# entered my first 100k audax



## sarahpink (21 Jun 2010)

so my local ctc is having a 100k audax, never done anything like this before. can do 30 miles in one go quite easy and their is only 2 hills on this which don't look that bad. any advice on preperation for this? nutrition for the ride etc? nervous but excited about it


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## rsvdaz (22 Jun 2010)

which one you doing Sarah?
Is it the Devon Delight?
I'm considering doing this one after the Dartmoor Classic.
For what I agether there is only 2 climbs and its a fairly gentle course


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## jimboalee (22 Jun 2010)

I was down that way the other week. On the 'Cornishman' Steam train.

The route must be along the sea front if there are only 2 hills. 

http://www.ctcdevon.co.uk/delight_info.htm


One word of warning. Look at the route profile. The first 10km or so is consistantly UPHILL to Ashcombe Cross.
Everyone will lose a lot of speed in this first 10km,, the 10km where everyone is riding with stone cold muscles.

For a rider who has never done a 100 before, the thoughts of "What am I doing here?" will cross your mind. DON'T give up, the veiws will be a tremendous reward once the hill is conquered.

And remember, the final 20 km is ALL DOWNHILL.


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## Scoosh (22 Jun 2010)

sarahpink said:


> so my local ctc is having a 100k audax, never done anything like this before. can do 30 miles in one go quite easy and their is only 2 hills on this which don't look that bad. any advice on preperation for this? nutrition for the ride etc? nervous but excited about it


I would reckon that, if you can do 30 miles (50K) quite easily, then you should manage a 100k Audax "quite easily" too .

The usual cycling nutrition 'rules' apply - drink before thirsty, eat before hungry.

For me, this equates to keeping a careful eye on a clock (on my bike 'puter) and having a mouthful or 2 every 15-20 mins. I need the discipline of the timing or else I forget . I use plain water in one bottle, electrolyte stuff in the next and so on.

Eating similarly - a series of small bites/nibbles along the way is fine but stopping at a Control and having a 20-30 min break from riding makes a big difference and can be really revitalising. Knowing what to eat is good too - soup/roll/cake or fatty fry-up ? 

'Ride Management' is one of the keys to audaxing/doing audax rides. I was very poor at this on most of my earlier rides. How long to stop at a Control; what to eat; how quick is the service; how is my time doing ... all these are factors to consider but, as long as you are within the time at each control - no worries .

Pacing is another key. Sometimes it is good to be a steady 'plodder', though a 'quick plodder' is better .

There are only 'Completed' and 'DNF' for audax rides. Other than personal challenge/satisfaction bragging rights ?  there is no difference. 

Remember, an Audax is not a race - it's about going round a specific route within certain time constraints - neither too fast nor too slow. The rider who finishes 1min after the final Control opens has "Completed the Ride" just the same as the rider who comes in 1min before the Control closes.

Naturally we often set ourselves goals/targets - to ride all the way (no walking up the BIG hills ); a certain time; before dark; alongside/before XXX. It takes some time and experience to learn what I call Ride Management and I still have a lot to learn. Of course, one cannot buy that experience ...

To Complete is success.

You will have a great ride and a real sense of achievement when you finish .

Rather a long, waffly post but HTH


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## Landslide (22 Jun 2010)

I think Scoosh has the eating + drinking pretty well covered there.

Whilst Audax events are about self-reliance, I (and many others) tend to ride with friends/companions. I find riding with others (even if not drafting them) makes a big difference, you help each other along.


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## yello (22 Jun 2010)

jimboalee said:


> For a rider who has never done a 100 before, the thoughts of "What am I doing here?" will cross your mind. DON'T give up



Oh my, this is so true. It happens to us all sometime at whatever distance we do. Audax is/can be as much 'in the head' as the legs and you really do have to have mental strength too on the odd occasion. Rest assured, the sense of achievement at the finish is multiplied if you've had doubts along the way.

If you can ride, say, 75km then 100 is within your reach.


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## Baggy (22 Jun 2010)

rsvdaz said:


> which one you doing Sarah?
> Is it the Devon Delight?
> I'm considering doing this one after the Dartmoor Classic.
> For what I agether there is only 2 climbs and its a fairly gentle course


Chuffy and I have ridden the Devon Delight a couple of times - there is one longish climb (Longdown) but other than that it's a nice ride and usually has a really good turnout. There is a control half way round so you can have a rest and refuel with cake.

Agree that if you're riding 30 miles now that by the time this comes round you should be fine.

Good advice has been given here already, but my one tip would be to take an OS map, just in case!


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## jimboalee (22 Jun 2010)

You may see other riders nibbling bars and chewies during the ride, but the bulk of the energy for the ride was eaten the previous afternoon.

The energy gels etc are for instant energy when approaching a hill. Pro riders carry bottles of glucose syrup.

Most riders use about 50 kCals / mile. It tots up to 3000 kCals total. At the intensity of an Audax, half of this will be fatty acid synthesised from fat reserves during the ride. So that leaves 1500 kCals to cram down the gullet before going to bed the night before the ride.


About Audaxes. You will be given a 'Brevet card' with panels for the 'Stamp' controls and some panels where questions must be answered en-route.

When you return to the finish, as long as the stamp controls are signed within their opening times and the answers to the questions are correct, it doesn't matter what route you take.

It might be confusing, but you may see one or two riders leave the route that is detailed on the routesheet. The min speed is 10 kmh. They might be going for a paddle,  and have confidence they can catch up time.

What you CANNOT do however, is ask someone else to get your card signed at a 'stamp' control.


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## rsvdaz (22 Jun 2010)

what sort of questions will they be?
about the route or general knowledge..should i be revising???


