Imminent Big Cycling Event Coming Up

[Splash]

Hello All.

Just want to let you know that the 120km cycling event I have been training hard for since mid Jan this year will occur this coming Sunday.

The event is called 'Top End Grand Fondo 2014' and the route is around the city of Darwin (Australia) with 600 riders competing. I know this distance isn't deemed a 'century' in your countries and it probably isn't really that long for most of you. But, for me - it is a start :-)

I have lost 21kg (46lbs) since mid Jan for this event via different training methods/muscle groups and refining my diet big time.

I now have very little body fat on me and my whole outlook on fitness and life has changed as a result of this journey.

I have learned just how important it is to have a goal/event to aim for when training. There have been days when I have been distracted and not wanted to train but i get on with it. Life does get in the way some times... :-)

After this event, I will be booking myself (in advance) into other various similar bike race events around the country for the next 12 months. That way, I will have key dates marked on my calendar with defined goals and timelines.

Anyway, wanted to say a big thank you to you all for helping me along this journey on all things bikes, apparel, techniques, fitness, diet, etc...

It feels good.


Splash

[FlashUNC]

Go kick ass and take names.

[shovelhd]

Good luck and ride safe.

[oldpotatoe]

Hello All.

Just want to let you know that the 120km cycling event I have been training hard for since mid Jan this year will occur this coming Sunday.

The event is called 'Top End Grand Fondo 2014' and the route is around the city of Darwin (Australia) with 600 riders competing. I know this distance isn't deemed a 'century' in your countries and it probably isn't really that long for most of you. But, for me - it is a start :-)

I have lost 21kg (46lbs) since mid Jan for this event via different training methods/muscle groups and refining my diet big time.

I now have very little body fat on me and my whole outlook on fitness and life has changed as a result of this journey.

I have learned just how important it is to have a goal/event to aim for when training. There have been days when I have been distracted and not wanted to train but i get on with it. Life does get in the way some times... :-)

After this event, I will be booking myself (in advance) into other various similar bike race events around the country for the next 12 months. That way, I will have key dates marked on my calendar with defined goals and timelines.

Anyway, wanted to say a big thank you to you all for helping me along this journey on all things bikes, apparel, techniques, fitness, diet, etc...

It feels good.


Splash

Good for you Splash, go have fun and continue your journey via 'the bike'.

Remember this is discussion group, lotsa good info, take what you can use, ignore the BS....

[Splash]

Thanks Guys!

Flash - What do you mean 'take names'?


Splash

[rustychisel]

Hey mate,

ride well, ride safe.

Aim to get down to Adelaide in January for the Tour Downunder. Guaranteed it's a good week.

[Splash]

Thanks Rusty.

Will do. What riding events / distances am i allowed to book myself into for this event?

I am no Pro, but just a committed weekend warrior.


Splash

[josephr]

120km ~ 75 mi so you're plenty close to a century....lay down a few more of these rides and you're ready for the next stretcher!!! plus, anytime you're in dry, hotter conditions its that much tougher on the hydration end of things. Keep up the great work!!!

[ceolwulf]

Nicely done!

[FlashUNC]

Thanks Guys!

Flash - What do you mean 'take names'?


Splash

Just an idiom:

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/17728/what-is-the-etymology-of-kick-ass-and-take-names

[Splash]

Thanks guys - Many people on here have been very helpful and have assisted through some tough times and injury.

Aiming to break 3.55 hours on this ride. That is my goal anyway. I will let you know what time I get - hoping that I do not puncture,,,,, :-)

Joesphr - What is the 'next stretcher'?


Splash

[MattTuck]

Very nice job Splash.

45 pounds is great.

In the U.S. we have propane tanks for our outdoor grills that weigh about 40 pounds when full.

How much easier will those climbs be without having to carry one of those tanks on your back!

Good luck brother.

[AngryScientist]

we're proud of you Splash. losing 46 pounds is a huge accomplishment for anyone, having fun doing it with a bicycle is a bonus. keep up the good work.

[Splash]

Thanks Matty and AngryScientist.

Yeah - i have noticed already in my bike training that the hills are much easier without that extra weight i used to carry. I have now conquered a killer hill (last one just before I arrive home) that I could never do before and used to zap me after riding the 115kms.

