6 weeks to prepare for the 2015 Etape du Tour.

[Kawasicki]

jamiebae said:

Any local bike shop will be able to sort it I'm sure, so no need to go to Rose unless you happen to live by one of their places.

I'm an hour and a half from Munich, so even though I have just fixed the bike, I booked it in for a service. I want another set of eyes to check the bike before I do the event.

[47p2]

Kawasicki said:

Do I have a hope in hell of completing the event?

Pros

Don't mind pain...

Cons
40 years old
Not fit

Do I have a snowballs chance? I will buy a more suitable bike if I could realistically finish.

Hope this is a bit of inspiration for you...

I signed up for the 3 Pistes Sportive last year as soon as it came online, 102 miles (165km) and 9711 feet (2960 metres) of climbing. Unfortunately I broke two vertebrae on 6th May (3 weeks before the sportive) so I had to pull out. I had cycled through the winter on a single speed bike, climbed thousands of feet on it and covered around 2000 miles, I was fitter than I had ever been but there was no way I could even get out of my bed to do the route.

My miles are way down since I broke my back, I now leave the harder climbs out of my cycling as I have ongoing pain in my spine and arms but I still manage to get about 100-140 miles a week in at the present time with moderate climbing. A week ago on Sunday was the 2015 3 Piste Sportive and even though I have not done anywhere near that sort of mileage since my fracture I decided at the last minute to put my name in for it. We were forewarned the weather was going to be rough, the rain, sleet, snow and gale force winds made the 102 miles feel like 204 miles, a headwind for the last 40 miles was torturous but I was determined I was going to finish and with a bit of encouragement from my cycling buddy I managed to complete the route.

On a final note I could only wish I was 40 again, I'm almost 50% older than you...


Good luck and enjoy the day

[Kawasicki]

47p2 said:

Hope this is a bit of inspiration for you...

I signed up for the 3 Pistes Sportive last year as soon as it came online, 102 miles (165km) and 9711 feet (2960 metres) of climbing. Unfortunately I broke two vertebrae on 6th May (3 weeks before the sportive) so I had to pull out. I had cycled through the winter on a single speed bike, climbed thousands of feet on it and covered around 2000 miles, I was fitter than I had ever been but there was no way I could even get out of my bed to do the route.

My miles are way down since I broke my back, I now leave the harder climbs out of my cycling as I have ongoing pain in my spine and arms but I still manage to get about 100-140 miles a week in at the present time with moderate climbing. A week ago on Sunday was the 2015 3 Piste Sportive and even though I have not done anywhere near that sort of mileage since my fracture I decided at the last minute to put my name in for it. We were forewarned the weather was going to be rough, the rain, sleet, snow and gale force winds made the 102 miles feel like 204 miles, a headwind for the last 40 miles was torturous but I was determined I was going to finish and with a bit of encouragement from my cycling buddy I managed to complete the route.

On a final note I could only wish I was 40 again, I'm almost 50% older than you...


Good luck and enjoy the day

OK, so that puts my task into perspective. Glad you are still doing what you love, hope I can at your age.

[Marcellus]

Just saw this and thought it may be useful for the OP;

http://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/how-to-train-for-t...

[williaa68]

47p2 said:

Kawasicki said:

Do I have a hope in hell of completing the event?

Pros

Don't mind pain...

Cons
40 years old
Not fit

Do I have a snowballs chance? I will buy a more suitable bike if I could realistically finish.

Hope this is a bit of inspiration for you...

I am a year behind you, almost to the day. I fractured two vertebrae on 2nd May this year. Your story gives me hope, although I suspect i wasnt quite as fit before the accident!

I signed up for the 3 Pistes Sportive last year as soon as it came online, 102 miles (165km) and 9711 feet (2960 metres) of climbing. Unfortunately I broke two vertebrae on 6th May (3 weeks before the sportive) so I had to pull out. I had cycled through the winter on a single speed bike, climbed thousands of feet on it and covered around 2000 miles, I was fitter than I had ever been but there was no way I could even get out of my bed to do the route.

My miles are way down since I broke my back, I now leave the harder climbs out of my cycling as I have ongoing pain in my spine and arms but I still manage to get about 100-140 miles a week in at the present time with moderate climbing. A week ago on Sunday was the 2015 3 Piste Sportive and even though I have not done anywhere near that sort of mileage since my fracture I decided at the last minute to put my name in for it. We were forewarned the weather was going to be rough, the rain, sleet, snow and gale force winds made the 102 miles feel like 204 miles, a headwind for the last 40 miles was torturous but I was determined I was going to finish and with a bit of encouragement from my cycling buddy I managed to complete the route.

On a final note I could only wish I was 40 again, I'm almost 50% older than you...


Good luck and enjoy the day

I am a year behind you, almost to the day! I fractured two vertebrae on Sat 2nd May this year. Your story is quite inspirational, although I am not sure I was as fit before the accident. Good luck, OP.

[47p2]

williaa68 said:

I am a year behind you, almost to the day! I fractured two vertebrae on Sat 2nd May this year. Your story is quite inspirational, although I am not sure I was as fit before the accident. Good luck, OP.

Sorry to hear that williaa68, it's a tough place for you to be for you right now and it takes a good few months to get back into the swing of things. If you need any help or advice just pm me and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.

[Kawasicki]

Training going fine....resisting the urge to go flat out all the time. Just back from 172km ride in the wind and rain, 2100 m climbed. Obviously not as hard as the event, but it wasn't intended to replicate it.

Going to do 90 minutes at 175bpm on Monday evening. That'll hurt...

