1st Challenge/Race

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Argon18
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1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:48 am

Hi all,

Looking for some advise here as I have entered my FIRST event. Its the 2XU Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride 2010 in March 2010.

I registered in the 60k ride. I want to be competitive in this and not just a Sunday stroll.

I've been riding since August 2009 and on average do about 120k's a week.

Can anyway suggest how I should approach this event in terms of pre-event training and nutrition and any other useful tips?

Any advise would be GREATLTY appreciated!

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KenGS
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby KenGS » Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:44 pm

Argon18 wrote:I registered in the 60k ride. I want to be competitive in this and not just a Sunday stroll.
Remembering that it is not a race.....
If you want to be a Zone 1 (under 2hrs) rider then it might be too late to do much. The event is in 5 weeks or so.
If you want to be Zone 2 (under 3 hrs) there's not much you need to do other than:
Get a good nights sleep
Carb load (pasta the night before)
Drink regularly during the ride - small drinks often are best.
Have a bite to eat (carbs) at the refreshment stop or on the go if you can
Minimise the time you spend at the stops. Do what you have to do then straight back on the bike. (this is where you lose the most time)
Pace yourself especially on the rolling hills at the start

If you are riding 120km per week then a 60km ride should not tax your body much
For pre-event training - just practise doing all the above. You might want to go on some 60km rides to see just how hard you can go. But not in the last couple of weeks before the event. In the days leading up to the event no rides over 2 hours.
If possible ride the course (or parts of it) beforehand so you know what to expect. Also lets you enjoy the scenery so you can go head down on the day and not miss out.
--Ken
Helmets! Bells! Rego!

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Argon18
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:21 pm

Ken,

Thanks for the advise!

I'm just wanting to give it my best shot. I think i've come along way since my first ride back in August and now ready to give it a bang!

My average rides are 20-30km sessions which take between 45min and 1Hr 20min so this is a new experience to me to ride 60k's. The furthest Ive ridden is 42k's back in January so I appreciate any tips from people.

Thanks once again!

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squizz_08
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby squizz_08 » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:38 pm

My tip?

Ride.

Whilst 5 weeks is not a great deal of time, if you are out on the bike doing a ride to Torquay at least 3 days a week and then maybe a longer 50+km ride on the weekend you'll be approaching 200km per week. Which in 5 weeks will have you knocking along at a good speed and I'll wager you'll finish and know you'll be able to do the 145 no worries next year.

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snark
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby snark » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:29 pm

F1 weekend, or otherwise I'd be there. :(

Argon - if you're doing 120kms a week now, you should have no problem.

I went from almost nothing to the 60km ring road opening ride in about 10 weeks. For that I did an 80km ride about two weeks before, and then eased off until the ride.

Where abouts in Geelong are you? A Torquay round trip is about 50kms from Wandana Heights. If you can do that now (even slowly) you'll kill the ride.

Follow Ken's advice - good stuff there.

Cheers,
Simon.
Phil Liggett, TdF 2011, Alpe-d'Huez: "I reckon tonight in hindsight he may have won the Tour de France tomorrow."

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Argon18
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:34 pm

Gents,

Thanks for the heads up!!! I live in Hamlyn heights.

My run of the mill ride is.....

Along Sladen or Tahara & across Church St onto McCurdy Rd
From McCurdy i turn left into Autumn st then right into Minerva Rd
From Minerva, left into Aberdeen then right into Shannon ave.
Continue along Shannon ave down to Balliyang Sancturay then left at big round about along the barwon river caravan park
End up on High st (Kmart), then left into Moorabool st. Left into West fyans the left up Swanston St
Along Swanston st, right at Portartlington Rd, past Geelong High school and then left Into Limburners rd
Through eastern park and then along the waterfront to Glentheith Ave.
Over Telegraph bridge and straight up Church st, then home. Thats about 26k

Sorry for those not living in this area and boring you!!

Last advise Im seeking is - when should I have my last ride before the big day? 3 days?

Simon......... mate - I havent missed an F1 GP since 1996 in Melbourne! Working for Toyota, I have ALWAYS attended the GP and am an F1 nut! Even have a Senna tattoo! Too much information, I know... sorry

brendan
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby brendan » Mon Feb 22, 2010 12:10 am

Argon18 wrote:Hi all,

Looking for some advise here as I have entered my FIRST event. Its the 2XU Great Ocean & Otway Classic Ride 2010 in March 2010.

I registered in the 60k ride. I want to be competitive in this and not just a Sunday stroll.

I've been riding since August 2009 and on average do about 120k's a week.

Any advise would be GREATLTY appreciated!
here's some advice. if you want to race, join a club and race.

if you want a sunday stroll, do more of these rides.

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squizz_08
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby squizz_08 » Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:03 am

IMHO you need to up those km's a bit mate.

Maybe do 2 laps of that circut.