Sunday will be the first time I get to ride with others at similar speeds on my newish Oltre XR with the enve 6.7's/tubulars. I have been training solo ever since i bought the bike.

Will be interesting to ride in formation again - last time was 3 years ago...


Splash

[dpk501]

Your accomplishments up till now are nothing short of amazing. Go kick a** on that ride and OWN it!!!!

[josephr]

Thanks guys - Many people on here have been very helpful and have assisted through some tough times and injury.

Aiming to break 3.55 hours on this ride. That is my goal anyway. I will let you know what time I get - hoping that I do not puncture,,,,, :-)

Joesphr - What is the 'next stretcher'?


Splash

a stretch ride...as your body becomes accustomed to longer distances, your next big push in terms of distance endurance.

[makoti]

Hello All.

Just want to let you know that the 120km cycling event I have been training hard for since mid Jan this year will occur this coming Sunday.

The event is called 'Top End Grand Fondo 2014' and the route is around the city of Darwin (Australia) with 600 riders competing. I know this distance isn't deemed a 'century' in your countries and it probably isn't really that long for most of you. But, for me - it is a start :-)

I have lost 21kg (46lbs) since mid Jan for this event via different training methods/muscle groups and refining my diet big time.

I now have very little body fat on me and my whole outlook on fitness and life has changed as a result of this journey.

I have learned just how important it is to have a goal/event to aim for when training. There have been days when I have been distracted and not wanted to train but i get on with it. Life does get in the way some times... :-)

After this event, I will be booking myself (in advance) into other various similar bike race events around the country for the next 12 months. That way, I will have key dates marked on my calendar with defined goals and timelines.

Anyway, wanted to say a big thank you to you all for helping me along this journey on all things bikes, apparel, techniques, fitness, diet, etc...

It feels good.


Splash


Enjoy! And 120km is nothing to apologize for. That's a healthy ride, to be sure. Good work dropping 46lbs, too. And "take names" is kind of hard to explain. It just goes with "Kick ass". Who knows why. It's a Yank thing. ;)

[rustychisel]

Thanks Rusty.

Will do. What riding events / distances am i allowed to book myself into for this event?

I am no Pro, but just a committed weekend warrior.


Splash


Have a look here...

http://www.tourdownunder.com.au/

the BUPA organised ride is worth doing, usually has about 5000 or 6000 riders. Otherwise you can ride to somewhere on the route pretty much any day, ride back. Weather is usually perfect, or really hot, and there are cyclists everywhere. I mean everywhere.

[Splash]

Thanks again guys!

Rusty - the BUPA sounds inviting. Have you ridden it? If so, what is the terrain like and wind exposure?

Splash

[mgm777]

Splash - Congratulations! Good luck on the ride!

[Splash]

OK - Just returned from completing the epic event!

Some feedback....

I at least finished so that is good. I do not have exact timing but will find out later next week and I think I am a bit above 4 hours...due to a damn flat!

1km into the event and my rear tire flats :confused: I stop and undo the valve stem and pour the Stan's goo into the valve. I also observe that the extended valve stem was lose. Not sure whether it was a puncture or just the lose extended valve stem....I pump it back up with a hand hand pump only and I am on my way. I lost time (probably around 10-15 mins stuffing around there...:mad:

What should I do about lose valve extenders to stop it happening?

Anyway, the flat tire no longer gave me grief and I crank like crazy to make up for lost time - and at the same time overtake everyone who overtook me when i was down and out (with the slithering remarks (and laughs) from the passing fellow riders by seeing a $15k bike clapped out in the grass) - this made me angry and really put more zip into my crank for the whole journey - determined to pass them and never look back.... :banana:

OK - as I ride along, I feel really good about my fitness, technique and form. I stocked up on food in my jersey pocket and had 1.4L total in water (with a dash of electrolyte...). Averaging mid 30's kph...

At about the 80km mark I am faced with a series of 5 hills one after the after with fairly steep gradients - over a distance of around 15Km... I ensure that I gain high momentum / speed on the down hills to help carry me and blend into the next hill..... Those Enve 6.7's were great for this and really assisted my power output through this terrain. Lovin it!! These wheels are great for holding energy/momentum - over the smaller rimmed wheel sets. No issues with cross winds or large trucks either...

