With 10 weeks to go, the fear is getting real. When I signed up to ride Chase The Sun Ireland, the 330km-sportive was a distance goal, but the countdown is on now.
After the Easter fortnight disrupted my training rhythm, I got back on track this week. And yet over the course of the last seven days I still didn't manage to clock up the full distance of Chase The Sun, which just underlines what’s ahead of me.
I’ve been putting down some solid foundations for the last couple of months, I just need to start laying some bricks soon.
This week's cycling involved an 80km club spin, a 75km solo ride though the Wicklow mountains, 60km spin with hills and a 25km workout with some strength work. Combined it's about 90km short of the total distance I hope to cover from Belfast and Enniscrone, starting at sunrise and, hopefully, finishing before sunset on the longest Saturday of the year.
Thankfully the weather has started to turn. On Monday I took the road between Laragh and the Sally Gap, past the Glenmacnass waterfall, and the stretch above Lough Tay. It’s rarely looked so good, under the with blue skies, and a tail wind even made the hills enjoyable.
Aside from Chase The Sun, there’s plenty of sportives on the Cycling Ireland leisure calendar over the coming weeks and it feels like the cycling season is about to really begin. Apart from the actually training, there’s plenty of things to do in the build-up to any big day out to make sure you’re ready for the event.
Bike servicing: If your bike has survived the hardship of winter, it’s only right to let it thrive in summer. But once the sun comes out, bike shops can quickly become busy. It can go from a two-day turnaround to two weeks for a service, so check in with your local bike shop as you don’t want to be off the road for a considerable length of time. Your bike shop can also advise on upgrades and replacements. Chains, cassettes, brake pads, tyres and cables all have a limited lifespan so occasionally need to be replaced.
Bib shorts: Jerseys may last a lifetime, but bib shorts are a different story. If you’re going to spend eight hours plus in the saddle, this is not an area you want to cut corners on. You’ll want a go-to set of bib shorts that you know will survive a long day. I’ve been riding with cargo bib tights over the winter and find the leg pockets really handy for stashing snacks and energy bars, so a set of cargo bib-shorts are on my shopping list.
Fuelling: Use your training rides to figure out what foods and drinks work for you. Some can be too dry, too sweet or just too awkward to eat when you’re on the move. Bananas, flapjacks, energy bars and gels usual work and mixing them up should help avoid a monotonous cycling diet. Getting used to these during your training will also help avoid getting an upset stomach on the day itself. If your energy bars are proving difficult to open, try snipping the top of these before you start, so you don’t have to wrestle with them when you’re on the go.
Tools and accessories checklist: Make a list of the items you intend to bring with you and make sure you have enough clothing options for different weather conditions. Arm warmers, leg warmers and a rain cape are good solutions for changeable weather. There are lots of other practical items to consider. Will you need lights? Is the battery life sufficient? At a minimum you’ll need spare tubes, tyre levers and a mini pump. Check the mini pump and tubes are working in sync together and if your spare tubes have been in storage for a while, give them some air beforehand to make sure they’re still working fine.
Riding in groups: One of the great joys of a sportive ride is being able to travel within a large group and share the workload over the course of a long day. Riding in a large group can be a daunting prospect at first but the benefits are very real and it’s worth spending some time getting comfortable riding close to others. Even riding side by side with a friend will help in this regards.
This week’s cycling: 240km over four rides.
Chase The Sun team relay
If riding the full 330km of Chase The Sun Ireland sounds a bit too daunting, there is also the option of registering as a three- or four-rider team. You can share the miles, the cost, and the experience, while bringing a car as a support vehicle. Chase The Sun
Tweet of the week
Tadej Pogacar needs little help against his rivals judging by his form this year, so TV viewers were enraged when the Slovenian was seen being guided to the line by the race director’s car at last weekend’s Amstel Gold Race, with Ireland’s Ben Healy attempting to chase him down. With a Dutch beer company as the title sponsor, ‘draft’ was given another meaning, as pointed out by @CyclingBram.
We need your consent to load this Social Media content
We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.
Serious cycling
All eyes will be on Pogacar on Sunday at Liege-Bastogne-Liege where he aims to complete a hat-trick of Ardennes Classic victories, while Demi Vollering is also going for a ‘triple crown’ in the women’s race. Ben Healy will be hoping to repeat the form that saw him finish second in the Amstel Gold Race while Megan Armitage is on the startlist for the women’s race.
Meanwhile, Ireland got their Maniago para-cycling World Cup event off to a strong start today. The women’s tandem duo of Katie-George Dunlevy and Linda Kelly took gold in the time trial, while European champion Ronan Grimes was on the podium in the men’s C4 time trial after a third-place finish.
If you’d like to highlight an event, your favourite place for a mid-ride pitstop or tell us about your bike rides email icycle@independent.ie
