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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
Out of the blue my son a 15 year old BMX coo dude aanounced that he
wants to accompany me on my LEJOG ride in August. He's notorious for not completing anything that he starts but I don't want to dampen his current enthusiasm. I have several rides that I can test his mettle with in several months time but my problem is knowing whether or not he can prepare for and can cope with a 10 day LEJOG. Has anyone got any experience or suggestions as to how he should go about raising his stamina and endurance - he's never ridden more than 10 miles and that's been on a BMX bike. He's a lithe fairly fit lad and I don't want to rain on his parade - equally I'd like the comfort of knowing that he can theoretically reach a level of fitness to make LEJOG a viable proposition in 7 1/2 months' time. His is ambition realisable folks? Cheers Vernon in Leeds |
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#2
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
"vernon.levy" wrote ... Out of the blue my son a 15 year old BMX coo dude aanounced that he wants to accompany me on my LEJOG ride in August. He's notorious for not completing anything that he starts but I don't want to dampen his current enthusiasm. I have several rides that I can test his mettle with in several months time but my problem is knowing whether or not he can prepare for and can cope with a 10 day LEJOG. Has anyone got any experience or suggestions as to how he should go about raising his stamina and endurance - he's never ridden more than 10 miles and that's been on a BMX bike. He's a lithe fairly fit lad and I don't want to rain on his parade - equally I'd like the comfort of knowing that he can theoretically reach a level of fitness to make LEJOG a viable proposition in 7 1/2 months' time. His is ambition realisable folks? Cheers Vernon in Leeds At age 15 (early '70s) I completed a cycle hostelling/camping tour from Munich south/southwest to the Bodensee (Lake Constance), from there north along the Rhein to Cologne, Aachen, and finally Amsterdam. I remember the ride from Aachen to Amsterdam as being 3 days of nonstop rain. Daily mileage was in the 60 - 120 km (35-75 miles) range, with rest days here and there. My equipment was horrifyingly inadequate by my own current standards, but I seem to remember thinking at the time that noone could possibly ask for better gear than what I had. I'm still riding a bicycle (3, actually) so the experience can't have traumatized me too badly. 1100 miles in 10 days is obviously a much stiffer pace than I set, how much gear are you planning on carrying? Are you camping or staying in hostels/inns/etc.? Obviously carrying camping gear and having to set up camp, cook, etc. slowed me down a bit. Do you have the option of scheduling one or two rest days? My own experience is that whatever teenagers lack in endurance, they more than make up for with amazingly fast recovery times. Whatever training program you and your son embark on, I would suggest that your son include cycling to and from school on as regular a basis as possible. This will get him accustomed to being on a bicycle on a daily basis, in all kinds of weather, and should help him develop the self discipline and perserverance to stay on his bike for the entire 10 days of LEJOG. If nothing else, I'm quite impressed that your son *wants* to spend 10 days cycling with his father. I would encourage you to include him in your plans. -- mark |
#3
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
"vernon.levy" wrote in news:btfjtr$rtv$1
@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk: he's never ridden more than 10 miles and that's been on a BMX bike. If he can do 10 miles on a BMX, he should manage considerably greater daily distances on a "proper” bike with little problem. BMXs are amongst the most uncomfortable (knees up round the ears), inefficient (single lowish gear) cycles to ride over long distances so 10 miles is pretty good. Cheers, Graeme |
#4
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
I did this solo 3.5 years ago after doing my GCSE's aged 16, I didn't
