[LEL17] Having doubts about my ability to complete LEL

[canuckystan]

I just finished a 300km brevet with 9000ft of climbing in cold miserable rainy weather in 17 hours.  I could not imagine getting on the bike again the next day for another 300km I was so knackered.  Or the next day.  I know there is still time to train and complete a SR series, but my confidence is a bit shaken at this point. 

Any thoughts? 

[Jacques]

It doesn't matter what distance I finish, afterwards I nearly always say I could never do that again after a few hours rest, yet when I am actually doing a longer event that thought never creeps into my head!

I suspect the brain just knows you've finished so goes into "bugger that for a game of soldiers" mode?

[Smeth]

1. You don't need to go as fast. 2. Climb rate is lower. 3. You already know what to do.

See:
https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fe4%2F8e%2F3d%2Fe48e3d75fa27f5ddafaca0f501175d95.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fexplore%2Fdoubt-quotes%2F&docid=XVNgT6ZZxiVcYM&tbnid=zs3i03eiJNB-bM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwight7j3NHTAhVEKMAKHXYTCTUQMwglKAgwCA..i&w=736&h=717&client=ms-android-samsung&bih=560&biw=360&q=quotes%20about%20self%20doubt&ved=0ahUKEwight7j3NHTAhVEKMAKHXYTCTUQMwglKAgwCA&iact=mrc&uact=8

Or possibly more succinct:
https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F4c%2Ff5%2F1b%2F4cf51b1897a480b7d7aa73117843ca35.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zenithquotes.com%2Fsuccess%2F20-cool-self-quotes&docid=F3ecNsWBFctaCM&tbnid=5w6WA51BlB55UM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwight7j3NHTAhVEKMAKHXYTCTUQMwggKAMwAw..i&w=736&h=736&client=ms-android-samsung&bih=560&biw=360&q=quotes%20about%20self%20doubt&ved=0ahUKEwight7j3NHTAhVEKMAKHXYTCTUQMwggKAMwAw&iact=mrc&uact=8

[grams]

Yeah, exactly what Jaques said. I've done 100 km rides and felt like I couldn't ride another metre afterwards, but I have no problem getting on with 200s and 300s and more. I'm hoping the same applies to LEL.

Also, with that pace you'll be getting a couple of hours more sleep than me per night.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

After finding Monday's 200 fairly tough, I have some of your doubts. On the other hand, I've ridden a score or so 1000+km brevets over a couple of decades. Just keep doing the right preparation and get to the start. You'll get round.

[psyclist]

I concur with Jacques and the others. Long distance cycling is a mental challenge more than a physical challenge, once you reach the stage of being able to sufficiently fuel yourself on the road, and to ride at a speed that is within your limits. If you've done 300km, then you've probably mastered that aspect.

If you are riding regularly, then the 400km and 600km should just involve logistical changes (carry a few more things) over and above the 300km.

That would then give you the confidence that you can indeed go further. Some people don't even do an SR beforehand.

[frillipippi]

I'd like to add that LEL doesn't necessarily have to be five days of cold miserable rainy weather. It isn't wise to count on 5 dry days with mild temperatures, but you can expect a mixture that won't wear you out too quickly.

[mmmmartin]

Any thoughts?

Bollocks to the negative thoughts. Rock up at the start and have an adventure. It might be a disaster, It might be the most brilliant ride of your life. If you stay in bed you'll never know.

[Veloman]

I just finished a 300km brevet with 9000ft of climbing in cold miserable rainy weather in 17 hours.

Sounds like a good effort to me with 3hrs to spare!  9000ft of climbing in cold miserable rainy weather is no mean feat.

Might I assume you have done some 1000+ km audax rides before?  If so, you have the tenacity and mentality to see you through and no doubt the LEL event will offer help in terms of other riders and stages where the terrain is more benign.

Chin up old bean and just keep the pedals turning and building up to general fitness and good saddle-derrière interface.

[Paruig]

From the PBP 2011 brochure:
French record breaking sailor Olivier de Kersausan described such a challenge well:
"To feel euphoric when getting ready, excited at the start, to suffer, to hesitate, to be determined again, to sink back into discouragement, to recover strength to go further, to try to stay awake, again and again, and eventually to arrive safe and sound at the harbour.
The deep sense of achievement makes us forget the suffering."

[igauk]

Bravo! It took me almost 18 hours to do the Merse and Moors 300 on Sat and that was only 4200m climbing and it only rained for the first couple of hours! I'm not a strong rider at the best of times but I really struggled on the second leg, thighs cramping (a new one that), little energy (despite eating and drinking as usual) and I wondered if I'd finish this one let alone LEL. But... you just keep going, I walked the rest of the hill till my thighs stopped doing weird things, necked a couple of gels, stuck it in the granny gear and slogged on. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty but I got to the next control with plenty of time in hand, met up with Neil and John who were going at my sort of pace and off we went for the remainder. It was a tough day out but we all finished together in time and live to fight another day.

[Bikeabilityman]

Yeah, it's a mental thing to overcome. I've heard riders break a 3 or 400 into stages, not looking too far ahead into the event. In 2013 I looked at it as a 400, 300, 300 then 400 (as I'm sure many did). I did follow the recommended distances (doing the hot Buzzard 600 a fortnight beforehand just to get a 2nd 600 in wasn't my best idea though). This year I'm just doing events I can fit in, and plan on riding LEL slower (to enjoy the scenery more). There's plenty of time to overcome any doubts/concerns.

