Training for C2C - newbie advice

[Badgeroo]

Ive recently purchased my first road bike after being a mountain biker, and seem to keep having ideas of grandeur for events and rides... I'm aiming to complete the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride in July, I've been back in the gym prior to getting the bike, to lose weight and also improve fitness.

I've talked about the C2C for the last couple of years with a good friend, but we've never set a date or tried for it yet... However, now I have the new bike the subject has come up again, but it's stepped up a level. My friend has suggested that we do it in a single day! This is all well and good, but I've not ridden more than 20 miles in one go in the last few years, and am overweight... So other than keeping up with the gym, and putting more miles in the saddle, are there any other tips on diet or training to achieve the goal?

I would be looking to challenge the C2C in August/September.

 

[beastie]

Ride lots. Ride hills. Loose weight.

 

[YahudaMoon]

+ 1

And join Audax.

 

[TheSandwichMonster]

As "that friend", I wanted to wait until some other people had chimed in first... I think it's better that you get a range of advice from other people, rather everything coming from me, a borderline obsessive!

I'd like to add the caveat that I don't think we should attempt this until we're both fit - which at the minute is definitely neither of us! Add to that the fact that we need as much light as possible (we don't really want to be stuck doing this in darkness), meaning that we're going to be aiming for June/July kinda date to maximise daylight hours. As you know, we've both got fairly major plans around June time that means we're probably not going to want to do a massive enduro-thon too close to my big ride, or your 3 peaks.

With all of that in mind, a wise-man on a forum once said to me (when I was just starting on the road bike, with the blue flame of ambition singing the hairs off my backside!), "T.I.T.S is the most important thing right now", that being time in the saddle. Ride your shiny new bike, enjoy it, build up your mileage gradually as the weeks go on. The weight is already dropping off you with your gym work, and I know that your base fitness isn't that bad, so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see you make fairly big improvements to begin with.

Once you're up to a comfortable mileage, say 25-30 miles for now, then you want to look at riding with other people. I would hit up the Manchester Wheelers on one of their "intro" rides maybe, or p'raps see if you can convince a few of the others on here to come along with you on a more gentle ride. Having other people around you makes things both more enjoyable and more motivating. In the meantime, we'll meet up as often as possible and I'll show you just how much fun hills can be!

 

[Badgeroo]

Lose weight is coming along nicely, I'm not far from the peak district, so plenty of hills... I did think a lot would be saddle time.

Any advice on fuelling me to train? Oh, and what is Audax!

 

[TheSandwichMonster]

Audax is a long-distance cycling event. In road riding there are two basic types:

Sportives - Such as I'm already booked on this year in the form of the Dartmoor Classic, and Northern Rock Cyclone. Normally timed (using timing chips, though definitely NOT a race!), with feed stations, mechanical support, sag wagon and often some form of goody bag at the end. Costs vary from ~£20 to upwards of £80+ if you're doing a long ride on closed roads.

Audax - Audax is to sportives what Canon is to Nikon. Much more in the way of history. Rides have a route, a minimum AND maximum speed and a number of controls where you have to have your card stamped to prove that you completed the route. No support, no timing - you bring whatever you need to get yourself through the event or you walk home. Costs are significantly cheaper than the equivalent sportive. Audax has an unfair reputation of being the realm of old geezers on steel bikes with beards and sandals (hence the Nikon comparisons!). Events are often longer than sportives, starting at 100km, going all the way up to 600km events, not to mention things like London-Edinburgh-London and the Paris-Brest-Paris ultra-endurance events. People taking part in those events also have to factor sleeping into their plans - which generally means riding above the minimum speed to give yourself enough time to steal a sleep and still get round in the minimum time. I've probably not described it very well TBH - you can find out more here: http://www.aukweb.net/

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

Hey Badgeroo - i'm from Audenshaw and in exactly the same boat as you - I looked at this thread as i'm aiming for a CTC later this year also.

I just bought this book and map which should arrive today, and your welcome to peep at it to see if if one would be any use to you
http://www.baytreepress.com/shop/Products_10_view

You wanna go for a ride with a 50yr old fat boring bloke sometime, let me know.

 

[Badgeroo]

I may take you up on that offer, that book looks useful.

Once I pick up my fitness and saddle time, I'm sure we could sort a ride... Maybe find a few more locals as well