Build up to PBP

[AndyH]

I've had a quick look through the threads index, and can't find one about the post qualifying build up. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). So is it time to start one? With the first 600 down and the rest coming up, the question has to be how do we keep the qualifying level of fitness going up to Paris.

I'm a bit vague about this one, having always thought I'll get qualification out of the way and then worry about it. In my case BCM done over the weekend, K&SW entered followed by Avalon 400 on the 1st weekend in June, then nothing entered. 

I'm going to ride some time trials, and being fitter than I've been for years I'm developing an unhealthy interest in riding a 24, just to see what I could do. They seem to be timed pretty well.

Any thoughts from people who actually know what they are doing, it's a bit worrying just making it up as I go along

[Ian H]

...it's a bit worrying just making it up as I go along

Surely that's part of the fun.

My aim is to do a bit of racing, and otherwise just ride what I fancy.

[TOBY]

K&SW
Avalon
Marches and Mersey Roads
Welsh 12hr
Mersey 24hr

interspersed with some 10's, wednesday night chaingangs and a smattering of 200's and 300's.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ the above all falls into the "what I fancy" category.

do the 24 Andy you know you want to   

[vorsprung]

If you read the pauld article about Mille Cymru "training" in Arrivee there is a bit in there about how the last few weeks could work

Basically, train so that on the weekend of the 7th Aug do some long distance thing like a 400 is possible
Week after that, 8th to the 12th ride your commute hard everyday.   Do extra distance and do it fast.
Sat 13th Aug to whenever you are going off to France, don't ride at all, have a complete rest

The idea of this pattern of effort is that during the rest before the event your body thinks "Goodness, that last week was tough! I'd better ensure my reserves are built up in case it happens again!" 

Whereas in fact all that is going to happen is that you are going on holiday in France!  Ha ha body, fooled you

[Bigsybaby]

I have a plan but it keeps being thwarted. Hopefully I will start again tonight.

I am trying to do a programme out of a book strangely called Cycle training. The period I am in at the moment is for building up endurance by doing various spinning excercises and gradually building up my time.
Next I think I am on building up lactate threashold and then hilly etc.
On the two rest days I am following a book called Cycle weight training and again I am at the stage where I am "stabilising". I think next comes endurance and strength.

I dont know whether it will make a difference but I feel it is better than doing nothing.

Overiding point for me is to cut down on the "Sweeties", food and wine. I could do with being at least 20kilos lighter and that is a big ask before the end of August.

[AndyH]

do the 24 Andy you know you want to   

Yes, but which one? ESCA or Mersey Roads. Which one is flatter ?

[Charlie Boy]

Raid Alpine end July as final physical preparation. Baby due middle August for sleep deprivation preparation.

[Feline]

I had a chat about this recently with Drew Buck, who recommends using the post-qualifying period to concentrate on building up speed (on the assumption you already have the endurance angle sussed somewhat). He recommended interval type training, and doing shorter but faster rides.

I'm considering spinning classes for this because I'm actually quite lazy on the road and I tend to just twiddle my way up hills enjoying the scenery and pace myself so I don't get knackered no matter what distance I'm riding. I often start out with the intention of going for a 'hard ride' but end up not quite achieving that objective. I will be going on the Sem Fed in early August to get some daily rides in, have a good time and brush up my 25 years out of date French!

[marcusjb]

I had a chat about this recently with Drew Buck, who recommends using the post-qualifying period to concentrate on building up speed (on the assumption you already have the endurance angle sussed somewhat). He recommended interval type training, and doing shorter but faster rides.

I'm considering spinning classes for this because I'm actually quite lazy on the road and I tend to just twiddle my way up hills enjoying the scenery and pace myself so I don't get knackered no matter what distance I'm riding. I often start out with the intention of going for a 'hard ride' but end up not quite achieving that objective. I will be going on the Sem Fed in early August to get some daily rides in, have a good time and brush up my 25 years out of date French!

This sounds pretty sensible advice to me.  I've already started back on doing fast (for me!) laps of Richmond Park to try and build up some more pace and aerobic fitness.  I've been using gears and fixed for laps this year.

