Ride London 2014

I'm in!!!

Early this week I got this through the door:

I'm really pleased - I failed to get in through the ballot last year and only entered again this in a half hearted way expecting another reject, but got in. Unfortunately my son who also entered didn't get in.

The downside is the logistics will be challenging although the upside is that my parents live in Dartford, Kent, so a long weekend will need to be arranged. I'll look at the logistics of getting to and from the start and finish nearer the time.

Another downside is that I really want to do some training now. I have ridden some 100mile sportives before so know the distance is not really an issue and I'm pretty bike fit, but I have not ridden more that 80 miles for the last 18 months or so. 2013 was pretty hard to find the time so I am going to have to make an effort. I don't believe the route is that challenging compared to other 80+ mile events and have ridden Box Hill last year (although not after 70 miles). I believe the hardest climb may be Leith Hill, but looking at the simple route most of it is flat. The route is here.

I put down 6 hours 9 minutes as a time based on being a bit quicker than my previous 100 mile rides, but am going to try for sub 5½ hours or quicker. I was also looking at possibly doing a 100miler this summer - probably this one - dynamic-100 but now that I am in the London event its almost a certainty. It starts about 4 miles from my house so the logistics are easy and it will have to be on a lot of the roads I already know so pacing should be easy as well, knowing what I need to save myself for

Lets hope it all goes to plan!

Strava Challenges

Strava - the primary motivator? Or just a means to talk the talk?

Every month on Strava there's at least one challenge, possibly two. What is this challenge? Normally some absurd target that mere cycling mortals like myself can't hope to achieve. Until about 1/2 way through last year I never really bothered as I knew I wouldn't be able to complete them. Then on the excellent veloviewer site a new page appeared showing how well you were progressing against these challenges whether you had signed up for them or not. As a result I now sign up to them regardless of chance of completion as I'll see the desperately low level of achievement regardless.

On the veloviewer page there are 35 challenges listed. I have completed just 2. There is about 2 others that I got close to completing but most of them I am lucky to have achieved over 50%. 

Any in the winter are non-starters. The Rapha 500 is such an example. I just don't have the time to ride 500km in the 10 days or so that it runs for. And even if I did the weather is likely to stop riding and I can't and don't want to be that selfish to the rest of the family.

One way to possibly look at achieving this challenge could be to take this approach: http://cyclingtips.com.au/2014/01/riding-the-festive-500-in-one-go/

Maximum kudos but they had to be somewhat mad to attempt it! 

If I achieve another 2 this year I'll be ecstatic, but as I mentioned in an earlier post it cost me pretty dear to do the miles.