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## Landslide (22 Jun 2010)

The questions are normally along the lines of "At place _x_ what is the distance on the signpost to place _y_?" or "How much is the total raised on the church roof fund?"
They're not the sort of thing you can revise and are a way of checking you've actually been to a certain place.


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## sarahpink (22 Jun 2010)

wow thanks so much for the replies have really helped me loads. feel slightly less scared now

rsvdaz-hi yes its the devon delight one, wow your brave after the dartmoor classic, heard its a tough one. maybe one for next year I think. 

jimboalle-wow didn't know you burn 50 calories a mile, and 3000 seems a lot. so you think i could eat 3000 and not have to worry about eating too much? so 1500 cals the night before, is this on top of what i would usually eat?

scoosh-thanks for the well detailed reply. the bit about food as really helped, as well i kind of find it difficult to realise sensations such as hungry and eating at set times is what helps me to stay in control, and think if i plan what to take and a few extras in case i need them i should be fine. well for me heopfully they will be some soup and roll or some bananas or something lol. your post wasnt wafty at all really appreciated. 

lanslide-thanks well a few of the ladies their gave me their phone number and will be riding with them, terrible at getting lost lol

yello-thanks.

baggy-well i have just got a garmin edge 705 so hoping that will help me along my way, not sure if i can read maps


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## Scoosh (22 Jun 2010)

sarahpink said:


> wow thanks so much for the replies have really helped me loads. feel slightly less scared now
> 
> scoosh-thanks for the well detailed reply. the bit about food as really helped, as well i kind of find it difficult to realise sensations such as hungry and eating at set times is what helps me to stay in control, and think if i plan what to take and a few extras in case i need them i should be fine. well for me hopefully they will be some soup and roll or some bananas or something lol. your post wasn't waffly at all - really appreciated.
> 
> lanslide-thanks well a few of the ladies their gave me their phone number and will be riding with them, terrible at getting lost lol


Glad you are feeling less scared . I always get wound up before a ride, then find I really enjoy it once I get going.  It's a confidence thing .... 

I would reckon that, if you eat soup/roll and a cake/coffee at around the 50-60k mark, you will be fine. You'll feel better for having a real break and the chat at a cafe is always encouraging. Just keep an eye on the time and don't hang around _too_ long .

No ladies ever give me their phone numbers ..... <humph, kicks tin can> ......



.... errrr, except my wife, of course  <whew !>

Remember to let us know how you get on


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## Baggy (22 Jun 2010)

sarahpink said:


> baggy-well i have just got a garmin edge 705 so hoping that will help me along my way, not sure if i can read maps


Ah well, as you've got people to ride with then that's one less thing to worry about! It should be a good day out, hope the sun comes out for you.


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## jimboalee (23 Jun 2010)

sarahpink said:


> wow thanks so much for the replies have really helped me loads. feel slightly less scared now
> 
> rsvdaz-hi yes its the devon delight one, wow your brave after the dartmoor classic, heard its a tough one. maybe one for next year I think.
> 
> ...



3000 is your total burn. Half of this will be fatty acids due to the low intensity.
1500 is ADDed to your Basal Metabolic Rate and what you usually eat.

There should be at least two 'stamp controls'. If the first is after two hours, do not stop for longer than 30 minutes. Your muscles will cool down too much. Give yourself a stretching session at each stop, and try to keep the legs moving to avoid 'blood pooling'.


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## PpPete (23 Jun 2010)

All good advice but when the going gets tough....there is only one solution. 
If you do not have these in your saddlebag or jersey pocket you will fail.



























Only kidding ! but to me they are a lot more palatable than gels.


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## e-rider (23 Jun 2010)

I cycled through Devon last year on LEJOG and I find it very difficult to believe that it is possible to have a flat 100km route in Devon - I'd never seen so many hills!


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## John the Monkey (23 Jun 2010)

porkypete said:


> Only kidding ! but to me they are a lot more palatable than gels.


I have to add a recommendation for Co-Op wine gums too...


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## rsvdaz (23 Jun 2010)

tundragumski said:


> I cycled through Devon last year on LEJOG and I find it very difficult to believe that it is possible to have a flat 100km route in Devon - I'd never seen so many hills!


haha your not wrong....although north out of exeter to Thorverton/Tiverton is fairly flat..(thats flat in Devon terms)


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## Ian H (23 Jun 2010)

It's a good 100k to begin with. There's generally plenty of food and the organiser will be round and about with a camera.


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## sarahpink (27 Jun 2010)

well found the hill ashcombe cross one, and was fine going up it. my trouble is the down hills im really good going up hill, but on the way down im always the last one.

any ideas for the few days before the day, shall I rest, go out for a long ride in preparation? at the moment I do about 30 miles a day


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## arallsopp (28 Jun 2010)

Taper off with a few days to go. You can still ride, just don't push it hard. Nice and easy. Keep the muscles moving. All will be well.


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## PpPete (28 Jun 2010)

And remember there is no shame in going slowly downhill. Some of us need to rely on gravity to get round longer events !

If you overtake people uphill and they go past you downhill.... YOU have the moral victory.


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## jimboalee (29 Jun 2010)

porkypete said:


> And remember there is no shame in going slowly downhill. Some of us need to rely on gravity to get round longer events !
> 
> If you overtake people uphill and they go past you downhill.... YOU have the moral victory.



The golden rules of long distance cycling.

1/ Never pedal downhill. Let gravity do the work.
2/ What coasts down, has to be pedalled back up again.


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## Baggy (1 Jul 2010)

I might be helping to make tea and wash up at the Stoke Canon control this Sunday, so do say hello...I'll be the sturdy blonde trying not to eat all the cake!


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