Oh yeah, I've lost a load of weight...down to 66kg. Way less blubber everywhere.

[outnumbered]

Sounds like you're going great... Keep it up and you'll certainly get round the event OK.

[Janosh]

Kawasicki said:

Training going fine....resisting the urge to go flat out all the time. Just back from 172km ride in the wind and rain, 2100 m climbed. Obviously not as hard as the event, but it wasn't intended to replicate it.

Going to do 90 minutes at 175bpm on Monday evening. That'll hurt...

Oh yeah, I've lost a load of weight...down to 66kg. Way less blubber everywhere.

Sounds like you're in better shape than about half of the starters! You'll be fine

[Mark83]

I dragged my 95kg self up grand tour climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees last year so you should be OK. I even managed Ventoux three times in a day. I did have to rely on my mates though encouraging me on and I learned what suffering on a bike was. There nothing near me that could have prepared me for a >2hr climb so I just Rule #5'd up. I lightened my bike to about 7kg and coupled a 12-30 cassette to a compact chainset which helped.

I'm also out there for the Etape. We're arriving Friday 17 July evening and staying until Friday 24 July morning.

To help me mentally, I'm breaking the ride into two parts. The 123km St Jean de Maurienne loop and then the final climb. There's now a map showing the times you need to reach each checkpoint to avoid elimination which might also help. I know I can do the kms and elevation, I've done it before, but elimination worries me.

If you want an idea of my riding (and lack of pace) leading up to the Etape, I'm on Strava and in the PH group too https://www.strava.com/athletes/4457740

[Longers]

Mark83 said:

.... but elimination worries me.

I know exactly what you mean!

I completed last year's Etape but that doesn't make me feel confident about this one at all. When doing a UK sportive I try and do the best time I can, usually setting off with a target time/ ave mph in mind to keep me focussed and pushing until the end. It's different for the Etape though - the fear of failure is what keeps me going (through the training rides and during the event).

[Mark83]

Longers said:

I know exactly what you mean!

I completed last year's Etape but that doesn't make me feel confident about this one at all. When doing a UK sportive I try and do the best time I can, usually setting off with a target time/ ave mph in mind to keep me focussed and pushing until the end. It's different for the Etape though - the fear of failure is what keeps me going (through the training rides and during the event).

How did you get on on last year's Etape? Every one I've spoken to who did it said how awful the weather was. Descending off the Tourmalet in glorious weather last year was one memory I will never forget. I didn't want it to end. If I had to do that in the pouring rain and freezing cold... I think I'd want it to be over as quickly as possible.

[johnxjsc1985]

bravo to anyone taking this on but anyone who isnt fit must be insane but I do admire anyone who has ambition.

[okgo]

As long as you can ride for a long time without getting aches and pains and you take sensible gearing for your ability then the only question will be whether you make the time cut or not I would imagine.

140k isn't short, but a lot of it is downhill

[Kawasicki]

Four weeks training behind me, 2 left to do. I've lost 5kg...and i'm much faster/fitter.

Doing some serious climbing this weekend in Austria, it will be hot too, brutal. Zillertaler Höhenstrasse. I'm sorta sh!tting it.

[Longers]

Mark83 said:

How did you get on on last year's Etape? Every one I've spoken to who did it said how awful the weather was.

And they are right! I didn't realise it was possible to shiver that much By the summit of the Tourmalet I was soaked through and it was very cold. I was shaking so much on the descent I was struggling to keep the bike upright so I had to stop several times and do star jumps! At the bottom a fleet of amubulances were waiting and riders were being wrapped in survival blankets. I decided the best way to warm up was a big gulp of Rule #5 and to keep pedalling

I'd not been riding long so it was my first time doing something like that. Hard work but I loved it, the sense of achievement was overwhelming.

[Longers]

okgo said:

140k isn't short, but a lot of it is downhill

I'm doing the Etape de Yorkshire tomorrow which is longer. It's not the distance of the Alpine Etape which worries me, it's the long climbs. Although a lot IS downhill, it's an uphill finish and I've read somewhere that 48% of the route goes up...

[Longers]

Kawasicki said:

I've lost 5kg...and i'm much faster/fitter.

[Kawasicki]

Update...did two laps of the zillertaler hohenstrasse this weekend. One lap Saturday afternoon, one lap Sunday morning. I'm slow but the climbs were long and steep, worse than the Etape. Feeling pretty confident now. The descents were uncomfortable, as the road surface was terrible. I've buckled my rear wheel a little and the bearings don't sound too good either.

Thanks for all the advice/encouragement. I would say that the best training for me was a mix of longish medium rides and a few 1 hour rides at threshold, with my heart bpm around the 175 mark. I'm not sure hills are required for training, but they definitely help with mental preparation.

4 weeks of training has worked, hopefully I'll be finished the event itself this time two weeks.

[johnxjsc1985]

Kawasicki said:

Update...did two laps of the zillertaler hohenstrasse this weekend. One lap Saturday afternoon, one lap Sunday morning. I'm slow but the climbs were long and steep, worse than the Etape. Feeling pretty confident now. The descents were uncomfortable, as the road surface was terrible. I've buckled my rear wheel a little and the bearings don't sound too good either.

Thanks for all the advice/encouragement. I would say that the best training for me was a mix of longish medium rides and a few 1 hour rides at threshold, with my heart bpm around the 175 mark. I'm not sure hills are required for training, but they definitely help with mental preparation.

4 weeks of training has worked, hopefully I'll be finished the event itself this time two weeks.

Good luck and above all else enjoy it.