[HAMR] A new women's HAM'R challenger- Amanda Coker

[SoreTween]

Her average speed was bang on normal (for her, not mortals) at 32.9kph for the better part of 15 hours.  Her speed increased after her usual stop time but did drop off back to her normal in the last 30 minutes.  Two more days like that and she could hit 86666 for the year.

[orraloon]

86,573 miles.

Phenomenal.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

An outstanding rider and a well-deserved result.

[Ashaman42]

Fantastic result. The mind boggles.

[LMT]

Well done Amanda.

http://www.bicycling.com/rides/records/is-amanda-coker-for-real

[Wowbagger]

Brilliant stuff! Bit of a last day slacker though... only 237 miles... 

[andrew_s]

I suppose going for the 100,000 doesn't match with a last-day dash.

At her annual pace (237 mpd), the 100,000 should come up on the 10th July.

[Citizenfish]

Well done Amanda.

http://www.bicycling.com/rides/records/is-amanda-coker-for-real

Very interesting and insightful article

[clarion]

Astonishing.  What an athlete!

[Wowbagger]

Well done Amanda.

http://www.bicycling.com/rides/records/is-amanda-coker-for-real

Very interesting and insightful article

Apart from the error!

Searvogel was finishing his own record year of riding. He would become the first person to truly attempt—and succeed in breaking—the Highest Annual Mileage Record, which had last been set in 1939 by a British man named Tommy Godwin.

I won't give him any leeway for the interjection "and succeed in breaking". He was 11 days behind The Man who inspired all this.

[yossarian22]

Astonishing indeed.
Imagine being told this was going to happen a couple of years ago? No chance.
She must surely be an outlier of outliers.
Bravo!

[Wowbagger]

I think anyone who tackles this is an outlier. It's hardly going to become mainstream now, is it? 

[Phil W]

Not sure if this was posted at the time but a loop around Flatwoods Park with Amanda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwFpJQah2FY&feature=youtu.be

Looks like a great cycling facility

[The French Tandem]

Not sure if this was posted at the time but a loop around Flatwoods Park with Amanda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwFpJQah2FY&feature=youtu.be

Looks like a great cycling facility

I got bored before the end of this 10 minutes video. I cannot figure out how anyone could manage to do that for a year!

[clarion]

Well, riding it would be a lot more interesting than watching, but I have no doubt that a day of that, let alone a year, takes mental grit.

I recall when a group from another place rode a 200km IIRC around Regents Park, and reported it to be mind-numbingly dull.

I wonder how many circuits Amanda has done?  Amazing persistence.

[Phil W]

Isn't it a 7 miles circuit so roughly 12,350 times around it?

[clarion]

IIRC, Richmond Park is about seven miles (albeit lumpier).  That puts it in perspective.

[andrew_s]

Isn't it a 7 miles circuit so roughly 12,350 times around it?

Probably a bit less.
She's been doing a regular trip up and down some cycling tracks in a neighbouring housing area (until the park opens, probably). On the couple of occasions I counted, it was 30 or 31 laps, iirc.

[andrew531]

IIRC, Richmond Park is about seven miles (albeit lumpier).  That puts it in perspective.

It's just under 7 miles. I think the most laps I've managed there is 8 and I've had to vary it by doing a few smaller circuits via White Lodge and a few clockwise laps to spice it up. Saying that on shorter and perhaps more importantly flatter circuits ( e.g. Hillingdon, Velopark and Cyclopark ) it seems easier  to keep going.

Amanda's achievement is nothing short of astonishing. She'd raised the bar by a huge margin!   

[clarion]

I've never managed more than three laps of RP without getting bored (and/or my legs ruined by Bastard Hill).  Amanda's mental resilience is superlative.

[tonyh]

Amanda's mental resilience is superlative.

Superlative is the right word! Applies to her riding too.

(Laps: I wonder if she keeps an eye on getting ahead of [or chasing] a scheduled time per lap? Works for me on Richmond Park... gets more enjoyable after the first two or three!)

[Greenbank]

I've never managed more than three laps of RP without getting bored (and/or my legs ruined by Bastard Hill).  Amanda's mental resilience is superlative.

I've done 500+ laps in the last few years (up to 6 laps per ride) and see something new each time but, yes, I can't imagine 30+ laps day in day out...

[Cmiller]

I got bored before the end of this 10 minutes video. I cannot figure out how anyone could manage to do that for a year!

I've put in over 70k miles myself at Flatwoods over the past 10 years and never once been bored riding there. I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that it has 20+ jogs/turns and only a few short straight sections over the course of 7 miles. You do not feel like you're going in circles while riding there.

[yossarian22]

.... 250.3, 255.3, 250.6, 275.5 miles. The metronome is accelerating.

[andrew_s]

... 130.2

I'd guess that the 275 was "seen the weather forecast for tomorrow" mileage