train at all for it and essentially rode myself into fitness. I took 15 days over it plus 2 rest days in Liverpool with relatives so had a lower daily mileage than you are planning. I was using a standard low end mountain bike, no suspension but big soggy tires, it was after doing the end to end that I got a road bike! I have a website about my ride, take a look if you want- http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~adw103/End2End.html In my opinion this kind of riding is not about physical fitness but about mental toughness. Your son can do it whether he trains or not the question is how much he's prepared to suffer, training can help to reduce the initial shock of sitting on a bike all day, every day! Good luck and look forward to the midges at Duncansby Head. Andrew W. Pain is just weakness leaving the body |
#5
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
"vernon.levy" writes:
Out of the blue my son a 15 year old BMX coo dude aanounced that he wants to accompany me on my LEJOG ride in August. He's notorious for not completing anything that he starts but I don't want to dampen his current enthusiasm. I have several rides that I can test his mettle with in several months time but my problem is knowing whether or not he can prepare for and can cope with a 10 day LEJOG. At about 16 I cycled by myself from Edinburgh to Cheltenham. I averaged about 60 miles per day. On the sixth day I did 100 miles and it was (either individually or cumulatively) too much so I then took about four or five rest days at a family friends' house to recover before completing the ride. I probably could have gone on sooner but I was made so welcome that I just enjoyed the break. I was not hugely fit and my bike was a cheapo Halfords machine on which I was carrying all my kit. I had done no training whatsoever, but was used to cycling about thirty miles in a day occasionally and probably eight or ten miles on an average day around Edinburgh. However, I had been very seriously ill over several years prior to the journey so I was not in as good shape as your average teenager. I do not recall any seriously unpleasant weather on the trip (it was early summer, I think 1973). There was one very frightening incident on a roundabout over a motorway when I was overtaken rather close by a very fast moving artic, but apart from that it was altogether an enjoyable ride. Has anyone got any experience or suggestions as to how he should go about raising his stamina and endurance - he's never ridden more than 10 miles and that's been on a BMX bike. He's a lithe fairly fit lad and I don't want to rain on his parade - equally I'd like the comfort of knowing that he can theoretically reach a level of fitness to make LEJOG a viable proposition in 7 1/2 months' time. His is ambition realisable folks? My guess is it probably is. Make sure he has a halfway decent bike, and do at least one 120 mile weekend with him before you start. Keep an eye both on his energy levels and his morale. And make it clear to him before you start that if he does run out of steam, you'll put him on the train home, but you aren't going to abort your journey because of him. -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ;; 'I think we should trust our president in every decision ;; that he makes and we should just support that' ;; Britney Spears of George W Bush, CNN 04:09:03 |
#6
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
"vernon.levy" writes:
Out of the blue my son a 15 year old BMX coo dude aanounced that he wants to accompany me on my LEJOG ride in August. [...] His is ambition realisable folks? At the age of your son I went for a bicycle trip in France. I rode approximately 1400 km in about 3 weeks with heavy gear. I have never been a really fit guy and I recall that I only had done two or three quite short training rides to prepare for the trip. All in all it went well and was a very pleasurable event -- most of all because it was my first holiday without my parents :-). Of course you are planing to do quite a higher mileage per day than I did. Therefore your son probably should have some more training than I had. But as some of the other folks have already written in this thread his morale might be most crucial. How do the two of you get along together? Would you, Vernon, be willing to lower your intended mileage in case your son turns out to be not as fit as necessary? I believe such a trip could really be a valuable experience -- provided both of you manage to arrive at JOG. Cheers Christian |
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
"vernon.levy" wrote in message ...
