600k qualifier done on 25th May, two weeks recovery with limited training
start rowing training again (already actioned, been on the water twice in the last week)
ride “This is not a tour 400A” this weekend (looks brutal)
then roughly follow the Century plan high volume but with much more low intensity volume - stretching to hopefully riding a 200k most weekends. I’ve entered a 100k for the weekend after TINAT with a view to ECE it to 200k
race one rowing event in July, maybe 2
target CTL for PBP of 90-100
I think my FTP would probably be 240+ now having dropped down in late March (still not fully explained but suspicion of a virus since my other half was sick around the same time). At the last PBP my FTP was in the 250-260 range and that’s sufficient for sub 80h if things go to plan.
I’m a night owl and this suits me for PBP with the afternoon or evening start slots. I don’t deal well with a 5am start, my 600k started at 5am and I hated that, so I would never attempt the 84h limit. I’m entered into 80h and stuck with it now - there are no free slots anywhere.
On the 80h last time I didn’t sleep properly until the 3rd night, and that was only an hour.
Ok, so I did a 600 in the end and it was fantastic.
My first 400 and 600 and completed the Series.
The 600 was the North Coast Classic up the top of Scotland which is 5.5 AAA points and the first day was brutal but incredibly good weather. I finished strong, and felt better at the end of the 600 than I did the 200, 300 and 400.
I put it down to the great training plan of TrainerRoad. That SSB training I started last year set me up to complete the goal.
I dnf’d my first attempt at a 600k because of eating problems, so I had to scramble to find another. Finished a flat but windy New Jersey 600k in reasonable form. Now I have to book flights and lodging.
I’m riding a 1000k starting the 20th, which is a week from now. Hopefully I’ll be rested enough.
If anyone didn’t have a prequalifying ride from last year and has ridden qualifiers this year but couldn’t get a place - around 1500 of the prequalifications have been abandoned and ACP have made a lot more places available - around 1000 remain. Get them while they’re hot.
I need to get just a little faster to stay ahead of the bulge. Getting in the first 90h group is just the first step. I am going to try to skip eating at Mortagne, that’s always a madhouse on the way out. I have all my travel plans and lodging booked, now I need to figure out drop bags.
I finished my 1000k with 1/2 hour left on the clock. It was a really tough ride and I had a delay helping another rider on the last night that really slowed my forward progress. In fact, everyone thought I would quit. Seemed a little silly with only 100k left though.
In 2015 in the 80h C-group I went to the baguette stall outdoors at Mortagne - was quiet. At the next control at Villaines I went to the restaurant. I was the only one there, apart from helpers. They were surprised to have a customer.
I have heard the food usually isn’t ready for the 80h riders on the way out, but reading the ride report from the fastest rider last time, he got at least one sandwich at a control early on. In 2011, I really wanted a sandwich at Mortangne, but they were sold out. I had to stand in the very long cafeteria line and then ate too much. Then at Villaines they took a long time to take my order at the sandwich line. I hope to mostly buy food on the economy this time. I’m trying to map out places to buy food. In 2011 at one of the secret controls the food line took forever, and I regretted that. At least the food was good though.
They really pushed the number of registrants by re-opening registration. Looks like there will probably be over 6000 people. I’m not sure what the usual DNS rate is though, maybe it will be closer to 6500 riders.
I’m really curious about people’s IF numbers and what differences people are seeing from indoor trainer vs outdoor.
I’m using a wahoo kickr inside and a quarq on my brevet bike.
I’m pretty sure that the quarq reads higher than the wahoo, and I also suspect that actual events are more motivating than trainer sessions.
My 600k qualifier was done at 1.03IF in 21:50 pedaling time. We did stop at the overnight control and sleep for a couple hours.
Is there a way to link rides from my calendar so we can all look at the same data?
Hahn Rossman
Starting in wave F this year (special machines) because of the Concours des machines competition! I’ve done the 80hr start the last two times and really enjoyed it.
You didn’t ride for 21:50 at 1.03IF. Either your FTP is set way too low or your power meter is over reading significantly. An IF of 1.03 can be maintained for around an hour at most, but that would suggest a slightly low FTP or slight over-reading power meter.
Good luck in the competition. I sent you an email, but you didn’t respond. My question is if there is a scheduled event after PBP for CdM?
I agree with sproven, your ftp must be higher. I can see riding at IF=1 for many hours, but not 20. The thing about PBP is there are many big rollers. So riding hard up the hills and resting on the downhills might make for a higher average IF than what is normally possible. Is it possible we can see your ride on Strava?
I always thought that if you had compatriots that could keep up and did the same thing, sleeping at Brest might actually make for a faster time for people riding in the 45 hour range. Do you have a target time? I remember seeing the lead 80hr group returning to Paris in 2011. I was some distance from getting to Loudeac the first time. They looked like I felt, not great.
I hope that its all going well for you guys at PBP (and maybe some have already finished!)
Please post back reports of how it went. I’m aiming to do this in 4 years time.
PBP went well, and I’m pretty happy with how my body responded, and the time I got. I startet in one of the 80h groups, B, the 2nd group to start. I finished the ride in 57:44, so beat my old time with 7 hours.
As always the pace was firece from the start, and I had to pay for that later. Never learn. My aim was to be as quick as I could at the controls, so I traveled with quite a lot of food on the bike. That worked perfectly. I stopped to sleep for about two hours after approximately 850 km’s, and I felt fine after that, and made it back without any issues.
Rolling through towns day and night, and having people cheer you on is such an amazing experience. Kids wanting to high-five as you pass… Such great times!
that is fast - congratulations - not sure I could manage with just 2 hours sleep after 850km (on my 600 I got 3.5hrs sleep at 375km and I was very ready for it; was fresh after it)
I was slower than I hoped. The pace off the start was too fierce for me. Worse than 2015, perhaps due to the new start location allowing a faster roll out. So I settled in to my own pace without much help into the headwind all the way to Brest in 35h; turned right around and did not sleep except for a couple of short naps until I took 50 minutes at 1000km. That put me behind the time limit but I made it up by the next check. Before Dreux at 1179km I got double vision but staying off the drops mostly cleared it up. Rolled into the finish in 78h40 for my second fastest time. I reckon this was my toughest ride. Going through three nights before sleeping is tough.
