Planning a very long ride - 8 hrs - Page 14 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-12-2004, 04:20 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>
>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go. If
>boredom is a problem for you on long rides, see if you can find a
>friend who rides at a similar pace (a club is a good source for riding
>friends) who can ride at least part of the way. Also, if you can
>select a visually interesting route that you aren't really familiar
>with, it might make it more interesting. Should be lots of visual
>stimulation in Virginia Beach, though! :-) Also see if you can select
>your route so that there are minimal stops and starts, such as traffic
>lights, cross streets, etc. The constant stopping and restarting can
>really wear you down after a while.
>
>The important thing is to condition your legs to spin for many hours
>at a time, and short rides of less than 15 miles or so aren't really
>going to help very much. If you can do a couple rides a week in the 30
>to 40 mile range, it will help a lot, along with at least one day a
>week off the bike for recovery. Your muscles get stronger on the days
>that you rest, not the days that you ride.
>
>Have fun!
>
>Jonathan Quist

Hey JQ, good thoughts. Since I'm on a 'streak' I probably won't take any
days off, but I can certainly schedule an 'easy' day. I'm now doing 30
miles per day, a couple times a week, and the other days I'll do that much
total, but broken down into 15 mile segments about 4 hours apart.

I'm planning to look into group rides, and I'll see if I can find a loop in
Va beach that has less stopping and starting. For those that might be
interested, I got the '135 miles of bike trails' off of a map that is
available in the ranger station at Seashore Natn'l Park. THey have one on
the wall, and the folder is at the desk (it's blueish on the cover - note
these are not continuous miles, but broken up and coded as to type of
route.

I plan to do at least one half-century a month (July, Aug), and a metric
century in Sept. I'd like to do the metric without stopping (except to swap
out water and hit the rest-room, etc.)

Hey, cool name! Jonny Quist... ;-p

-B

06-12-2004, 04:39 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go.

Ya know I just realized something - this is a great tip! But not only on
long rides - it also can help on shorter rides, wrt the boredom, etc.

I think it will be a lot easier to get those 40 milers if I don't think of
it as one long ride, but perhaps as three 13 milers (I have a 13 mile
loop).

It's amazing how it can be a stumper to start out thinking 'jeeze the
schedule says I'm riding 25 miles today for the third day in a row -
blech', but when I get to the 20 mile point I'm thinking 'wow, were did the
time (and the miles) go?'.

One thing that is neat also is if you have a 'problem' you're trying to
solve. I've actually ridden 10 miles at a stretch and have no memory of it
at all, b/c, although I was 'there' enough to navigate, my mind was so
wrapped up in the problem solving that it fugued.

Uh, certainly this happens driving, but it was funny the first time it
happened on the bike, b/c I try to remember and record my split times. Well
I pulled up Excel after the ride and realized I had no freakin' idea what
my splits were and couldn't even remember the ride. I had to go down and
check the bike computer to make sure I hadn't dreamed it, haha.

-B

06-12-2004, 04:39 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go.

Ya know I just realized something - this is a great tip! But not only on
long rides - it also can help on shorter rides, wrt the boredom, etc.

I think it will be a lot easier to get those 40 milers if I don't think of
it as one long ride, but perhaps as three 13 milers (I have a 13 mile
loop).

It's amazing how it can be a stumper to start out thinking 'jeeze the
schedule says I'm riding 25 miles today for the third day in a row -
blech', but when I get to the 20 mile point I'm thinking 'wow, were did the
time (and the miles) go?'.

One thing that is neat also is if you have a 'problem' you're trying to
solve. I've actually ridden 10 miles at a stretch and have no memory of it
at all, b/c, although I was 'there' enough to navigate, my mind was so
wrapped up in the problem solving that it fugued.

Uh, certainly this happens driving, but it was funny the first time it
happened on the bike, b/c I try to remember and record my split times. Well
I pulled up Excel after the ride and realized I had no freakin' idea what
my splits were and couldn't even remember the ride. I had to go down and
check the bike computer to make sure I hadn't dreamed it, haha.

-B

06-12-2004, 04:39 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go.

Ya know I just realized something - this is a great tip! But not only on
long rides - it also can help on shorter rides, wrt the boredom, etc.

I think it will be a lot easier to get those 40 milers if I don't think of
it as one long ride, but perhaps as three 13 milers (I have a 13 mile
loop).

It's amazing how it can be a stumper to start out thinking 'jeeze the
schedule says I'm riding 25 miles today for the third day in a row -
blech', but when I get to the 20 mile point I'm thinking 'wow, were did the
time (and the miles) go?'.

One thing that is neat also is if you have a 'problem' you're trying to
solve. I've actually ridden 10 miles at a stretch and have no memory of it
at all, b/c, although I was 'there' enough to navigate, my mind was so
wrapped up in the problem solving that it fugued.

