Anyone out there doing the Kielder 100 this year?

Any advice on training plans gratefully received.

Still snowing here in North Yorks. Need to get out on the bike soon I think if I'm to have any hope of getting round.

i am
ride, ride and ride some more
cross training is good….dog walking, running, swimming. i am doing all 3.

Cheers.

Wondering how close I need to get to doing a ton in training. Marathon runners, for instance, don't run as far as a marathon in training, usually max at 19 miles. Is it the same for a 100 XC?

Me too, preparation so far…
Gone on a couple of rides,
Committed to not missing any of our regular Monday night rides.
Worked out how to use my old Garmin on my mac to record rides on Ascent to regularly scare myself into riding more.
Tried not to relax "'cos it's not for months right?"
Once the weather has cleared up, and my fitness has moved up a touch, start commuting to work (still not sure how that will work, I sweat, a lot, and there are no showers at school) but going to have to be doing it for the mileage before the summer.
So, basically lots of talk and little action, still, not for months is it? 😉

Sounds similar to my own regime…especially the not for months bit.

Just followed you on Twitter.

See you on the trail in Sept. I'll be the one with the red lantern, if I'm lucky.

get a road bike, much easier to get in long rides. don't worry about distance, think of time instead. get in rides of 6/7 hours once a week starting now, enter a few 100k event and 12 hour events before hand, sportives are good too..

I totally underestimated it last year, and with very little training in the 2 months before did 65 miles.

I'm planning on riding lots, I was hoping to dome some road sportives and mtb enduro events anyway then I'll see how I feel come summer. Aiming to ride 50 miles commuting, two 50+ road rides, a night ride of ~20miles and a weekend ride of 4-5 hours per week in the longer summer days, I was doing that anyway last year.

The longest off road ride I've done was about 70 miles and that was a while ago. Typically i never ride more than 50 miles unless it's an event so I want to get some long rides in so I get used to being on the bike.

As I live in the NE I may do a few long practice rides around Kielder over summer. If anyone is interested then I may do them as STW Kielder training rides. Mostly social to stop me dying of boredom but longer than usual club rides but nothing silly like racing, sprinting up hills or intervals.

As it's icy and cold at the moment I'm only commuting and doing mtb rides, well, as soon as I've finished these chocolates.

By the way, 302 entered so far. its gonna be another amazing day!

jonb I'd be up for a few rides up Kielder, you ride with midaircriris and the Northumberland reavers? I've been meaning to get out with both bunches of lads for some time now

Not ridden for months, so I have a lot of work to do

MidairCrisis, although I imagine my riding with them at the weekends will have to drop off and I'll end up going solo or roadie, great to ride with but there riding won't prepare me for endurance events as it's typically too short.

I also ride with Gosforth road club but there Saturday rides, which I did last year, are more social than training (training is Sunday). Dunno what I'm gonna do yet but I am very aware I ride for fun and in other sports training more than just enjoying pretty much made me lose interest.

that's the problem, MTB is too hard to get in long rides…
my email is in profile if you want to get out on the road bike anytime soon

24 HOURS OF EXPOSURE in May is surely ideal preparation. Similar terrain, no cut off for this one, just get around, taking a rest/stretch/breather when you need it. Similar vibe in that it's only soloists trying to survive, no silly team racers blasting out a full throttle lap and getting aggro.

Put on with members from the teams that did the Kielder and the BigDog last year, so should be a cracking early season ride out.

How about a (self) name and shame training thread on here?

Everyone own up once a week with what mileage / hourage (if that's a word) they've done that week.

Anyone like that idea?

I've entered it training plan is to be confirmed think I'll just do lots of rides getting progressivley longer.

I'd like to do this but planning to do tw this year so need to see how that goes training wise! before putting in another big challenge!

Planning on entering, although have got family commitments close to the date so I may not be able to. I'll know later in the year for sure. I've wrote out a training program which will hopefully make the most of my limited training time which is basically a variation of something if used before only this time more focused with structure and quality, my longest xc ride being about 80miles. I’m already into a 17 week version of this which will cumulate with the 100k HoNC as the first of a few planned events to see if things are going to plan and to try out new kit etc. I’ll then begin the program again about May; the hopefully improved weather by then should allow me more quality base level training.

I've entered it, every week have been out on wed night ride with mates and been runnning upto 4 miles with a couple of climbs to get a base fitness.

Now its Jan i will step this up to running for longer and more rides gradually getting longer in length and with more ups and downs as this seems to tire me out more than just long ups and long downs.

I would say, from experience don't overface yourself at this stage but build up fitness, stamina and your confidence. I tried doing big rides more than i was really capable of just before Christmas and whilst this was good for stretching myself i was beginning to talk myself out of it mentally feeling like i was no where near going to be ready. If you look at those who did it last year they said it's as much, if not more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

I did a couple of rides over the festive break after a week or so of resting and i could feel the difference and physically and because they were rides that i managed to do without killing myself i feel more confident and willing to keep training again.

My Osteopath said train hard, rest harder!

