# 440 mile ride - 1 month to train.



## blazed (27 Jun 2014)

It's been a couple years since I've cycled. I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best. However I went for a short ride on the weekend and was getting overtaken by 70 year olds doing their weekly pub ride.

I've got slightly less than one month before I cycle from Hertfordshire to Edinburgh. The route is not 100% exact yet but it's going to be roughly 440 miles. 

In the past I would have done this in 3 days whilst spending the night times on pub crawls but I'm a lesser man now. I would imagine 5-6 is more realistic. 

Interested to hear the best possible training I could do over the next month.

Thanks


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Jun 2014)

Ride. A lot. Every day if possible. Twice a day if you can. Aim to ramp up to 200km a week over four weeks. You need hours on the bike. And remember "what you can ride in a week you can ride in a day. and do again the next day. and the next." the next might be tricky though.

120km a day for five or six days is a big ask from a standing start.

How's your off bike fitness?


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## screenman (27 Jun 2014)

One of the best is a big claim, to achieve that level I am sure you do not need any advice. Go for it.


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## ianrauk (27 Jun 2014)

Is this the Rat Race?


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## JasonHolder (27 Jun 2014)

Start stretching this evening. 
Keep an eye on injuries and ride your ass off. 

Saw a study on JAP where untrained folk under went a 4 week intensive Interval period on bike. Increased time to exhaustion by 15 minutes- and power by 30%. So that's probably the best you can do performance, wise. The rest will simply be your ability to stay on the bike for 6 hours a day. 
You won't see a particular huge change in performance in just four weeks, so rest 3-4 days before the big ride starts to give you the freshest legs you can.


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## classic33 (27 Jun 2014)

The Pirahna on a bike is back I see.


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## Hacienda71 (27 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> The Pirahna on a bike is back I see.


He should get on well with Mr Holder.


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## JasonHolder (27 Jun 2014)

@Hacienda71 I did have to check, as it sounded as though I had infact posted that myself whilst day dreaming


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## classic33 (27 Jun 2014)

ianrauk said:


> Is this the Rat Race?


More a fish race.


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## blazed (27 Jun 2014)

GrumpyGregry said:


> How's your off bike fitness?



Well above average. Since I stopped riding I've mainly been weight lifting, it's fair to say I'm quite the beefcake.


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## classic33 (27 Jun 2014)

Neigh lad.


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## GrumpyGregry (27 Jun 2014)

blazed said:


> Well above average. Since I stopped riding I've mainly been weight lifting, it's fair to say I'm quite the beefcake.


So you're a big unit now. Perhaps not so good. CV fitness? Any endurance rather than power stuff?


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## MikeG (27 Jun 2014)

blazed said:


> ........ I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best.............



I'm not sure you've got the time to spare to be telling us just how wonderful you are. You should be on your bike.


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## classic33 (28 Jun 2014)

blazed said:


> It's been a couple years since I've cycled. I used to cycle a lot, I was one of the best. However I went for a short ride on the weekend and was getting overtaken by 70 year olds doing their weekly pub ride.
> 
> I've got slightly less than one month before I cycle from Hertfordshire to Edinburgh. The route is not 100% exact yet but it's going to be roughly 440 miles.
> 
> ...


 From the person who said a 200 mile commute was doable 30 Jul 2009


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## blazed (28 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> From the person who said a 200 mile commute was doable 30 Jul 2009


It pains me the sorry state I've allowed my cycling to get to. But it's better to be a has been than a never was. And I was one of the greats. It's still in there a little training and I'll be back.


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## jowwy (28 Jun 2014)

OMG not another one


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## potsy (28 Jun 2014)

jowwy said:


> OMG not another one




I don't think CC is big enough for Jason & Blazed


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## 400bhp (28 Jun 2014)

blazed said:


> I was one of the best.


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## 50000tears (28 Jun 2014)

There is very little you can gain fitness wise in that time. but your biggest issue is going to be spending long hours on the bike when you are no longer used to it. With just a month to go you may well complete the miles but you will suffer as you are on a wing and a prayer to be honest.


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## beardy01 (28 Jun 2014)

blazed said:


> It pains me the sorry state I've allowed my cycling to get to. But it's better to be a has been than a never was. And I was one of the greats. It's still in there a little training and I'll be back.


Have a word with lance armstrong is my advice........he was one of the greats


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## vickster (28 Jun 2014)

As long as you're not needle phobic


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (28 Jun 2014)

1 months base miles and constant self back-patting with gratuitous screenshots of your strava taking descent KOMS and you'll be fine


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## potsy (28 Jun 2014)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> 1 months base miles and constant self back-patting with gratuitous screenshots of your strava taking descent KOMS and you'll be fine


And 1000 bananas?


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (28 Jun 2014)

potsy said:


> And 1000 bananas?


