205 miles in a day (Tommy Godwin Challenge) - the Progress thread

[ianrauk]

From Jo over at the other place

Day 228 / 9: Kurt rides 226 miles up to and along the lake shoreline. He now requires less than 200 miles per day for the remains of the year in order to beat Tommy's record. Steve disembarks from the ferry at Dieppe, rides down to Paris and starts riding west on the 2015 Paris-Brest-Paris. Hanging around at the start of PBP interrupts his day's riding a little, but he still manages to put in 195 miles before midnight. Miles does another 130 miles of bay riding.

 

[ianrauk]

Day 229 / 10: Kurt rides south reversing his previous day's ride but this time facing headwinds and storms. He finishes the day with a 205 mile total. Steve continues his PBP ride making it to Carhaix before sleeping for a pretty continuous 261 miles within the 24 hours of the 17th. Miles sticks to Melbourne for only 14 miles of riding.

 

[ianrauk]

From Jo over at the other place

Day 230 / 11: Kurt follows a meandering route to match the changing wind direction until rain stopped play, leaving him with a total of 210 miles for the day. After a comparatively long sleep stop by PBP standards, Steve rides from Carhaix to Brest and back then continues east for a sleep stop between Loudeac and Tinteniac for 192 miles. Miles rides 112 miles of the bay.

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE 3860699, member: 9609"]Is Steve doing enough considering it is August ? Godwin was averaging 242 per day for the first half of August, whereas Steve is only doing 212. I would have thought considering our weather this would be the time of year to be making up for poor days in Dec Jan Feb.[/QUOTE]


As long as Steve stays above the 204 miles a day average.. every day... then it will be enough.
Also remembering that before the incident, Steve had 2 winters and 1 summer to contend with, he now has 2 summers and 1 winter.

 

[MartinQ]

Seeing how tired Steve was a few weeks before the restart, I'd presume he's trying not to smash it at the start.

It seems like all the competitors are finding it difficult to put monster summer 300+ rides in and then getting on their bikes the following day after day after day ... so to beat TG, they'll have to ride consistently in the winter close to record pace and just up it a bit in summer. Kurt seems to be successfully doing this.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Agreed, it's really easy to look at this and think any day under 206 is a failure (I know that's where my mentality would be going) but the important thing has to be to keep the final goal in view. The problem is when the only way to do it is by having to do infeasible days, day after day and that's something that comes later in the challenge (or, already if you're the guy who's only done 3k odd miles to date).

There's a bit of assumption that this record has sat for so long because it wasn't available to try, as I've said before this isn't trivial, even in the realms of people who are riding at this level already. Beating it isn't a given and possibly presuming from the off that you were going to clear it by 10k or more was a bit of hubris that missed the fact that to do the miles, you have to be well enough to do the miles and constant work & sleep deprivation does some rotten things to the body. It's managing the low days, and not letting them mount up that will be the key.

There's a lot of drama in this still.

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE 3860890, member: 9609"]lol

and in all fairness to Steve, he did average 188 a day during Jan Feb as opposed to Tommy's 155 (I guess winters were tougher back then) But still, if Steve can av 188 for the winter months, then he needs to Av 222 for the Summer months.

Anyway, back to the PBP - Steve has a big today today, from his 8am start this morning to 3am tomorrow (Thur) he is needing about 255 miles to complete the PBP in the 80 hours, and as of 12:30 he has done 70, only another 185miles needed in the next 14½ hrs Go Steve[/QUOTE]


Not sure why you are LOL'ing to be honest.
Surely better weather over 2 summers is far better then over 1 summer.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Not sure why you are LOL'ing to be honest.
Surely better weather over 2 summers is far better then over 1 summer.

Have you seen the summer we've just had? :-)

 

[ianrauk]

Have you seen the summer we've just had? :-)

Yes I have, and it's been pretty good for cycling.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Yes I have, and it's been pretty good for cycling.

Down here (not that I've been able, 4 weeks and counting with labyrinthitis and I still can't walk straight at any given moment currently. It's getting on my wick.) but I think it's been worse as you get up the country. Anyway, I'm putting 'English summers' in as my guess as to why there was a 'lol'.

 

[ianrauk]

Down here (not that I've been able, 4 weeks and counting with labyrinthitis and I still can't walk straight at any given moment currently. It's getting on my wick.) but I think it's been worse as you get up the country. Anyway, I'm putting 'English summers' in as my guess as to why there was a 'lol'.

He's not that far away from 'down here'.
And remember, Steve is no mere mortal when it comes to cycling.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

True, although even gods must be happier when it isn't blowing a huge headwind (except for headwind gods I suppose.)

 

[ianrauk]

[QUOTE 3861027, member: 9609"]I didn't think you were being serious - whenever he starts and finishes he will experience 3 months of winter, and 3 months of summer - there is no hiding from the winter or gaining extra summer. Pluses and minisus when ever the campaign begins, other than get the winter over early in case there is no cycling due to snow for 3 or 4 weeks which would wreck the attempt (which is very likely where I live but I would imagine less likely around milton keynes)[/QUOTE]


Fair enough. Being Oop Norf as you are I guess you have far more winter type days then summer. Us down in the Sarf East have far less crappy days, even through the winter which are usually very dry. Anyway, that's immaterial as we are talking about a very exceptional cyclist here, not one of us mere mortals.

 

[summerdays]

[QUOTE 3861027, member: 9609"]I didn't think you were being serious - whenever he starts and finishes he will experience 3 months of winter, and 3 months of summer - there is no hiding from the winter or gaining extra summer. Pluses and minisus when ever the campaign begins, other than get the winter over early in case there is no cycling due to snow for 3 or 4 weeks which would wreck the attempt (which is very likely where I live but I would imagine less likely around milton keynes)[/QUOTE]
in the case of serious snow would it be worth decamping to somewhere with none for a few weeks whether it be Ireland or Spain etc? Though then you are travelling over much less well known roads.

 

[ianrauk]

in the case of serious snow would it be worth decamping to somewhere with none for a few weeks whether it be Ireland or Spain etc?

Or the South East