Quoted post said:Originally Posted by AdamSean [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]
I said to be nice when I first posted. You don't have to be a [censored] especially since you have no idea my plans. I was asking for training tips advice, not for your insults. I never use the first chainring, knowing that I will have a compact double on it before than to lighten the bike.
And for your information, I find it extremely easy to drop 10 lbs in just over a week's time. I have been doing this since high school for state championships in Track and Field where we won indoor and outdoor track 4 years in a row.
This may be easy for some of you, but this is only my second century. For such a small sport that takes a lot of passion and dedication, I would think the lot of you would encourage people and try to build up the sport. Not insult and act superior. Remember, there is always someone better than you at this. It is always people like you giving this sport a dark shadow over it.
Just an informed FYI:
Nearly all triples come with a middle ring that's significantly bigger than the inner ring of a compact double. Typically it's a 40 tooth ring Vs a 34 or a 36 found on a compact. This fact alone chucks your theory of sticking to the middle ring for bizarre reasons into the weeds.
My racing weight used to be 145lbs at 26... At 35 I was 230 and lovin' the beer and bbq - I've done mountainous events at 210lbs, events such as the Markleeville Death Ride that features plenty of 6 to 8% constant grades for miles on end at altitude, so I've been at both ends of the spectrum - 1st Cat roadie to fat recreational bloke seeing double at 8,000ft. The bike used was my old trusty steel 653 that weighed in at 23lbs complete with a triple with a 26 inner (26x25 bottom gear). When I was racing fit I'd probably use 39x25 for the Death Ride. I still have that trusty Maillard 7 speed block in the junk box...
Losing 10lbs in water weight might work for some sports, although I'll let the likes of Andy C chime in on that one, but it doesn't work at all in endurance cycling events. In fact it ranks up there with not eating for days, pouring cayenne pepper in your eyes and drinking two 1.5L 'handles' of vodka before a long event.
Given you've outlined the event you want to ride and the training that you think is a good idea for said ride, I have a very good idea about your short term plans at least. Personally, I don't think that any of those training sessions amount to much for the event you want to do and miss the mark by a country mile. Doing a mix of long sessions of 2 to 4 hours at the weekend, throwing in some fun hard efforts on short hills and sprints for boundary lines and faster, shorter work midweek provides a happy mix that'll serve you well.
What you really should do, IMHO:
Get a ride or two in that's longer than 3 hours, preferably with some part of that ride in the heat. Heat not only makes you sweat more - it also kills the appetite if you're not used to riding in the heat. The training effect of the rides themselves won't be great but it will allow you to test to some degree what you can tolerate with regards to food/drink.
Use all your gears to keep a steady effort throughout the course. Try not to waste too much time by freewheeling downhills - use those for picking up some speed for a moderate effort. Keep the effort on the flat and the uphills about the same. Pick the right effort and the ride will be much easier. Since the ride seems to have plenty of rolling hills, avoid the temptation to hammer up them as this tactic requires a fair amount of fitness to keep doing that for 100 miles. Avoid pacelines that hammer up hills. There'll be someone in the ride that will ride about the same pace that you should be riding at, go say hi, have a chat and enjoy the day - it'll seem to go much faster that way.
As someone mentioned already - start early if you fear the heat and/or not being able to finish in time.
I'd forgo any attempt at weight loss, concentrating on plenty of rest, a couple of longish rides and good diet.
If you don't have a track pump (aka floor pump) with a good gauge, get one and inflate your tires correctly. 110psi would be a good ballpark range.
If it's going to be extremely hot - a top with a full length zip, preferably light colored is a significant plus. Consider riding without gloves/mitts if it gets really hot. If rest stops have a water spray available, take a light dousing down but not so much you end up with soaked shorts, especially if you've suffered from chaffing in the shorts you'll be wearing when riding in the rain. Full length zip tops are a plus at rest stops if you wear bib shorts and used the 'facilities' at rest stops often - which you should. If you know ahead of time that the ride is going to be 100+F and high humidity, consider adding an extra bottle cage and taking an extra bottle for just plain water only to be used for either drinking or pouring over your sweaty noggin'. If it is going to be that hot for most of the day, consider the mini $2 travel bottles of SPF1,000,000 you can get from your local supermarket as a welcome addition to your cycling jersey. Some rides have sun cream - some don't. I haven't found a sun cream that'll take the 100+F NorCal heat for more than a couple of hours on the bike - even creams that seem to be fine with riding for hours at 85 to 95F.
If you have aero bars (aka tri bars) use them - if you're familiar with riding with them and plan on riding alone. Not only do they offer "free speed" but they also take the weight of your hands and if you ride mitt less you can get a nice bit of extra cooling by riding 'open handed' instead of grabbing the bars. Profile T2's are great for this. Personally I think the T2's are the finest two bills you could spend on bike gear - ranking up there with Conti's GP4000S tires.
Rest stops - after you've seen one, you'll have some idea what the rest of them on course has to offer. Avoid wasting time because even an extra 5 minutes at each stop adds up quickly - think about what you want before you get there... If you use Speedplay cleats and pedals avoid overly damp sections of grass/dirt like the plague
