SR in 7 days

[Jay_70_One]

I’m going to attempt to achieve SR in 7 days starting with the 3 coasts 600 in June. Has anyone else done this & in what order did you ride the series? Thanks.

[Frank9755]

Good luck!
Not done it but I once did something similar with time trials and, based on that experience, if I were to do it, I'd try to do the shortest distances first.  Logic being that after a 200 or even a 300, a rider in decent shape will feel ok to ride again after a day or so.  A 400 needs a little bit more recovery and a 600 a bit more still.  So, say I started with a 200 on a Saturday and a 300 on the Monday, a 400 should be ok on the Wenesday, then 2 days off before a 600 at the weekend, and the recovery from that would be outside the 7 days.

[Greenbank]

Some old Arrivees (5+ years back I think) had details of an organised "SR week" (somewhere European, Bulgaria?). A bit of googling came up with nothing though.

[rob]

Used to be an SR week in Majorca I think.

Also something similar in the US.   A few US randonneurs qualified for PBP in a week, I believe.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

RUSA and BC Randonneurs occasionally do 'Hell Weeks' completing a SR in a week. http://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/eau-de-hell-week.html

Audax Australia do 'Gran Turismo' series almost annually. https://www.audax.org.au/portal/index.php/component/eventbooking/qld/342-fnq-gran-turismo-2017

[cygnet]

Quite popular in the US, last year's Seattle one went 600/1000, 300, 400, 200

[hillbilly]

Not done it but planned it in the past (fatigue stopped me though - it was late into a season when I was chasing points). 

My plan was: 

1) 300
2) 200
3) 400 (10 am start)
4) Rest (after finishing 400)
5) Rest
6) 600
7) 600 day two

I expected that a non-trivial aspect would be the monotony.  Realistically, the rides would have to be done in the same area as travel between regions would cut too much into travel time (well, at least in my case, as I was AAA-bagging and only certain areas are "hilly".  If it were just distance, it could be done as a series of linear rides).

[psyclist]

From a theoretical perspective, I would consider doing the 600 first, and leave the 400 until last. Something like:

1) 600
2) 600 day two
3) rest
4) 300
5) 200
6) 400 (6pm start)
7) finish 400

I find it easier to cycle through the night if I start later in the day. A fairly flat 600 to start would allow time to sleep in the night, so the only night riding would be the final 400.

Psychologically it would help to know I'd got the 600 out of the way, so everything else would be (relatively) easy.

[postie]

I believe many years ago there was a s.r. week in the uk . Based in Salisbury ( using the yha)

[Salvatore]

I believe Tony Pember once did this in November.

[cgg]

I guess one could guard against monotony by turning this into a "tour" of some sort? Of course this makes organization this much more difficult...

[rondevandoodsmak]

My club here in Colorado is doing this in June, calling it a "brevet week". So it'll be a 300 on Sunday, 200 Monday, 400 Wednesday and 600 (or 1000) Saturday/Sunday (+Monday if 1000).

I've decided to go all in and try to add a 200 perm on the Tuesday and a SR600 on the Thurs/Fri, if weather isn't too rough.

[Tull924]

I guess one could guard against monotony by turning this into a "tour" of some sort? Of course this makes organization this much more difficult...

LEJOG (or JOGLE) happens to be about 1,500km. It holds no real attraction to me but on the few times I've considered it I thought of the SR in a week strategy. I would look to do the distances in the following order

Day 1 200
Day 2 400
Day 3 rest (home happens to be 600 km from Lands End)
Day 4 300
Day 5 Rest
Day 6 600 day 1
Day 7 600 day 2

If I was to ride I would opt for LEJOG so having the 200 and 400 split instead of riding the 600 would allow additional recovery time if required to be fitted in between as I am lead to believe that the Cornish section is a bit lumpy!

[Ivo]

I guess one could guard against monotony by turning this into a "tour" of some sort? Of course this makes organization this much more difficult...

A Russian club did that a while ago.
Bulgarian Randonneurs organise a SR series in a 8 days quite often.

[Ray 6701]

I could of done this in 2013... I did a 400 & 600 within a week a commuted 300k in between... if I'd had the week off work it would have been achievable 

[GPS]

Nice one Big Jay !

I've been wondering about this on and off. Getting a week off to do it is the biggest issue (there are so many other great rides to do ...).

My initial plan was to do it in reverse order - just to get the 600 & 400 out of the way so I could catch up with some decent sleep before the final two day rides. I wouldn't want to have tired legs and be remotely sleep deprived before the two biggies (not the ones I had in mind especially).

One day maybe ....

