200+ mile IM Training Bike Ride, nuts?

My question is obvious .... why???

Things to ask yourself. What do you expect to gain from it? Do you really think it will increase your base significantly? Is it worth the risk of injury/over use to do it?

I think I would compare it to people who want to run the full mary. distance while training for a marathon. There is a point where there is diminishing returns to the training versus chance of injury, time for recovery, etc.

Now I'm all for epic rides, but the chances of something happening when you are not specifically training for ultra distance riding seem to be very high to me.

If it were me, I'd focus on quality mileage more than just the quantity. There is a BIG difference between riding 100 miles and 200 in a workout ........

Maybe make it a goal for after your IM to shoot for?

Does the wife love me engough to pick my butt up if tired? Yes and No. She'd done more HIM and IMs than I have, if needed she'd come get me, other wise she'd tell me to stop crying and pedal my butt home!

Why do it? For the challenge. I was looking at doing three 100 mile rides in a row around the 4th of July (one 100 miler a day) and then started thinking about doing a 200 miler, rest one day (swim and spin easy for a bit that day) and then doing a 100 mile ride.

Why not step up to it by doing 8, 9, 10 hour training rides. To double up seems a bit extreme. I wonder how a 15 hour training ride would ruin your workout week.



Edited by ChuckyFinster 2006-05-24 12:26 PM

My honest feedback: it's dumb if you're training for IMC. On it's own, sure the challenge is cool. But a 230 mile ride in the middle of training for IM is just dumb. You're asking for an overuse injury or to be completely wiped out for a week. The three back to back 100-milers are the same. They're not going to do anything significant to help you get across the line at IMC. Hell, my coach (professional, previous IMFL winnner, multiple top 10's this year) doesn't even have me doing the race distance leading up to IMLP. My longest rides will be 5 1/2 hours, which will put me at just about a century. There's no real physical benefit to doing longer.

I wouldn't recommend it. I would save it for next year. It looks like a lot of fun, and I thought about doing that ride as well, however w/ IM Canada in August, I feel like it would not be good for training. More power to you if you to, but I just don't see the benefit in going that hard.

I've booked a hotel room in Leavenworth (about 120 mile ride) and I'm going to do that distance on a Saturday, relax there and go for a long run the following day (more my normal work out schedule) then drive home.

I'm still toying with this ride, but it may be a post IMC deal. Last year I did the SeaFair 1/2 marathon after STP and that was a great workout weekend.

i say you're nuts, but so is everybody who attempts an Ironman.

so do what you want to do and no regrets!

So I did part of this long loop this weekend as my long ride of the week. After riding 106 miles of it and then drving the rest the next day. I think this is a very doable one day ride going the way I did. Going the other way, North Bend to Carnation, to Monroe then up to Leavenworth, over 97 to 970 and then to I90 would be a harder loop. That looks to put you on longer climbs, not a step in places but much longer steady climbs.

Summary of the ride:

Distance:

106 Miles


Time:

5:30 Riding

5:50 Total (Counts stopping in Cle Elum for more Gatoraide and phone calls)



Nutrition:

1 Bag ‘o Cliff Bloks

2 Power Bar Triple Threat

5 Bottles of Gatoraide

4 NUUN Tablets



The route:

I-90 (starting at North Bend) to the South Cle Elum exit

Through town, down 970

Connect to 97 North

Up and over Blewett’s Pass

Connect on Hwy 2, Head East to Leavenworth



Road Conditions:

· I-90 shoulder from North Bend to the Summit is fine (noisy but fine)

· I-90 shoulder from the Summit to Easton sucks, lot’s of glass and road construction has parts of it blocked off.

o I got my two flats on this section

o Hopped over the concrete barrier at one point and rode trough the construction area

· Past Easton the shoulder is fine to Cle Elum. About 2 miles from Cle Elum there is a bridge will all most no shoulder to ride on.

· Hwy 970 through Cle Elum to Hwy 97 is good to ride on, nice shoulder and little debris

· Hwy 97 over Blewett’s Pass is fine. The shoulder is pretty wide till you get to the final climb but it’s wide enough to ride on.

· Once over the top, the decent down was a bit boring, lots of time just coasting in the aero bars.

· Strong headwind once on the North side of Blewett’s which continued all of the way to Leavenworth.



Random Thoughts:

· Only saw 3 other bikers total (one flatted about where I did past the Summit)

· Both of the major climbs were easier than I thought they’d be. Ride time was a bit less than I thought it would be too.

· Next time, I’m going to go the other way. Do a ride from Carnation to Monroe and then up Hwy 2. This looks to have a longer steady climb that starts a bit after Startup and goes to Steven’s Pass ski area. I’ll do this ride as a loop (Carnation to Steven’s back to Carnation) weekend of July 1st)

· If I do this ride again, I’m going to get off of I-90 at Denny Creek and ride that way up to the Summit Ski Area. Gets you off of I-90 for a bit and the climb is steeper.