Author Topic: LEL preparation  (Read 32058 times)

pompey phill

  • OH UR !! it's only me !!
LEL preparation
« on: 29 November, 2008, 03:34:01 pm »
Hello all,
thanks for the replies.
Hummers I actually live in Fareham, and was planning on going down the track at the Mountbatten on a Wednesday night.  I also work a funny shift pattern.  What sort of rides do you do, how far/long ? as I would more than likely join you on some of your rides on my off days. 

so I've just bought myself a new Garmin Etrex H. I will have to get used to using and planning routes and stuff. (any handy tips or hints would be much appreciated)  I will read all the post's on this forum.

I just recently borrowed a USE Exposure Maxx light, for a week to use on my daily commute, and found the lowest setting was better than the Cateye single shot I use,  the USE light is meant to have a run time of 24 hrs on low,  which can be extended with the piggy back battery pack.  but still not sure whether to go the dyno route ?

I will make a decision on bag nearer the time, after or during my training, which is to involve as many 300's and 600's as I can before the main event.

my shift work has made me very aware of sleep depravation,  I know when and how to get an hour here and there. I often ride home from crawley north of Winchester, to home in Fareham after a night shift during the summer months.

thanks once again
Phill   ;D ;D
"Yer but this goes up to eleven !!!"

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
LEL preparation
« Reply #1 on: 29 November, 2008, 04:06:57 pm »

Hummers ....... What sort of rides do you do, how far/long ? as I would more than likely join you on some of your rides on my off days. 


There are these for a start plus on the 7th we have the Denmead Hilly.

The rides on Wednesday nights are about 30-40 miles long with a pub stop towards the end. Three of us go out on this.

There are also the CTC A rides on Sundays - leaving Cosham library at 9:15-9:30. They tend to be fast paced but sociable rides of 80 - 120 miles with elevenses, lunch and a tea stop somewhere. At least 4 local Audax riders of note go out on these rides and they would make good fill-in rides when there is nothing else on.

H

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
LEL preparation
« Reply #2 on: 29 November, 2008, 04:39:42 pm »
What's the route?  If it passes anywhere near the outlaws' place near Bedford I may be persuaded to brew up in a layby (and laugh at everyone).
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
LEL preparation
« Reply #3 on: 29 November, 2008, 04:50:02 pm »
The route is listed here.

H

pompey phill

  • OH UR !! it's only me !!
LEL preparation
« Reply #4 on: 29 November, 2008, 05:02:43 pm »
Hummers,

i'm guuted i can't make the Hilly on the 7 Dec as i'm on shift and can't get the day off,  i see Els has said she's going to make it. i did the watership down with her last DEC, it would be good to see her again.

i can make the 14/15 Feb,  but i'll have to see if i can get the 20/21 march off.

i would go out with the CTC but i tend to go out with the wheelers on sundays.
i do facy the wedensday night rides though ?   where do you meet and finish ??
Phill
"Yer but this goes up to eleven !!!"

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
LEL preparation
« Reply #5 on: 29 November, 2008, 06:13:26 pm »
The route is listed here.

H

I might see you near the second control with a gross of Red Bull and a camping stove, then  :)
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
LEL preparation
« Reply #6 on: 29 November, 2008, 07:31:22 pm »
The route is listed here.

H

I might see you near the second control with a gross of Red Bull and a camping stove, then  :)

Milk, no sugar please.

H

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
LEL preparation
« Reply #7 on: 30 November, 2008, 10:08:48 am »
The route is listed here.

H

I might see you near the second control with a gross of Red Bull and a camping stove, then  :)
If you want to be a real hero, set up on the last evening/night. You'll see very few riders, but they will be extremely grateful :)

(I noted on PBP that the locals had pretty much lost interest by night 4 - can't say I blame them ... )
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
LEL preparation
« Reply #8 on: 30 November, 2008, 11:37:03 am »
Hummers,

i do facy the wedensday night rides though ?   where do you meet and finish ??
Phill

We meet outside Cosham library at about 6:15-6:20. We ride until about 8pm to a pub (can be one of a number, usually about 10 miles out of Pompey) have a couple of beers then ride back again. I'm normally home by 10pm. The other riders are Dave Young and Paul Whitehead.

