ride - no last minute panics as these waste energy. This means getting the bike ready and kit all layed out the night before.

Secondly; a bit of visualisation. To be clear I don't lie in the dark listening to whale music for this (but if that floats your boat....). I'm really talking about looking very carefully at the map layed out on the breakfast table under my bowel of inorganic GM porridge. This is about getting the route clear and looking at the topology coupled with the current and forecasted weather. Where are the big climbs, where are the cross winds, where am I going to struggle (and what's my strategy to deal with that) and where are my likely companions going to struggle (so I can keep an eye on them and ride appropriately)? Which bits can we crack on for? When/where should I be eating/drinking? Are there any dangerous bits of road (to be avoided)? What are the time checks at key points?

Thirdly; once the map is in my back pocket and I'm on the way to The Square then I don't think about the ride as a whole - its too scary to contemplate. I break it down into manageable lumps. In the case of the ride in question it was all about pacing to get to the cafe in 3 hours (which means riding just below 20mph on the flat, to average 17-18mph). The rest of the ride would look after itself.

At the end of each stage there's a quick mental review to assess how we're going then a switch off from the previous stage and get in gear for the next (but no more). Its like a simple sequential Gantt chart with intermediate milestones!!!

This brings us back to the tea....... There was much discussion in the previous thread about the hydration properties of tea. To me, sitting down for 30 mins with your mates and a pot of tea between the stages is sort of a ritual and the tea itself is less about hydration and more a sort of, well I don't know the word really.. a signal, an image, a reward...? Its a sit down, relax your legs, get something warm in your tummy and get ready for the next phase. Anyway, its not important how you do it, what is important is that you celebrate the milestone and move on to the next stage.

I'd be keen to hear anybody's, but particularly John's, view on the above. How does evrybody else handle this? Why does it work (for me at least)? What can be added?

by nickb Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:17 pm
Im quite glad to see this post as I struggle on long rides mentally but ive penciled in a ride from here to newcastle a week on sat, well just to the northumberland border where my girlfriends parents live. I planned my initial route on memory map, 86mile to newcastle centre plus about 15 to final destinaion if im feeling good. Ive used the most direct route using B roads where possible. Its not an easy route to plan, some scummy areas!

Anyway ive been going over it in my head lots and figured id use main places as 'checkpoints'- Thirsk, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle. Praying for a northerly wind!

I know its nothing compared to your 160miler but i do very few long rides esp alone which is wthout a doubt that bit harder than with other riders. The good thing is i find having a destination makes the ride much easier to cope with than an epic out-and-back ride, im sure im not alone on that?

by Rob Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:24 pm
Nick,

You'll have the added psychological bonus of being treated like a hero on your arrival! Straight out rides are always more satisfying as they sound further - well they do to me anyway. Steve took the clubrun to Pateley last Sunday and did, I guess, about 85 miles. I've sometimes ridden to the Outlaws in Manchester which is also about 85 miles, but to me it feel like it should be far further. And while most of our folks just glaze over when we tell them where we've been on a Sunday, York to Newcastle (or whereever) is a feat that everyone can relate to.....

Hope you enjoy the ride.

Rob

by JohnGray Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:44 pm
I am away sunning myself on camping sites in France for the next ten days but I have printed these notices off and will have a think while sipping my cheap plonk.
In the meantime, if anyone else could kindly give some detailed accounts of how they prepare mentally for rides it would be really interesting for me to look for similarities and create ideas that we might put together for new club members.
cheers
John

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