I'm doing 45 min spinning classes 2-4 times a week and have been for a few months now. When it gets warmer out I'll start doing outdoor rides on a real bike as well. However, I'm pretty worried that even at the end of the training, I'm not going to be ready for this thing.
Going out for a 40 min bike ride on the street tires me out and that's a tiny fraction of what I'll be doing in June. Hills are what worry me the most, I feel like I've been punched in the gut everytime I get to the top. If during the ride I need to get off and walk for a hill... is that allowed?
I was hoping there would be a 'half' route that I could do instead of all the way to Niagra. Like doing the 100km the first day and then being done, but turns out there's no such luck.
Not feeling so great about the ride yet. Any support or ideas?
Yes, it's allowed to walk hills if you need to (I did that a lot last year - hills kill me). Just keep going. As long as you keep pedaling, you'll get there. I had to take a lot of breaks and such, but I got there. I'd get out on the road now - I started cycling to work this week (I got tired of paying for the ttc). Do what you can, everything else will fall into place. I you're in the Main/Danforth area, I'll go out for a ride with you with my new bike!
Katrina, don't give up hope. Many first timers feel the same way at about this time.
The key is to keep riding and build up over time. 40 minutes may tire you out now, but if you do that 3 times in a week, the next week you will find you can do 45, the next 55, etc.
On the ride itself you will be surrounded by many people like yourself, great volunteers and lots of people cheering you on. There is lots of opportunity to rest, recover, refresh. I found them all great motivators.
this is my third year doing the ride and I was scared just like you are all I can say is you can do this and by already training your well on your way. I also hate the hills and they hate me so when I get on the open road I make sure I ride where there are lots of hills and do them again and again until I conquer them and it works its the best training you can do as a spin class just does not cute it when it comes to the hills don't let them intimidate you Katrina if I can do this so can you. there is so much support on this ride and so many people to encourage you dont let the big pitcure scare you its going to be fine and you'll finish with the most amazing feeling ever.
wishing you all the best
__________________
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.
Spinning is a much different workout than actual riding - and in many cases it can be harder than the real thing.
As for the actual ride - think of it as four 25km rides per day instead of one 100km ride. There are lots of people in worse shape than you, and lots of people to help you along the way.
And every 25km or so there's a rest stop with food and drinks.
Don't be worried about finishing. You will be surrounded by 5000 riders and countless supporters at the road side.
This is number five for me. I'm 52 years old and am a big guy at 260. They call me the Fat Old Bald Guy.
I've done every version from the 200k and the old 200m. Trust me when you show up for the first day all your fears will vanish. Remember that you can rest anytime you want, there are rest stations about every 20k and medical and support all over the course.
Every rider, even Lance Armstrong hates hills but look at the bright side. What you ride up you get to coast down.
As a rule of thumb if you can ride 200k a week you will have no issue during the RTCC.
YOu still have a lot of time to get in shape for the ride. Part of it is fitness, but also part of it is technique. You need to know how to use your bike to the optimum and you get that knowledge by practice. For example, do you use all your gears? Riding hills you need to come in strong, shift into easier gears before it is too hard to pedal to keep you RPMs at a good pace. When you run out of gears and are on the easiest gear the goal then is to just keep the legs moving! You could stand up for some extra push to get to the top. You can get off and walk, but riding even in the slowest gear, is faster then walking ;)
that said, at one point before lunch last year in the rolling hills we got off and walked a litte too.
Do you have a bike computer? How many kilometres are you riding in 40mins? that would be helpful, you can then add just 5 km's more each ride and before you know it wyou will be up there. Also there is a rest area every 25Km so you are not just riding 100km straight out...