[tippers_kiwi]

The Kiwi Randonneurs did a Series back in 2015 where they did the SR over 8 days. They called it the GT Series

It's on my list of things I'd like to do but I think I might be more stupid and aim to do it in the first week of October one year in the future

[Greenbank]

If I did it (and I had silly thoughts about it years ago) I'd go for decreasing distances too:-

1) 600 day 1
2) 600 day 2
3) late start 400
4) finish 400
5) 300
6) 200

That's 1300km in the first 5 days, which is less distance than LEL in more time, so it's not that silly if you think about it that way.

I like the idea of combining it with a tour (or even something like LEJOG) which might be nicer than 4 different routes from home and less likely to DNS a subsequent day if I'm not in my own bed.

[mattc]

From a theoretical perspective, I would consider doing the 600 first, and leave the 400 until last. Something like:

1) 600
2) 600 day two
3) rest
4) 300
5) 200
6) 400 (6pm start)
7) finish 400

I find it easier to cycle through the night if I start later in the day. A fairly flat 600 to start would allow time to sleep in the night, so the only night riding would be the final 400.

Psychologically it would help to know I'd got the 600 out of the way, so everything else would be (relatively) easy.

That is pretty much exactly my thoughts!

(I can see the attraction of Greenbank's strategy - good for morale having a decreasing challenge ahead of you. But I also think that being well rested for the 400 makes sense ... )

[hillbilly]

I guess this is pointing towards what we learn with experience.  We're all different and what might work for one person might not for another. 

Good luck Jay.  I suspect the first pattern you thought of before asking the question here was probably your best one...

(I wait for someone to get the idea of an SR2500 in a week - after all, at 20kph moving average that leaves around 7 hr 20 mins off bike time if one starts at 00:01 on day 1. That's practically a holiday    )

[Bairn Again]

I havent doen an SR ina  week but Ive done a 400 and a 600 over 4 days.

That was in 2007 when the Brevet mallorca took place in May and was allowed for PBP qualifying.  I think they ran a full SR Series over a week.

We started the 400 at 8am Thursday, finished in the early hours of Friday and set off on the 600 at 8am Saturday.  The first 400k of the 600k event was an exact replica of the 400km event which allowed for sleep at event HQ but made it somewhat repetitive!

I think they way that I would do it (assuming a free hand on start times) would be

400km.  Start day 1 c 2100 finish on day 2 by around 2100. 

600km.  Start day 3 c 0700 and do c 350km.  Remaining 250km day 4

Day 5 rest

300km day 6

200km day 7.   

This way the only extended period of night riding would be on Day 1 into day2.  Know it doesnt suit everybody and some folk can bash out a 400 in 18hrs. 

[veloboy]

Indeed, a nice Danish cyclist, Stig organised a SR week training camp in Majorca. I did it on tbd second edition (I think), possibly 2006?
And looks like h’s still organising it:
http://www.biketoursmallorca.com/brevet/
Fond memories and was a great atmosphere with participants from as far afield as California!

[Jay_70_One]

From a theoretical perspective, I would consider doing the 600 first, and leave the 400 until last. Something like:

1) 600
2) 600 day two
3) rest
4) 300
5) 200
6) 400 (6pm start)
7) finish 400

I find it easier to cycle through the night if I start later in the day. A fairly flat 600 to start would allow time to sleep in the night, so the only night riding would be the final 400.

Psychologically it would help to know I'd got the 600 out of the way, so everything else would be (relatively) easy.

I was thinking of starting with 3 Coasts 600 and finishing with arrows 400 in York, the thinking being I could ride with friends on the last leg. So, similar thought path really

[Jay_70_One]

Indeed, a nice Danish cyclist, Stig organised a SR week training camp in Majorca. I did it on tbd second edition (I think), possibly 2006?
And looks like h’s still organising it:
http://www.biketoursmallorca.com/brevet/
Fond memories and was a great atmosphere with participants from as far afield as California!

thanks I’ll check out the link - I suspect warm Mallorca sun would be a better companion than the British weather in June

[Jay_70_One]

Good luck!
Not done it but I once did something similar with time trials and, based on that experience, if I were to do it, I'd try to do the shortest distances first.  Logic being that after a 200 or even a 300, a rider in decent shape will feel ok to ride again after a day or so.  A 400 needs a little bit more recovery and a 600 a bit more still.  So, say I started with a 200 on a Saturday and a 300 on the Monday, a 400 should be ok on the Wenesday, then 2 days off before a 600 at the weekend, and the recovery from that would be outside the 7 days.

thanks 🙏🏼 I’ve carried over some holiday to do it and might even take my works phone - I won’t.