I'm doing it. For the time being i'm commuting 60km three times a week when opportunities allow (not easy at the mo with current road conditions). Try not to miss out on the regular thursday night ride (3-4 hours) and get in a long roady or MTB ride at the weekend. Will be stepping this up as the year moves on and the weather improves, doing longer road rides on my day off during the week (6 hours +). Have no intention of doing 100 miles on an mtb before the event, probably do 80 miles max (I live near the IOM end to end finish so I can ride the course in reverse then back the normal way and that adds up to about 80 miles). Looking forward to getting some serious miles in and dropping some ballast as the event moves closer!

i have just got back in from a very cold and lonely 3 hour (cough)training(cough) ride. 😉

I've entered but havent even thought about training for it yet. There is Mayhem to train for first and before that CLIC 24, but first HONC.
I have been very lazy over Christmas and will have to start training soon.

Wookster, TW is great physical prep for the Kielder as you'll get superfit, but mentally and tactically it's a different proposition – on TW you need to keep something in the tank for each following day and the cutoff times are not too meaningful, whereas for Kielder pacing yourself to make the cutoffs and leave nowt in the tank by the end <but not before> is really hard.

Will be trying to ramp up the mileage and durations through to August, with HONC being an early milestone followed by a couple of 12 hour solos (which are probably a good surrogate for the mental stamina needed) and some (80-120 mile) sportives.

Yep, I'm doing it again this year.
Just get load of hours in the saddle… 100 mile plus days on the road bike help mix it up and have a look at the Merida (Now CRC) Marathon series, they're good preparation too..
Be ready for a tough day out, the attrition rate last year was very high!!

I,m doing it but I dont train I just ride hard not doing any team events(sits mayhem)as I think they are both well past their sellbuydate.Will be just doing the enduros,difi and the CRC marathon series hopefully will peak in September as around 12 riders I know and ride with will be doing it.
Dont take it to seriously enjoy your riding it should not be punishment!

I am going to spinning classes two or three times a week – they last an hour – still putting on weight though. Building a light bike to solve this problem. If had no access to spinning then would get the turbo out and do some intervals. I've never done a mtb marathon before but I realise that it will be very tough. Plan to do at least a couple of the CRC events – they look like great prep and will give me a more immediate target to aim for. I ride with a road club at weekends so psychologically the distance seems like less of an issue as I can do plenty of long training rides when the weather improves.

Thinking of doing Whinlatter Challenge as a bit of prep for this. Anyone done it before, any good?

http://www.whinlatterchallenge.co.uk/

I got round on sheer natural awesomeness and beetroot juice 😉

These are my monthly ride totals for the start of last year:
2009/01 – 120 miles
2009/02 – 90 miles
2009/03 – 132 miles
2009/04 – 87 miles
2009/05 – 153 miles
2009/06 – 238 miles
2009/07 – 216 miles
2009/08 – 200 miles

I commuted 3 miles each way to work 5 days a week (term time only) and did some longer rides.

I ride 25 miles on the road to get to Hamsterley for group rides, then 25 miles home, which I think helped as I was used to doing tech stuff in the middle of longer rides.

I did that 3 or 4 times last year, plus had a weekend at Dales Bike Centre (ride there, sleep and drink, ride, sleep and drink, ride home), did 4 local rides and one 90 miler on the road (total of 13 bike rides in 2008 before doing Kielder). All these rides were on the SS MTB I was riding at Kielder. Rides are logged here: http://mactually.co.uk/index.php?cat=11&paged=1

Basically, I did far too little preparation 🙂

So does anyone know how many places are left?

Lots of base miles needed at the moment – 70%ish effort.

Later work on speed and don't forget skills – riding smoothly, minimising braking.

I find the mental mind over pain ability to keep going as useful as physical training. And make sure the bike is comfortable and you know what to eat/drink.

So does anyone know how many places are left?

I believe they've set a 500 max so just deduct the current entry list from that

By my reckoning it's at 448 so far!

Seconded boxelders comments regarding mind over pain ability. I reckon once you've reached a certain fitness level, the ability to just keep grinding away is what gets you to the finish in a lot of cases.
Just go with a mindset that youre going to finish come hell or highwater!!

Im doing about 100 ml a week commuting plus the odd sat/sun ride, doing Sits, Mayhem solo and hoping to do the English C2C in one hit May time.
As long as you can find a 'nice place' when your body has had enough you'll be suprised how much further you can go.

Just entered (gulp) 😯

Just entered (gulp)

You'll be reet.

I'm in, at the moment building up slowly after 3 months off riding with plenty climbing in weekly ride to build up strength, and longish ride at the weekend. Also eating more healthy with plan to drop a couple of stones.

Not much more science than than, current odds are 4:1 against completion within time cut offs at the moment.

I am going on the premise of the running club I useed to be in who always said "if you can run 13 miles, you can run 26" in terms of maximum capability.

That's me signed up… quite excited all ready.

just got the puffer under my belt the other week. Planning of lots of long days on the road bike, some bigger back country mountain bike rides, couple of road sportives and a couple of CRC Marathon races too.

Should be a good day.

Well.. i've just entered. My mate i was doing it has got a wedding so going to be on my own 🙁

Anyone drawn up a training plan?

I've never actually done any structured training on the bike so i need to sort it out

Anyone drawn up a training plan?

Not a plan, but my post above shows what I did last year to finish last.

I've entered too, really looking forward to it although it looks like my riding buddies have let me down so I'll be doing it on my own.

I've not drawn up a training plan apart from riding whenever I can and doing a few Enduros in the build up. I'm sure it'll be fine but if anyone in South Wales fancies teaming up for a bit more of a structured training regime then drop me a line.