PM me if you fancy it this Wednesday.

H

andrew g

LEL preparation
« Reply #9 on: 01 December, 2008, 10:52:18 pm »
Hello folks.  I've got a couple of questions about LEL too which I thought might be worth tagging on here rather than starting a new thread.

I've never done an audax ride before but LEL caught my imagination as a great way to see the country whilst having a really enjoyable bike ride :) .  I am however an experienced cyclist who regularly does 100+ mile rides, and some long distance TTs (including a 12hr) so think I should be okay with the distance - although I am a big believer in not knowing you can do something until you've done it so am certainly not underestimating it, and will be getting the miles in.

The main area I'm a bit vague on is sleep, and lack of it.  I gather it's quite possible to do long days and then tuck in for the night before setting off the next day, but I'm not sure if a more steady tick over and more frequent shorter 3-4 hour kips will suit me better.

Which is the more common approach?  I'd guess the second.

Also it strikes me that a general build up of lack of your regular sleeping period and pattern is an area that could be a bigger hurdle than riding the distance.  Have any of you suffered much from sleep deprivation on these sort of rides?  Is there anything you could recommend as a way of training for this?  Do I just do some tests with setting an alarm early and going out on the bike, come home, have a nap before setting out again and trying some dry runs in this manner?

Thanks.

border-rider

LEL preparation
« Reply #10 on: 01 December, 2008, 11:22:20 pm »


The main area I'm a bit vague on is sleep, and lack of it.  I gather it's quite possible to do long days and then tuck in for the night before setting off the next day, but I'm not sure if a more steady tick over and more frequent shorter 3-4 hour kips will suit me better.

Which is the more common approach? 

whatever works for you, really.  You'll learn that when you ramp up the miles and start doing 600s

Note that there's a separate thread for start times & ride plans

Quote
Have any of you suffered much from sleep deprivation on these sort of rides? 

It's a major problem on Paris-Brest-Paris, especially for the group that starts on the Monday night, because the time limits are tighter.  I think most people who ride long events have suffered it, but I really struggle with it and I've got to the stage now where I'd not ride an event with a start time that leaves me sleep-deprived.

Quote
Is there anything you could recommend as a way of training for this?  Do I just do some tests with setting an alarm early and going out on the bike, come home, have a nap before setting out again and trying some dry runs in this manner?

ride long events.   try riding a 600 or two with minimal sleep.  I'm not sure you ever train for it, but you'll get a feel for the issue and how much it affects you.


Martin

LEL preparation
« Reply #11 on: 01 December, 2008, 11:42:02 pm »
What MV said; not sure where you live but El Supremo's events are very good  training for waking up in the dead of night and going out on a long day's ride. They are also extremely well catered as is (afaik) LEL. And El S doesn't do Z stops.
Failing that any 0600 start 300/400/600 is ideal preparation. Apart from the last day of PBP I haven't seen much in the way of people grabbing sleep stops in the day; most seem to ride and ride and ride through.

I must say having multiple start times on LEL is confusing to a beginner; on PBP there were 2 choices; ride the whole 90hrs starting with no sleep (almost all the noobs took this) or ride it in 84 with some sleep the night before.

FWIW I've only ever ridden bits of the route; but starting at 0600 from Cheshunt and the same evening from Thorne (with some sleep somewhere before Scotland) is the best way to see and ride the northbound bit IMX.

Re equipment ; a handlebar bag and saddlebag should be adequate; as long as you've got room for a full repertoire of gear from short sleeves /shorts to full on waterproof and lighter gear for in between, don't forget overshoes; you will not even need to carry all of it all the way if you use the bag drop. I used just shorts and leg warmers for the bottom half on PBP.

Out of interest what would be a recommended schedule (assuming a morning start) for LEL  for the average 85-90hr PBP rider? I know schedules have a habit of going pear shaped but it's nice to have a rough plan.

