Show us your.......newbie progress!

[Eribiste]

@ChrisEyles to be honest I've spent over a year doing 50 milers, and getting stuck in a rut of not getting myself past that, as I felt comfortable doing 50 miles yet not confident enough to do over that, a moth ago I was doing virtually hardly any cycling after an off in may, took quite a while to recover, then the last 4 weeks I jumped in at the deep end and hit it hard and averaged over 120miles a week over the last 4 weeks which for me is big mileage, so I'm dead chuffed to be able to achieve the big imperial century.

Personally, I've found that once I started hitting the 100km's a bit, the big challenge wasn't the physical, more the mental one of persuading myself that I could do the 100 miles, all I had to do was try. So I did, and I found out I could. Done once, you can do the same again, assuming one survives of course.

Mind you, a bit of proper prep helps, like drinking fluids en route and taking in a bit of food before and during. Don't let the monster beat you; others do it and so can you!

 

[Stonechat]

Personally, I've found that once I started hitting the 100km's a bit, the big challenge wasn't the physical, more the mental one of persuading myself that I could do the 100 miles, all I had to do was try. So I did, and I found out I could. Done once, you can do the same again, assuming one survives of course.

Mind you, a bit of proper prep helps, like drinking fluids en route and taking in a bit of food before and during. Don't let the monster beat you; others do it and so can you!

Yes once I was regular on 50 miles, longer runs seemed not so bad. 100 milers are still tough - only done 2 and they both had quite a few hills

 

[Stonechat]

wnent on a riide and decided to do Red Road (a hill) twice at least. Really went for it the first time, the second time chain came off near the top

Red Road is a different shape to most of the hills round here. It goes up for some way with a couple of smalll downs and as ever steepest bit is on the top

Pushed hard (why do I push hard?) but pleased with the speed
Heart rate reading wrong again, the strap needs more than the slight rinse I did last time.

34.60 miles at 17.5 mph
Total climbing was 1270 feet

https://www.strava.com/activities/373995446

 

[Stonechat]

From my Chilterns Sportive there was a hill I struggled with
I reckoned I could reach today and di this and another hill
After 25 miles is better than meeting a tough hill after 90 miles

SO it proved, though Strava didn't seem to have me doing it before. (I walked up part)

Good ride and all hills managed ok

Looked after hydration as temps were warm.
Must've neglected nutrition as I hit the bonk at 50 miles.

Anyway all in all a good ride
Riding Sat rather than Sun as family coming tomorrow

When I got home found unexpected visitors with Mrs S

62.13 miles @ 15.1 mph
1916 feet climbed. THe plan said 2700 - so again Strava robbing me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/374887332

For the first time for a while I am ahead of last years running total of mileage

 

[iggibizzle]

Well I've been in awe of these roads since I was a kid and my dad struggling to drive over. But yesterday took on wrynose pass. I know some people would say I'm far from a beginner, but having only cycled for just over a year, I still say it's early days. Never dreamed of power up that. What a day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/375738358

 

[Stonechat]

Well I've been in awe of these roads since I was a kid and my dad struggling to drive over. But yesterday took on wrynose pass. I know some people would say I'm far from a beginner, but having only cycled for just over a year, I still say it's early days. Never dreamed of power up that. What a day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/375738358

Wow that's a tough one
10 out of 10 in the 100 climbs book
A bit harder (longer at steep gradients) than any of mine.

I will be still a newbie until the end of the year.
Only two years back after 20+ years of and at 63, nearly 64 it take longer to get the strength back

Do you have any other big hills planned.
Ihave now done all hills in my immediate reach, so may have to travel further afield to get anything harder

 

[iggibizzle]

Yes I've got the books. Think that's 8 or 9 ticked off so far. Living in Blackpool , (ironically the worlds flattest place ) it's a treck to any of them. I've done fleet moss and that now out of the uber big climbs. Normally in the top ten toughest that there is. Hardknott next

 

[GuyBoden]

Well I've been in awe of these roads since I was a kid and my dad struggling to drive over. But yesterday took on wrynose pass. I know some people would say I'm far from a beginner, but having only cycled for just over a year, I still say it's early days. Never dreamed of power up that. What a day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/375738358

Well done, great stuff, Wrynose pass, that's very hard work.

 

[iggibizzle]

Came down that way. That's the less horrendous side!

 

[Stonechat]

Yes I've got the books. Think that's 8 or 9 ticked off so far. Living in Blackpool , (ironically the worlds flattest place ) it's a treck to any of them. I've done fleet moss and that now out of the uber big climbs. Normally in the top ten toughest that there is. Hardknott next

None of the southern hills go on as long as these though some make up for it in steepness
YEs I have done 9 of them.
Another 3 are reachable by cycling and the rest would need for me a car journey

Toughest in the Southeast is Barhatch Lane aka Winterfold Hill
I have to meet that again in Oct in the Surrey Legs of Steel

I feel I need to get out of the area though I did do some cycling in Cornwall last year

Hardknott is the one that is legendary - not sure I want to try that yet

 

[iggibizzle]

Ive been told by a few people that they found this side of wrynose to be tougher that the harder side of hardknott. Hardknott reaches 30% but I believe there is a flattish bit halfway to get a bit of a breather. Wrynose was just relentless. Il find out if they are having me on when I try it!!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Well I've been in awe of these roads since I was a kid and my dad struggling to drive over. But yesterday took on wrynose pass. I know some people would say I'm far from a beginner, but having only cycled for just over a year, I still say it's early days. Never dreamed of power up that. What a day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/375738358

Superb!

 

[iggibizzle]

Hardknott next. Harder side obviously!

 

[puffinbilly]

I've done both Wrynose and Hardknott in my younger and fitter days - but actually perversely found Honister pass worse. I think the problem was that I had psyched myself up for the first two and was expecting pain and difficult climbs but with Honister was expecting it to be a walk in the park-it wasn't.
I watched the tour of Britain a couple of years back and was pleased to find that even the top pros were struggling on the top section of Honister.

Some great climbs in the Lake District - I'm hoping to be fit enough to do the Fred Whitton at some stage in the next couple of years. However, at present the climbing in the Lakes is limited for me to the odd weekend due to family and climbing the fells on foot.

 

[iggibizzle]

might go back up there Sunday morning and do another couple. Honister looks pretty hard. Kirkstone, the struggle, whinlatter etc all look pretty comfortable.