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Getting the miles in

Por Ian Cleverly • 16th December 2010 02:51pm • Publicado en Rouleur

Laying the foundations for the upcoming year by preparing the body with a block of long steady rides, marks the end of the social season and the beginning of the antisocial season.

No more drinks with the boys; every dinner and party invitation cross-referenced with the training diary before acceptance; every available waking hour planned and pre-meditated. The trouble is, real life has a habit of intruding on the best-laid plans. Illness, family and work chip away at those carefully charted rides with increasing frequency until, before you know it, Spring has sprung and it’s all too late.

Now, the chaps at Rapha have come up with a fiendish plan to kick-start the process using Christmas week, a time when – let’s face it – drinking and eating have lost their appeal and most of us are champing at the bit by Boxing Day, desperate to get out on the road. Rapha’s Graeme Raeburn, being made of an altogether stiffer fibre than us mortals (or mad as a ferret – the jury is still out on that one) managed to clock over 1,000kms last year in some challenging weather conditions.

The Rapha Festive 500 is, as the name suggests, half the target of Graeme’s mile-munching, kilometre-crunching extravaganza and, therefore, eminently feasible, even for a lightweight like me. A little forethought is required here; a training schedule, something like this –

• Thursday 23rd: 100km road.
• Friday 24th: 50km road.
• Saturday 25th: Eat, drink, be merry.
• Sunday 26th: 50km road.
• Monday 27th: Ride to ‘cross race 50km.
• Tuesday 28th: 80km road.
• Wednesday 29th: 50km MTB.
• Thursday 30th: 120 km road.

And now the probable reality…

• Thursday 23rd: Totally washed out due to delayed flight into Luton because of snow. Fall asleep on sofa.
• Friday 24th: Presents to wrap and work to finish before break. Manage half hour on turbo.
• Saturday 25th: Eat, drink, be merry.
• Sunday 26th: Family coming for lunch. Riding out of the question.
• Monday 27th: Ride to ‘cross race 50km
• Tuesday 28th: Apparently, stripping wallpaper in the summer does not qualify as ‘decorating the bedroom’. Drive to Homebase.
• Wednesday 29th: Apply Homebase products to wall.
• Thursday 30th: More snow. One hour on turbo before head falls off. Spend evening compiling New Year’s resolutions.

Back to you in January with an update, hopefully closer to the first scenario than the second, but no promises.

Comentarios

Joe Hall

16th December 2010 03:44pm

Of course, the Rapha Festive 500 is measured in kilometres so if you like to count your distance in old money, the distance is just over 310 miles (310.685596 to be precise).

matt .

17th December 2010 02:51am

Why didn't you up the distance challenge and run this through Jan 2nd? Lots of people will have off that Fri-Sun, allowing more time for miles (or K's).

'Course, we got our first snow of the season here today so my goals are probly moot at this point.

Stefan Rohner

17th December 2010 04:57am

matthew, why do we need somebody who tells us when to cycle? ;)) cycle whenever you feel like, it is for your own fun … have a nice day.

Joe Hall

17th December 2010 10:08am

Matthew, why not up the challenge yourself? In some ways [although not many : ) ] Stefan is right, we're not telling you how or when to ride but we certainly want to inspire you to get out there, even if it is snowing. Good luck!

Tim Norman

17th December 2010 12:13pm

The snow issue may be a little problematical at home - after last year's riding to the station through snow drifts, blizzards etc. and, when my wife eventually found out that I had done 13 miles to the next station instead of 1 to the nearest (a friend let it slip), I may find my tyres let down or slashed should I attempt to venture outside in dubious conditions this time around ! I did love the snow in the dark with good lights, though - great feeling !

stuart Price

17th December 2010 12:38pm

Anybody up for a Century per month challenge for 2011?

James Fairbank

17th December 2010 01:09pm

@Stuart Price, I'm up for that. The snow forecast looks like it's going to make 500km in the Cotswolds a sterner challenge than I'd originally anticipated…

stuart Price

17th December 2010 01:19pm

I've decided that next year i'm riding not so many sportives but will be mixing it with some of the rides organised by Audax UK (AUK). They have routes from 100k to 1200k and some of them are seriously tough challenges. Anyone much experience of them?

Stefan Rohner

18th December 2010 07:22pm

last 4 days: +7h20min + 6h50min + 8h15min + 5h40min why wait for the 23? ;)

Ben Brown

18th December 2010 09:11pm

Cor, the last time I rode like that consecutively … I was getting paid to. I will be doing the Rapha Festive 5. Seconds. On rollers, gulping a shot no-handed, as a New Years Eve party trick.

William Millard

20th December 2010 07:52am

I really want to do the 500 but the foot of snow on the ground suggests that it is not a realistic option this year. Bummer

Joe Hall

20th December 2010 10:39am

Hey Stefan,
seeing as you probably don't have snow where you are, and are getting a head start over many of us, why don't you aim for 5000km? : )

Stefan Rohner

20th December 2010 01:48pm

Joe, what about 290h from 01.10.2010 * 24km/h makes? so 5000 are done ;) our game started the 1. of October and finishes the 31 of Dezember. visit the "Autumn Cup" thread in the forum.

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