Per ride


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## classic33 (28 Jun 2014)

jowwy said:


> OMG not another one


Nay, he's just popped back. Again!


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## StuAff (28 Jun 2014)

potsy said:


> And 1000 bananas?


Well, all that fibre will keep performance regular in one respect...


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## classic33 (28 Jun 2014)

StuAff said:


> Well, all that fibre will keep performance regular in one respect...


He doesn't go there.


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## StuAff (28 Jun 2014)

classic33 said:


> He doesn't go there.


Well, he'd be going everywhere.....


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## jeltz (15 Jul 2014)

I'm back on a bike and back on the forum after a break as well and I think I remember Blazed from the last time I was about. I remember the tremendous humility...oh wait...no that was someone else.


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## fossyant (15 Jul 2014)

Yay, Blazed is back ?


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## 4F (15 Jul 2014)

fossyant said:


> Yay, Blazed is back ?



More like released.


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## classic33 (16 Jul 2014)

4F said:


> More like released.


Could be. It seems to be every two years, for a short while.


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## classic33 (16 Jul 2014)

fossyant said:


> Yay, Blazed is back ?


You mean you never realised, until now?


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## snorri (16 Jul 2014)

blazed said:


> Interested to hear the best possible training I could do over the next month.



it would help if you told us which part of the trip you needed training advice for, the cycling or the pubcrawl.


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## classic33 (16 Jul 2014)

snorri said:


> it would help if you told us which part of the trip you needed training advice for, the cycling or the pubcrawl.


He's just over a week to get the training done. Whether it be cycling or the pubcrawl.


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## blazed (18 Jul 2014)

Little bruise on the right leg quite a bit of pain whilst cycling but f@*$ that. Nothings going to stop me. Out for another fast 50 mile through the rocky hills of Hertfordshire shortly. Making big progress, anyone would think I was doping.


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## oldfatfool (18 Jul 2014)

blazed said:


> Little bruise on the right leg quite a bit of pain whilst cycling but f@*$ that. Nothings going to stop me. Out for another fast 50 mile through the rocky hills of Hertfordshire shortly. Making big progress, anyone would think I was doping.


Legs don't look particularly beefcake.



blazed said:


> It pains me the sorry state I've allowed my cycling to get to. But it's better to be a has been than a never was. And I was one of the greats. It's still in there a little training and I'll be back.



Ah.. possibly a bit 'top-heavy'


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## martint235 (29 Dec 2015)

I'm obviously not a "serious" cyclist but I left London at 8.15 am on a Sunday and was in Edinburgh at 3am Tuesday morning. 5-6 days?? Get a move on.


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## ColinJ (29 Dec 2015)

martint235 said:


> I'm obviously not a "serious" cyclist but I left London at 8.15 am on a Sunday and was in Edinburgh at 3am Tuesday morning. 5-6 days?? Get a move on.


Even he would not take 17 months!


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## martint235 (29 Dec 2015)

ColinJ said:


> Even he would not take 17 months!


Ooh I don't know. He's been stuck in his lavatory for a while now.


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## vickster (29 Dec 2015)

And in prison...


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## Dayvo (29 Dec 2015)

vickster said:


> And in prison...



Let's hope it's like his time trialling: serious time.


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## jefmcg (29 Dec 2015)

martint235 said:


> I'm obviously not a "serious" cyclist but I left London at 8.15 am on a Sunday and was in Edinburgh at 3am Tuesday morning. 5-6 days?? Get a move on.


Um, you post to a thread after 17 months to complain that someone else is slow??????


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## vickster (29 Dec 2015)

jefmcg said:


> Um, you post to a thread after 17 months to complain that someone else is slow??????


A response to Blazed's other imbecilic posts I think


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## martint235 (29 Dec 2015)

jefmcg said:


> Um, you post to a thread after 17 months to complain that someone else is slow??????


Well it got mentioned in the other thread so I thought "Why not?"

EDIT: Beaten to it by Vickster


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## blazed (29 Dec 2015)

martint235 said:


> I'm obviously not a "serious" cyclist but I left London at 8.15 am on a Sunday and was in Edinburgh at 3am Tuesday morning. 5-6 days?? Get a move on.


This is an old thread made upon my return to cycling. I soon regained my former ability as you can see here.


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## Rickshaw Phil (29 Dec 2015)

blazed said:


> This is an old thread made upon my return to cycling. I soon regained my former ability as you can see here.


Which is also an old thread. Do you still cycle?


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## Andy_R (29 Dec 2015)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Which is also an old thread. Do you still cycle?


of course he does - and he does it proper, not like the rest of us


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## Rickshaw Phil (29 Dec 2015)

Andy_R said:


> of course he does - and he does it proper, not like the rest of us


But is far too modest to talk about any of it.


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