I almost want to do it now  :)

simonp

LEL preparation
« Reply #12 on: 01 December, 2008, 11:57:30 pm »
I would suggest trying to do an SR series if you can.  That way you will find out what happens to /you/ when you put your body through this kind of thing.

I managed less than 2.5h sleep on PBP 07 yet I got round.  Others might struggle with that level of sleep deprivation.
(q.v. Larrington et al)

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
LEL preparation
« Reply #13 on: 02 December, 2008, 11:46:42 am »
I would suggest trying to do an SR series if you can.  That way you will find out what happens to /you/ when you put your body through this kind of thing.

I managed less than 2.5h sleep on PBP 07 yet I got round.  Others might struggle with that level of sleep deprivation.
(q.v. Larrington et al)


I did the last LEL with 1+5+4+4 = 14 hours of sleep
PBP with 2+1.5+2 = 5.5 hours of sleep

I was more experienced for PBP.  We have discussed sleep deprivation before.  To micro summarise here are ten top tips:

1) Although you can't "bank" extra sleep you can ensure before an event you have no sleep "debt".  So get early nights in the days before the event

2) Some research shows that 1.5 hours of sleep in a bed is the minimal needed for REM and real actual sleep.  Personally I feel about 2 hours is good.  I would aim to have 3 hours "in hand" ahead of the time the control closes to eat and sleep and eat again and then get going.

3) Sleep in a bed is "worth more" than sleep on a garage forecourt/haystack/phone box.  So 30 minutes in a real bed beats an hour shivering on a bench.

4) Some people have a "low" point for sleep in the afternoon.  This would not normally affect you, but if you didn't have enough sleep the night before...
 
5) Caffine and other stimulants work better if you lay off them before hand.  About a week seems to be the minimal period.   Caffine is not an alternative to sleep :)

6) Other ways to stay awake include putting in an effort ( adrenalin wakes you up ) or listening to loud music on an mp3.  And of course talking to other riders

7) If you feel really like you are about to fall asleep on the bike then a 10 minute nap will stop this dangerous occurance.  You can do this in almost any circumstances as after 10 minutes you don't cool down (much)

8) Space blankets and/or various portable sleeping bag things are often used.  On PBP I did all my sleeping (except 10 mins on a haystack) in a silk sleeping bag liner in the caffeterias at the controls.

9) If you are hallucinating then it is usually time for an impromptu sleep break.  With me the road markings turn into little people.  Or I see people who aren't there reflected in puddles.

10) If you are riding with a partner and they are faffing around or eating in a cafe or repairing their bike then use the opportunity to lie down and sleep

Martin

LEL preparation
« Reply #14 on: 02 December, 2008, 02:24:24 pm »
I got through PBP with an Energiser head lamp a Cateye EL 530 and 2 Hella marker lights (which I used rather than the 530 in heavy traffic; yes it was like that) and at dawn and dusk which were both pretty late/early; and did not change the AA cells at all. As Drone says; probably not worth investing in too much expensive lighting for the one ride.

I gave up caffeine for 3 weeks beforehand; but it was mostly adrenaline that kept me awake, even after 40 hours at Loudeac. In hindsight it would have been worth queuing up for a bed (presumably not an issue on LEL)

LEL preparation
« Reply #15 on: 02 December, 2008, 03:42:15 pm »
I did LEL In 2005 with breaks of 5, 8, 8, 8 hours. Subtract about 90 mins from each of those numbers to get the time I was asleep.  I completed the ride with about 10 hours to spare. 

Riders who haven' t done a SR Series before and/or need some clues and encouragemet may find this article useful, something I wrote after I prepared myself for my first Spooner in my first year of audaxing

http://www.mseries.plus.com/HowIBecameASR.pdf


Martin

LEL preparation
« Reply #16 on: 02 December, 2008, 07:01:08 pm »
I did LEL In 2005 with breaks of 5, 8, 8, 8 hours.  I completed the ride with about 10 hours to spare. 
He also did PBP in 81hrs; definitely one of the 'Volio school'  :)

Did anybody here (or indeed anywhere; mentioning no names) nudge the top end of the finishing time window in 2005? it's only fair to get the whole spectrum. FWIW I was only about 40mins inside the time for the top 400 on a DIY; with no proper sleep (admittedly at a 14.3 not 12 minimum)

border-rider

LEL preparation
« Reply #17 on: 02 December, 2008, 07:35:56 pm »

Did anybody here (or indeed anywhere; mentioning no names) nudge the top end of the finishing time window in 2005?

