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beth h
VB Team Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Portland, OR |
| Posts: | 22 |
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| Frizzle-frazzle: |  |
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Posted: Fri Dec 7th, 2007 05:57 am |
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New to VB. Not a racer, but a randonneuse, I just finished my first season of randonneuring. I took up randonneuring as a way to train for a charity ride, and liked the rando riding more.
This year I entered five populaires (100 to 110km each) and completed four (three of them within the time limit).
Next year I want to get stronger and work my way up to a brevet (200km).
I don't really "train" with anyone. I commute to work (about 40 to 60 miles a week) and add an occasional weekend ride of 20 to 30 miles to the mix. Not sure how to actually, um, "train". Not fast enough to hang with the local racer gals (my average pace is around 10-11 mph on the flats, I can push myself to 12-13 for short bursts.)
Small catch, not insurmountable: I have Crohn's disease, meaning I cannot fully process nutrients from the food I eat, meaning I bonk hard and often. This makes it tough for me to sustain big efforts over a long haul (I learned I had Crohn's when I dabbled in time-trial racing about 12 years ago and kept bonking in all the wrong places). I manage the disease with meds and a reasonable diet; but occasionally it rears its head on long rides and I just have to deal.
I love the mental discipline of randonneuring, just as I loved the mental discipline of time-trialing. I would like to be stronger, to finish better, even if I can't get much faster. Suggestions welcome and appreciated.
I especially need to figure out how to better balance diet, work, riding and the rest of my life. My partner is quite supportive but not a bicyclist and cannot offer any ideas. Can anyone out there refer me to some useful info? Thanks much and happy riding.
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jeninsb
Administrator
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Posted: Fri Dec 7th, 2007 03:02 pm |
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There's a very well-regarded book by Edmund Burke on long distance riding, _The Complete Book of Long Distance Cycling_ It has oodles of information, from the most basic level on up. If you haven't looked at it, you might check it out.
I'm not a long distance girl, but maybe some others will chime in with more specific suggestions.
Good luck 
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velobella
Administrator
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Posted: Fri Dec 7th, 2007 06:50 pm |
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| I should point this question out to Katie (Sacwheelgirl)!
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sacwheelgirl
VB Team Member
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 12:01 am |
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Hey Beth,
Congratulations on completing your populaires! I have been into ultradistance riding since 2003. I have completed 13 double centuries (300K) plus a two person relay RAAM qualifier called the Furnance Creek 508 (511 miles in one stage) and usually place in the top third of the standings overall (men included). I am glad that you have gotten bitten by the bug! It's very fun and rewarding. I am addicted.
I would say that getting enough calories is going to be a challenge for you, but not insurmountable. One of the reasons I love ultra are the incredible people who overcome all sorts of challenges to do the seemingly possible. There are people missing limbs, diabetics with insulin pumps, 85 year olds. It's amazing and inspirational. Nutrition is a personal thing, but I have found that eating frequently is the best way to stave off the bonk. Our bodies can only process 400 calories an hour, but over the course of a Double, I will burn 10,000-- so everyone has to deal with a controllled bonk in ultra to some extent. I would highly recommend trying Hammer Nutritional Products. They use high quality ingredients with digestive aids and are nice tasting and very popular in the ultra world.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/
I can point you towards some great websites that will have articles about nuitrition and training, but if you have specific questions feel free to PM me anytime.
This one has great articles (especially about eating):
http://www.ultracycling.com/
The general rule for training is the 10% rule. The website above goes more into it. Take the length of the event you are going to compete in-- ride that amount of miles two weeks prior (over the whole week). One of the rides should be 70-80% of the total distance two weeks prior. Scale that back by 10% each week prior to build to the event. The very last week is a recovery week. Sleep, drink, rest, eat. Spin a few times at low speed on the recovery week.
Cool!
Katie Norton
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beth h
VB Team Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Portland, OR |
| Posts: | 22 |
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 06:40 pm |
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Katie -- thanks Soooo much for your reply.
My partner worries about me doing this sort of thing, the mental difficulty that can arise in the final miles of a long ride; the nutritional aspects of riding with Crohn's, all of it. But she also knows I really want to keep doing at at whatever level I can manage.
Your advice about training andhow to plan mileage is especially helpful. I will check out Hammer and check in with my GI to see what he thinks of it.
Word up to anyone with digestive issues wanting to do serious bicycling: make sure you work with a gastrointerologist as you train. S/he will be able to help you plan the nutritonal parts as you prepare for big efforts, and also offer tips on how to maintain and balance your medication intake during day-long (or longer) rides if applicable.
I recently read about an ostomate (someone with IBD who wears an exernal pouch) who runs half-marathons. For fun. So if he can do that, I think I'm in good company.
Thanks much!
Happy riding --Beth
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