Soon after these hills, my feet begin to hurt (hot foot) - despite wearing the specialised insoles, non-tight shoes and wiggling my toes..I was able to cope with this - just - for the remainder of the ride..

All this riding is solo up to this point and became very demoralising quickly in the hot sun and wide open, wind swept spaces.... I just was not able to latch on to anyone of my level/speed, etc... Suddenly, 2 riders popped up beside me - that matched my level really well and I tagged along for the rest of the journey taking turns in front and sh-ouldering my expected level of lead input...we built up a decent clip and I loved them for it.

The SMP Composit saddle was great with no sit bone pain.

I am proud of myself for my efforts and learned a lot... The light bike really came into it's own today. And, in my view - the huge weight loss made a huge impact on my power to weight ratio! I could just feel it.... (I know there are threads calling BS on 'feeling' the improved weight difference - but I am just saying what i think....)

Now, I sit here with a very very soft voice - my voice box has been affected by breathing in the hot air for 4 hours (or some other reason) and I can only whisper with minimal effort. Does this happen often after such an event in hot weather - and why does it happen?

My body feels OK - a bit beaten up though with the normal post ride soreness...

What warm down activities do you guys use to recover from long race events?




Splash

[shovelhd]

Minimum 10 minutes rolling around after the finish. Recovery ride the next day. One hour max, super easy. No efforts no matter how good you feel. Following day off the bike. Resume training the next day.

[Splash]

thanks cfox.

'rolling around' as in stretching everything?

what about drinks, food, etc?

I reckon I had a lot of sugar in my drinks after the event - My body was just yearning for sugar/glucose for about 1 hour after the finish...



splash

[oldpotatoe]

OK - Just returned from completing the epic event!

What should I do about lose valve extenders to stop it happening?

Splash

Forza Splash, good job

..for the valve extenders, wrap a little bit of plumbers tape/teflon tape around the threads before you put the extender on and make it tight..with some pliers.

[Splash]

Thanks OP.

I did apply plumbers tape around the threads before I connected the extender - last year.

I am now unable to access the thread because it is covered up by my rim.

But, I did not use pliers - so perhaps this is where my problem is ? The valve extender seems to undo easily when I try to undo the valve stem for inserting air into the tube.

Is their a technique for preventing this extender to come lose during the unscrewing of the valve stem?

Any thoughts on the other questions I raised in post #21?


Splash

[shovelhd]

thanks cfox.

'rolling around' as in stretching everything?

what about drinks, food, etc?

I reckon I had a lot of sugar in my drinks after the event - My body was just yearning for sugar/glucose for about 1 hour after the finish...



splash

No, rolling around stupid easy on the bike. No effort at all, just spin the pedals.

Drinks, no matter how well you manage hydration you are going to be dehydrated. Water is best, but I always crave beer, so I compromise, I drink a lot of both afterwards.

Sugar is bad afterwards. You need protein, the sooner you can get it in you, the better. I have a protein shake within the first hour afterwards, and a protein heavy next meal. Even some fat is OK, because your body keeps burning for hours after the event. It takes a while for your metabolism to slow down.

[Splash]

WOW - Interesting!

No more sugar!

Some good learnings there...



Splash

[oldpotatoe]

Thanks OP.

I did apply plumbers tape around the threads before I connected the extender - last year.

I am now unable to access the thread because it is covered up by my rim.

But, I did not use pliers - so perhaps this is where my problem is ? The valve extender seems to undo easily when I try to undo the valve stem for inserting air into the tube.

Is their a technique for preventing this extender to come lose during the unscrewing of the valve stem?

Any thoughts on the other questions I raised in post #21?


Splash

Do the plier gig even tho the trie is on the tube..might look at replacing the extenders with this type...but still have to be tight.

As for the other stuff, eating, etc., I am the worse source of info on stuff like that.

[Ozrider]

Splash there are a lot of good articles on post race recovery nutrition. Do a quick internet search.

Well done on the weight loss and entering an event that challenges your boundaries.

[Splash]

Thanks guys!

SPlash