And brendan makes a decent point - (not suggesting you'll act in that manner) but there are more than enough meat heads who see these rides as a race. Not a good look.

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snark
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby snark » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:14 pm

Argon18 wrote:... along the barwon river caravan park. End up on High st (Kmart) ...
That route sounds a bit stop/start to me, I prefer cruising along without having to stop at traffic lights. If I were you, next time I'd go straight past Kmart and head down Torquay Rd or Barwon Heads Rd for a bit.

If you can do that 26km loop no worries now, add 5km or so each time until you can do more than 70km or 75km comfortably. Then 60km on the day will be no problem. Remember to include rest days, and some shorter rides mixed with the longer ones.

I'd plan to do the last "big" ride a week before, then just get out a few times during the last week and take it easy.

You may want to define "competitive" too. For me, that mean finishing inside the time limit, not coming in the top 10. :D

As with any opinions, there's a zillion of them. The above is about what I did to plan for my first 60km organised ride.

Cheers,
Simon.

ps: A bit of an F1 nut myself (I think I missed the first Melb race), but I don't go as far as a tat :)
Phil Liggett, TdF 2011, Alpe-d'Huez: "I reckon tonight in hindsight he may have won the Tour de France tomorrow."

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Argon18
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Tue Feb 23, 2010 10:51 pm

Yeah, looks like I upset the apple cart with the "Sunday Stroll" comment.

Definition for me is NOT top 10. Not even a race for that matter. My definition is in a zone of between 120-145bmp. Wherever that puts me on the finishing table, I dont care. I just want to be able to sustain that heart rate zone and complete the event in a decent time (preferably under 3 hours).

Good call about continuing along Barwon Heads from Kmart onwards. Will definately try that one!

I do find it if I havent ridden for 3 days or so, I can really fly on the next session. So yeah, one last "big" ride before the ride and a couple of short rides leading up seems the go!

Cheers for the tips!

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hawksam
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby hawksam » Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:14 am

Argon18 wrote:Gents,

Thanks for the heads up!!! I live in Hamlyn heights.

My run of the mill ride is.....

Along Sladen or Tahara & across Church St onto McCurdy Rd
From McCurdy i turn left into Autumn st then right into Minerva Rd
From Minerva, left into Aberdeen then right into Shannon ave.
Continue along Shannon ave down to Balliyang Sancturay then left at big round about along the barwon river caravan park
End up on High st (Kmart), then left into Moorabool st. Left into West fyans the left up Swanston St
Along Swanston st, right at Portartlington Rd, past Geelong High school and then left Into Limburners rd
Through eastern park and then along the waterfront to Glentheith Ave.
Over Telegraph bridge and straight up Church st, then home. Thats about 26k

Sorry for those not living in this area and boring you!!

Last advise Im seeking is - when should I have my last ride before the big day? 3 days?

Simon......... mate - I havent missed an F1 GP since 1996 in Melbourne! Working for Toyota, I have ALWAYS attended the GP and am an F1 nut! Even have a Senna tattoo! Too much information, I know... sorry
:D Try going down Cementies hill and up the Deviation as part of your ride we do it as part of a 70k ride on a sunday if your earlier than 8 am there will be minimal traffic,
I have done the full Challenge ride a couple of times and some hill riding is good for the legs

cheers
Scott

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squizz_08
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby squizz_08 » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:26 pm

That's a great little climb there Scott - sorts the legs out.


Also, try a few UCI World Champs laps at around 7:30 or so on a Saturday - you'll understand it's not that much of a sprinters course. Plus will get a really great knowledge of the ride once the big race rolls into town :D

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snark
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby snark » Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:54 pm

squizz_08 wrote:Also, try a few UCI World Champs laps at around 7:30 or so on a Saturday - you'll understand it's not that much of a sprinters course. Plus will get a really great knowledge of the ride once the big race rolls into town :D
That Challambra Cres isn't quite my definition of fun...

Cheers,
Simon.
Phil Liggett, TdF 2011, Alpe-d'Huez: "I reckon tonight in hindsight he may have won the Tour de France tomorrow."

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squizz_08
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Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby squizz_08 » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:30 am

I'm more concerned about the fuzz sitting on Scenic Road into Queens Park with radar guns.

Would be just my luck I get pinged by one for passing cars - so easy to get over 60km/h down there.

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Argon18
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Location: Geelong

Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Fri Feb 26, 2010 1:23 pm

This may be OLD news to you but I use this website to map out rides

If you know of any others, please feel free to share

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

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Argon18
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Location: Geelong

Re: 1st Challenge/Race

Postby Argon18 » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:17 am

Gents,

GREAT day it was!

60ks in 2 hours 20 minutes. Luckily enough I didnt forget to switch the Garmin on!

I cramped in both calfs between 15 and 22k mark but came good after that. Powered home!

looking forward to completing the 145k event next year!

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