Uh, certainly this happens driving, but it was funny the first time it
happened on the bike, b/c I try to remember and record my split times. Well
I pulled up Excel after the ride and realized I had no freakin' idea what
my splits were and couldn't even remember the ride. I had to go down and
check the bike computer to make sure I hadn't dreamed it, haha.

-B

06-12-2004, 04:39 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go.

Ya know I just realized something - this is a great tip! But not only on
long rides - it also can help on shorter rides, wrt the boredom, etc.

I think it will be a lot easier to get those 40 milers if I don't think of
it as one long ride, but perhaps as three 13 milers (I have a 13 mile
loop).

It's amazing how it can be a stumper to start out thinking 'jeeze the
schedule says I'm riding 25 miles today for the third day in a row -
blech', but when I get to the 20 mile point I'm thinking 'wow, were did the
time (and the miles) go?'.

One thing that is neat also is if you have a 'problem' you're trying to
solve. I've actually ridden 10 miles at a stretch and have no memory of it
at all, b/c, although I was 'there' enough to navigate, my mind was so
wrapped up in the problem solving that it fugued.

Uh, certainly this happens driving, but it was funny the first time it
happened on the bike, b/c I try to remember and record my split times. Well
I pulled up Excel after the ride and realized I had no freakin' idea what
my splits were and couldn't even remember the ride. I had to go down and
check the bike computer to make sure I hadn't dreamed it, haha.

-B

06-12-2004, 04:39 AM

On 11 Jun 2004 23:43:59 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Jonathan Quist) wrote:

>When I do a century, I mentally break it down into four 25 mile
>segments, and I don't think beyond the current segment. 25 miles goes
>by fairly quickly, and I find that it doesn't seem too long before I'm
>finishing the third segment, and have only 25 miles left to go.

Ya know I just realized something - this is a great tip! But not only on
long rides - it also can help on shorter rides, wrt the boredom, etc.

I think it will be a lot easier to get those 40 milers if I don't think of
it as one long ride, but perhaps as three 13 milers (I have a 13 mile
loop).

It's amazing how it can be a stumper to start out thinking 'jeeze the
schedule says I'm riding 25 miles today for the third day in a row -
blech', but when I get to the 20 mile point I'm thinking 'wow, were did the
time (and the miles) go?'.

One thing that is neat also is if you have a 'problem' you're trying to
solve. I've actually ridden 10 miles at a stretch and have no memory of it
at all, b/c, although I was 'there' enough to navigate, my mind was so
wrapped up in the problem solving that it fugued.

Uh, certainly this happens driving, but it was funny the first time it
happened on the bike, b/c I try to remember and record my split times. Well
I pulled up Excel after the ride and realized I had no freakin' idea what
my splits were and couldn't even remember the ride. I had to go down and
check the bike computer to make sure I hadn't dreamed it, haha.

-B

06-12-2004, 08:00 AM

Badger_South <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Thanks for relating your experience. If you don't mind my asking, where did
> you tour? Road condition - flat, gentle rolling, etc.?

minneapolis to cheyenne, wy to pueblo, co to missoula to the oregon coast
to seattle and back down to los angeles. soo, flat, rolling and mountainous,
highways and the occassional interstate (several hundred miles of interstate).
if you think mountains are bad wait until you hit the 20-30 mph headwinds of
south dakota. no joke. riding in the mountains is actually quite fun ..
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-12-2004, 08:00 AM

Badger_South <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Thanks for relating your experience. If you don't mind my asking, where did
> you tour? Road condition - flat, gentle rolling, etc.?

minneapolis to cheyenne, wy to pueblo, co to missoula to the oregon coast
to seattle and back down to los angeles. soo, flat, rolling and mountainous,
highways and the occassional interstate (several hundred miles of interstate).
if you think mountains are bad wait until you hit the 20-30 mph headwinds of
south dakota. no joke. riding in the mountains is actually quite fun ..
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-12-2004, 08:00 AM

Badger_South <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Thanks for relating your experience. If you don't mind my asking, where did
> you tour? Road condition - flat, gentle rolling, etc.?

minneapolis to cheyenne, wy to pueblo, co to missoula to the oregon coast
to seattle and back down to los angeles. soo, flat, rolling and mountainous,
highways and the occassional interstate (several hundred miles of interstate).
if you think mountains are bad wait until you hit the 20-30 mph headwinds of
south dakota. no joke. riding in the mountains is actually quite fun ..
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

06-12-2004, 08:00 AM

Badger_South <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Thanks for relating your experience. If you don't mind my asking, where did
> you tour? Road condition - flat, gentle rolling, etc.?

minneapolis to cheyenne, wy to pueblo, co to missoula to the oregon coast
to seattle and back down to los angeles. soo, flat, rolling and mountainous,
highways and the occassional interstate (several hundred miles of interstate).
if you think mountains are bad wait until you hit the 20-30 mph headwinds of
south dakota. no joke. riding in the mountains is actually quite fun ..
--
david reuteler
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]