[The French Tandem]

Any thoughts?

Think about it. You have already committed yourself into paying hundreds of £/$ on registration fee, airplane tickets, hotels, cycling gear. Your first 300 is over now, so you have already completed the hardest part of your training. Are you going to say "No" now? seriously?

After our first 300, I felt like I would never be able to do another one the next day. On the real event, I forgot about all that misery. The psychological boost from being on the real thing, rather than on an ordinary training ride, can be enormous!

[Kim]

Any thoughts?

Think about it. You have already committed yourself into paying hundreds of £/$ on registration fee, airplane tickets, hotels, cycling gear. Your first 300 is over now, so you have already completed the hardest part of your training. Are you going to say "No" now? seriously?

Indeed.  Surely turning up and DNFing is more interesting that staying at home?

[tornandfrayed]

Bravo! It took me almost 18 hours to do the Merse and Moors 300 on Sat and that was only 4200m climbing and it only rained for the first couple of hours! I'm not a strong rider at the best of times but I really struggled on the second leg, thighs cramping (a new one that), little energy (despite eating and drinking as usual) and I wondered if I'd finish this one let alone LEL. But... you just keep going, I walked the rest of the hill till my thighs stopped doing weird things, necked a couple of gels, stuck it in the granny gear and slogged on. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty but I got to the next control with plenty of time in hand, met up with Neil and John who were going at my sort of pace and off we went for the remainder. It was a tough day out but we all finished together in time and live to fight another day.

Sounds like pretty much every audax I do!

[simonp]

I just finished a 300km brevet with 9000ft of climbing in cold miserable rainy weather in 17 hours.  I could not imagine getting on the bike again the next day for another 300km I was so knackered.  Or the next day.  I know there is still time to train and complete a SR series, but my confidence is a bit shaken at this point. 

Any thoughts?

Felt like that the day after my first 300k of this season.

Rode another 300k two weeks later - much more energy on the following day.

I always find the first 300k of a season tough.

[Pingu]

... that was only 4200m climbing ...

That's rather more than the OP's 9000' 

[Phil W]

If that 300 had been during LEL you would now have a little over 7 hours time in hand to get some food, have a hot shower, have some sleep, and get your head back in the right place.

Your build up will have ups and downs, one minute you can conquer the world, the next you feel wrecked and at a low ebb.  It will not be certain if you can complete LEL or not, till the very end, those last few km back to the start.  If you don't turn up on that start line in July you are guaranteed to not finish, not to know, to not complete LEL.  So turn up on that LEL start line with all your doubts, all your worries, all your DNSs, all your DNFs, and start turning those pedals.

Pick yourself up, decide whether you need better clothing for dealing with wet weather, and get back out there.

[canuckystan]

Thanks everyone, many wise words.  I'm committed, I'll do it, on faith that it will all work out.

[The French Tandem]

 

[LMT]

Still 12 weeks to go which is more than enough to get in shape, so man the fuck up or suffer the indignity of quitting before you've even tried.

Harsh but true.

[vorsprung]

I felt pretty rough after a 200 at the weekend

Then I came down with a cold the next day

Should I turn up for LEL?

[simonp]

It was VoTR that vorsprung felt rough after. Most riders did from what I could tell.

I felt pretty rough at the end of PBP. I came down with a cold at 1000km.

[Veloman]

Should I turn up for LEL?

No.

Proceed directly to Brampton Control and be prepared to fix bikes and makes wheels good!

[Redlight]

It's perfectly understandable to be apprehensive about LEL. It's 1400km and covers some challenging terrain. Add in the vagaries of the British weather and the fact that you pass through the Wacky Races county of Lincolnshire twice - the second time when you're very tired - and you have a ride that for the average weekend cyclist would be a stretch too far by a considerable margin.

But, you've already demonstrated that you're not the average weekend cyclist. Even if your 300 was a struggle, you've more miles under your belt from one day than the average rider achieves in a week. Between now and the end of July, I'm sure you'll get at least one 400 and one 600 done, together with lots of other riding. And over that time, your fitness will improve and, most importantly, if you do enough Audax events, you'll get even better at managing your time off the bike and your food over extended periods.

Come the end of July, you'll certainly be ready to start LEL and, so long as you don't beat yourself up over the time, have a great ride. If turns out that you're not making the progress that you would have liked, the 'out and back' route means that it's easy to call it a day at almost any point and enjoy the ride back, still using the controls, and have had three or four good days out.  Of course, you won't do that.   

I know that feeling of trepidation.  Two years ago at the end of my qualifying 600 for PBP I was having serious doubts about taking up my place. I'd had a s**t time on the ride and couldn't envisage riding twice that distance, even though I had two PBPs under my belt already.  Thankfully, LWaB and H&K from this forum laid into me and persuaded me that I was simply feeling the inevitable doubt that comes after a difficult ride and I went on to ride a comfortable PBP '15. 

Similarly, as I have mentioned elsewhere, I've also experienced a disastrous 300 and a challenging 400 in the past month, but I'm taking the view that, as with PBP, I've done it before so I can do it again. Or at least I can start it again and see how it goes.  No matter what, I'll be riding my bike and what's not to like about that?  So my advice is: go for it and enjoy the ride,no matter what.

See you in Loughton