We met the usual suspects going South at Lincoln, right on the time limit, when we were going North with just one control to go to finish...more details in my RR ;)

LEL preparation
« Reply #18 on: 02 December, 2008, 09:01:49 pm »

Did anybody here (or indeed anywhere; mentioning no names) nudge the top end of the finishing time window in 2005?

We met the usual suspects going South at Lincoln, right on the time limit, when we were going North with just one control to go to finish...more details in my RR ;)

 O:-)

We didn't really scratch the time limit then. I had enough time to go to Lincoln centre for extra cash and some shopping and catching up with the group well before London.

border-rider

LEL preparation
« Reply #19 on: 02 December, 2008, 10:10:12 pm »
Indeed

But Mr Beauchamp startled us by announcing he was going to bed.  After the control had closed and in the middle of the morning :)

pompey phill

  • OH UR !! it's only me !!
LEL preparation
« Reply #20 on: 06 December, 2008, 08:32:13 pm »
Thanks for all the reply's,
they have put my mind to rest.  I will try  riding the long rides I have planned with the barley,  and I think I'm going experiment with lighting set ups, and hone it all down to the final set up just prior to the LEL.

 Thanks Phill  ;D
"Yer but this goes up to eleven !!!"

border-rider

Re: LEL preparation
« Reply #21 on: 13 December, 2008, 05:21:34 pm »
At Mel's request the LEL equipment & LEL preparation threads have now been split, so she can try to address the issues separately.

If I've messed up and left a post in the wrong thread (it's not a directly straightforward split) let me know.

Fixedwheelnut

  • "If it ain't fixed it's broken"
    • My photos
Re: LEL preparation
« Reply #22 on: 13 December, 2008, 05:35:50 pm »
I did LEL In 2005 with breaks of 5, 8, 8, 8 hours.  I completed the ride with about 10 hours to spare. 
He also did PBP in 81hrs; definitely one of the 'Volio school'  :)

Did anybody here (or indeed anywhere; mentioning no names) nudge the top end of the finishing time window in 2005? it's only fair to get the whole spectrum. FWIW I was only about 40mins inside the time for the top 400 on a DIY; with no proper sleep (admittedly at a 14.3 not 12 minimum)


As I recall, Ron Goodrum had neck trouble towards the end and Paul Welch and Ray Kelly stayed with him almost risking their own rides to help him finish.
"Don't stop pedalling"

Re: LEL preparation
« Reply #23 on: 13 December, 2008, 06:28:29 pm »
As I recall, Ron Goodrum had neck trouble towards the end and Paul Welch and Ray Kelly stayed with him almost risking their own rides to help him finish.

I was with the Willesden bus for most of the time since Lincoln.
Ron Goodrum was sweeped up by them when I was catching up on them after staying a bit longer at a control. When it became clear that we were risking our own rides by staywing with Ron we phoned to the final control. Rocco gave permission to Paul and Ray escorting Ron home via a well lit road, obviously using the special clause in the international rules regarding assitance to someone in need. The rest of us used the official road. Mark Brooking was guiding this gruppetto. Mark started in the first group with his tandem partners. So when we were out of the very tricky navigation bit I told Mark that I'd take care of the stragglers in the group so he could speed on to the finish which he caught in time. We had more time and also finished with some time in hand.

Fixedwheelnut

  • "If it ain't fixed it's broken"
    • My photos
Re: LEL preparation
« Reply #24 on: 13 December, 2008, 08:30:27 pm »
 That would have been Lynn Francoli on the tandem with Mark  :thumbsup:
"Don't stop pedalling"