The Annual Lunacy (aka "I Don't Do Winter") Challenge Chatzone

[Fiona R]

As hinted a bit further up, if ever there's a day for lunacy it must be the blue moon on May 18th.

Fortuitously, it falls on a Saturday. The exact moment of fullness is 22:11 BST, shortly after nightfall so with a little organisation there'll be no difficulty still being out on the bike at that time.

This instance doesn't follow the most familiar definition, that being the second full moon in a calendar month. It is the third of four full moons in a season, the significance of which I don't fully comprehend but apparently it also makes it blue. For this purpose, a season is the period between a solstice and an equinox.

Having grasped this, I then found myself confused, since a full moon just after the spring equinox - necessary if the May moon is to be the third of four in the season - would mean that Easter should've been very early, which it wasn't. It seems that the March full moon fell on the equinox, and it all comes down to interpretation.

Anyway, whichever way you look at it, May 18th is a prime date for lunatic activity and I'm hoping to take full advantage. Am I striking an appropriate note?

Lunacy gives you the chance to mull this over at length!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Every now and then I check in on the chatzone threads of challenges I'm not actually doing, mainly to mark them as read, but also to see what other people on the board are doing cycling wise in case I can glean any ideas. Obviously from time to time I notice a post from someone having to pull out of said challenge, either due to injury, work commitments, weather or what have you.

Do you think it'd be a good idea to put a reminder into these threads from time to time about the Lunacy Challenge, just in case these people aren't aware of what we are doing here, as these would be the ideal candidates to bring on board - this way they can still keep a challenge going, even if it's not the one they originally started on. Or would it be considered a little intrusive to be constantly plugging our challenge on someone else's thread? Or perhaps you think everyone's probably already aware of this and just aren't all that interested? Your thoughts...

If the guys behind this challenge want we can put a sticky in this section with an apt title that may well grab the attention of a member dropping out of another challenge etc etc.

 

[Sea of vapours]

If the guys behind this challenge want we can put a sticky in this section with an apt title that may well grab the attention of a member dropping out of another challenge etc etc.

Good plan. It was certainly one of the originally stated benefits that people could 'fall back' on this, so let's encourage that as much as possible.

 

[Fiona R]

1st day of a new month. Yogic breathing. Here we go again. bracing all parts that need to be braced. Planning is a bit behind! How's everyone else? It's the most challenged I've ever been, quite overwhelming a lot of the time but good, I think

 

[ColinJ]

I am feeling VERY challenged!

My approach to "I don't do long rides in winter" is rapidly evolving into "I am going to have a very arduous autumn". @Sea of vapours, in contrast, seems to be going for "I'll get 'em all done in the spring"...

 

[Sea of vapours]

I rather like the removal of the month constraint in this challenge; it's good to be able to get ahead a bit. I'm down to needing to do only just over one Lunacy ride a month until the end of September from now on, which is quite encouraging

 

[ColinJ]

I'm down to needing to do only just over one Lunacy ride a month until the end of September from now on, which is quite encouraging

I need two a month until the end of October!

And (ideally) also at least one 100 km ride and one 50 km ride a month on top ...

 

[steverob]

I am slightly behind schedule at the moment, but not worryingly so. I've got four target distance rides lined up over the next six weeks, which if all get done would then put me above halfway to my thirteen rides (e.g. 7), but at that point I have to massively cut back on my riding to concentrate on running for a few months (I'll still be doing some riding during this time, but probably not many long ones). So either I add an extra one or two now, or I have to do six between October and the end of the year.

 

[Fiona R]

I am slightly behind schedule at the moment, but not worryingly so. I've got four target distance rides lined up over the next six weeks, which if all get done would then put me above halfway to my thirteen rides (e.g. 7), but at that point I have to massively cut back on my riding to concentrate on running for a few months (I'll still be doing some riding during this time, but probably not many long ones). So either I add an extra one or two now, or I have to do six between October and the end of the year.

You lunatic, running is bonkers!!

 

[steverob]

You lunatic, running is bonkers!!

Tell me about it. I don't really like running either, but I've got myself roped into do a 10K for "charidee" at work and I don't want to be one of those people who turns up at the start line without having done any training and aim to just walk the distance (I saw quite a few colleagues doing this last time I was involved in this event). I want to actually try and do it properly and set a time I can be proud of, which means setting aside a few months for getting running fit, rather than cycling fit. During that period, I'll still be on the bike most weekends, but they'll typically be 50-80km rides to fit around my runs.

 

[Sea of vapours]

This Lunacy Challenge was designed, at least in part, to avoid various states of very cold water. Whilst for me the primary benefit is the long daylight hours not available in winter, I was also imagining not being snowed on, hailed on, or subjected to 20-35mph winds seemingly straight from the Arctic. At least, not in May! All those fun weather features put in an appearance today and were not welcome; the constant, seriously cold wind especially so. At least the snow and hail only lasted for maybe half an hour in total, so that was a bonus. Coverdale, all decked out with bunting, Yorkshire flags and other colourful things, ready for the Tour de Yorkshire stage up Park Rash tomorrow,was rather good too, and mostly sunny.

Remarkable how many people were out, high up, in shorts and short-sleeved jerseys, given the forecast. I was back in just about full winter kit and only too warm very briefly (cooled down, very conveniently, a few minutes after thinking this, by a handy hail shower).

 

[Sea of vapours]

At last I get a qualifying ride in, (although I have done longer rides during the year so far).

Sooooo....... why did the longer rides not qualify then?

 

[Bazzer]

Sooooo....... why did the longer rides not qualify then?

I am trying to keep the MCAM rides separate, although if time for riding continues as it has been so far, I may need to fall back on them. My plan was to deliberately extend the HCAM challenge rides, but for various reasons that had not been possible so far.

 

[ColinJ]

I am just lulling you all into a false sense of security, before launching into my personal 12-century May June July August September October Challenge!

 

[Sea of vapours]

One a week from now takes you to early August. One a fortnight is into early November. There must be a happy medium around the eleven day mark in there somewhere