In the UK too… this year’s cunning plan is a Festive 500TSS… all indoor… works out as approximately 8 x 1 hour tempo sessions…
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Do you have to register for the patch? Im signed up through Strava - Does the patch come out automatically when the challenge is completed?
Hi All
Im having a go at the challenge this year. I’ve always wanted to do it but never got around to planning it out and left it too late. This year i have planned my routes in Strava with a couple of rides going from home to family ( Xmas food recovery!! ) and have been prepping for cold hands and feet ( Vents covered up in my shoes, 2 pairs of shoe covers. and gloves that take heat pads ).
The mileage will be tough but what will be tougher for me will be the guilt of being on the bike and away from family and the cold. Im not good in the cold and struggle after a couple of hours so this will be the main battle for me. Also Ice if the temp drops cold enough here in the UK. The family will most likely be in bed as i am setting off early on most rides but still have that nagging guilty feeling even though they support me fully.
Looking forward to a patch and have set myself a goal of if i complete i am treating myself to a Kickr!
Good Luck everyone, Is there anyone on here doing the challenge in the UK ( Im Sheffield based )
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After you complete the miles you can apply for the patch through strava/rapha website. Be quick though, a friend of mine left it too late and they ran out of patches!
Done it a few times in the past, sold the patches on Ebay last year for £60. To be honest, I don’t think it’s worth doing, always turns into a chore rather than fun, think my advice would be to just get some enjoyable rides in , catch up with cycling friends and if it happens it happens, no point destroying yourself in December then ruining successive training ahead of a racing season.
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I’ll be doing in based in derby
Early cold mornings isn’t great but it gives minimal disruption from the family
I’m going to get a good amount done on the 24th as the other half is at work so it’s a free day
Totes. The year I did it I kept seeing the same tired beat up faces on the road of those also riding the 500. We all knew why the other was out on the road and did our best to acknowledge each other’s slogging. Yeah, after about Day 3 it’s a chore, especially if you’ve still got a few 4-5hr rides in front of you.
I sign up every year and even though I do 10,000 - 11,000 miles each year have never completed this challenge (or at less without checking don’t think I have.) Hard enough in the summer but with shocking weather, seriously low number of daylight hours, and relax time / holidays with the family it is a miserable attempt in my experience no matter how motivated.
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You what? 
Yea that’s my plan, get a big one in on the 24th. Debating the road bike or mtb with fast tyres at the minute as I’m expecting ice and maybe snow.
I’ll be doing this part way through SSBLV1. Are you guys replacing or just pushing the week of TR workouts that you would’ve had scheduled? I’m not building up to a race so was thinking about pushing my TR workouts to a week later rather than skipping them in favour of the 500.
I’m clearing the schedule entirely
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There’s a word for this. BONKERS
Maybe we are misunderstandings each other. Im clearing my schedule for the week too. But the week after the festive 500, will you do the week you missed during festive 500 or skip it?
I signed up.
Hoping to get a nice start on the 24th with some free time before my holiday really gets going. It will have to be front loaded as I think my weather and my time will get pretty limited closer to New Years.
I’m just skipping week 5 of SSB2
Doing the rapha as a good endurance block and then having the next week as recovery and planned and heading to build
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Oh – hah! It worked out alright for me as I’m just finishing SSB so I’ll postpone the first week of build until the new year.
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I’m taking the opportunistic approach as well. Have the bike with me, plan to go out with buddies and we see where we end up. I don’t get to do structured training in the week so any riding is a win!
For at least some of my rides, I’ll try and find some hills that are about the same length as my TR target intervals. Structured training outside.
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I’m out.
Usually winter weather here starts up in November (the wettest month) but this year it’s almost 2 months late. Oh boy, it finally arrived with a vengeance! Just in time for the 500.
Was stopped at a red light yesterday and a gust of wind blew me into the next lane right up against a truck. Wtf, old man winter, cut it out!
I don’t need to spend 25 hours in the cold rain riding into a 360-degree headwind. #warmtoes
Good luck to everyone who’s venturing out. Can’t wait to read your war stories! 
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