After my 600 on June 11th, I am not sure what longer rides I will do - probably Manotea's Ditchling Devil and maybe another couple of 200 or 300s.

But will work on speed in the park for sure.  Then (as Vorsprung suggests) lay off at about the 13th August - and I am looking to ride over on Thursday and Friday (early morning ferry arriving in Dieppe at 4:30 on Friday).  I wish I could leave a day or two earlier, but the joys of running your own business etc. don't make that too easy.  I know the Saturday and Sunday will be stressful in their own way, but hopefully not too physically demanding, so I can bank some sleep and recover from the ride down etc.  I'll spend a little longer riding home!

Anyway - that's making it all sound like I have a plan!  Beyond riding there and back, I am promising myself (much against my nature) to not make too many plans for the ride itself - just go with the flow, sleep and eat when I want to etc. rather than trying to adhere to a schedule.

[Martin]

IIRC ACP recommend shorter hilly rides in the interval to build up strength;

I did the last qually 600 (as well as the first) but only a flattish 300 apart from that and a few 200s; and that TdF sportive thing

got a bit silly in the last couple of weeks with rides to and from work (55k) twice a week

doesn't particularly matter IMO as long as you keep riding; nothing will fully prepare you for 1200km

[TOBY]

Welsh 12hr
Mersey 24hr

Me too. Both probably on trike and the 12 certainly unspported, see you there!

Other than that, my usual summer diet of running races, triathlons, and club TTs + some 50 and 100-mile TTs and the occasional midweek day ride. Phew.

at the moment my 12 is unsupported too*

so,



and see you there 

*although I'm trying to change that (and have one less wheel)

[Greenbank]

Assuming all goes well on the K&SW 600 I'll be doing fast commuting on fixed (as always) and fast blats with gears around Richmond Park (~80m climbing per 10km lap) and the Surrey Hills (~1000m climbing in 50km).

[LEE]

I'll be concentrating on doing fast (for me) 200s and doing my usual shorter rides quicker than usual and, occasionally, as quick as possible.

I keep a log of my Audax times so I hope to do a few 200km PBs before PBP using my Anoraks Delight 200 perm.

I don't see much point in just doing lots of miles unless you are pushing harder than usual.  i'd much prefer to push really hard all the way round a 200 than plod through the awful night stage of a 400 just to "get some miles in".

I'm fully aware of what night stages are like now, I don't need any more of that training thanks very much.  It's difficult to ride hard during the night I find, in which case I'm not sure there's much training benefit.

[Tomsk]

    Quick plug for my 'Hereward the Wake' 300km on 8th July - simulates the evening PBP start. You can practice blatting through the night with fresh legs and minimal time off the bike.

     +1 to riding 200s fast and attempting to 'win' them; I get bored with this after a few, which is why I'm just a tourist, not a racer . But mainly just "ride your bike........"  [Eddie Mercxx]

[arabella]

These are my rides for 2009, ie the year I did LEL:

UGLEY, S of Saffron Walden 207 14 Mar
DIY200 200 28 Mar
WOLVERLEY, N of Kidderminster 305 25 Apr 
MIDHURST, E Sussex 606 23 May
DIY400 400 04 Jul
LEE VALLEY YH 1400 26 Jul

ie between my 600 and LEL I did a 400, 3 weeks before LEL, and that's it.  Didn't want to start overtired.

[Panoramix]

I will be going on the Sem Fed in early August to get some daily rides in, have a good time and brush up my 25 years out of date French!

That's OK, newer French will be the same with more English words in it. You need to learn how to pronounce English words with a French accent though!

[Feline]

I will be going on the Sem Fed in early August to get some daily rides in, have a good time and brush up my 25 years out of date French!

That's OK, newer French will be the same with more English words in it. You need to learn how to pronounce English words with a French accent though!

But I only know a couple of half-decent swear words!!

[Ian H]

Time to repeat the story about my Parisian companion in 1995, of whom I asked, "Is there a more emphatic word/phrase than tres fatiguee." He replied, after ensuring no one else was within earshot, "Oui, c'est fuerked."