Out of the blue my son a 15 year old BMX coo dude aanounced that he wants to accompany me on my LEJOG ride in August. my problem is knowing whether or not he can prepare for and can cope with a 10 day LEJOG. When I was 15 I did an 1 day tour of the highlands with my younger brother and two friends of the same age. We did little or no training. We found the first few days doing around 45 miles a day over hilly roads and with a strong headwind on one day very hard going. At that age our fitness improved fast and later on we were doing 75 mile days comfortably. I think with a bit of training 75 or 80 mile days would be feasible for your son. But it would be preferable to take a few more days for the trip if possible to allow a short day or rest day after 2 or 3 days and to bring the average daily mileage down a bit. I did a LEJOG in 13 days a couple of years ago and with hindsight would take another 2 or 3 days longer. I was averaging 85 miles a day. I found doing that mileage left little time for stops at any places of interest.Also if you are committed to a big mileage to reach your accomodation it can be a very long day on the bike if you get a headwind. Iain |
#8
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
My equipment was horrifyingly inadequate by my own current standards, but I
seem to remember thinking at the time that noone could possibly ask for better gear than what I had. Ah the ignorance of youth :-) My first 100 miler was on a single speed Royal Enfield Gir;ls bike that belonged to the newsagent that I worked for. Irode from Darlington to Pickering amd back via Thirsk and Sutton Bank. It nearly killed me but not my enthusiasm. I'm still riding a bicycle (3, actually) so the experience can't have traumatized me too badly. I have five bikes and a very patient wife. 1100 miles in 10 days is obviously a much stiffer pace than I set, how much gear are you planning on carrying? Are you camping or staying in hostels/inns/etc.? We'll be camping but as I'd already factored in all the camping gear for my bike, my son will just need to carry sleeping bag, mat and personal clothing so he wont be over burdoned. He can of course carry extra when I feel the strain :-) Obviously carrying camping gear and having to set up camp, cook, etc. slowed me down a bit. Not to bothered about the camping slowing the pace. It adds the flexibility of being able to add or subtracting miles from the daily schedule depending on how we feel. Do you have the option of scheduling one or two rest days? My own experience is that whatever teenagers lack in endurance, they more than make up for with amazingly fast recovery times. THe route is not finalises and there is the possibility of breaking the journey at Leeds where we live. Whatever training program you and your son embark on, I would suggest that your son include cycling to and from school on as regular a basis as possible. School is within spitting distance and it's not worth the bother of getting the bike out of the garage. This will get him accustomed to being on a bicycle on a daily basis, in all kinds of weather, and should help him develop the self discipline and perserverance to stay on his bike for the entire 10 days of LEJOG. He came out with me tonight for his first ride. We pottered about for 45 minutes. He seemed happy with the relaxed pace. If nothing else, I'm quite impressed that your son *wants* to spend 10 days cycling with his father. I would encourage you to include him in your plans. I'm quite gobsmacked by it all. He's never shown much interest in my hobbies and interests. I only hope it issn't another nine day wonder for him. At least I don't have to buy a bike for him as he can use one of mine. |
#9
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~adw103/End2End.html
An interesting read. I'll point my son at it and it should encourage him. He'll have done his GCSE's and will have to phone home for the results if he wants them. In my opinion this kind of riding is not about physical fitness but about mental toughness. Your son can do it whether he trains or not the question is how much he's prepared to suffer, training can help to reduce the initial shock of sitting on a bike all day, every day! He's had a very comfortable life to date. I've got some rides in the Yorkshire Dales that will toughen him up :-) Good luck and look forward to the midges at Duncansby Head. We'll cover ourselves in cling film :-) |
#10
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Preparing a youth for LEJOG
Snip
His is ambition realisable folks? My guess is it probably is. Make sure he has a halfway decent bike, and do at least one 120 mile weekend with him before you start. Keep an eye both on his energy levels and his morale. And make it clear to him before you start that if he does run out of steam, you'll put him on the train home, but you aren't going to abort your journey because of him. Thanks for the encouraging tale. His bike will be a Ridgeback Adventure, a chromo framed rigid hybrid. It's pretty light and I was impressed with it when i rode it 60 miles to Darlington. It's the bike that I was originally going to use myself until I found a very good Dawes Galaxy at a price too good to refuse. He's keen to do a Coast to Coast ride and we are spoilt for choice as there's the C2C, Rievers and Transpennine Trail all of which give the opportunity to get some miles in. He cam out with me for the first time tonight and we did a 45 minute ride at a leisurely pace. I'll need to re-educate his palate as he has a fixation on oven chips and chicken fillets almost to the exclusion of everything else. He'll also be under no illusion that I will not be slowing down to accomodate his lack of pace and that the train ride home will be unnacompanied. I have a fairly inflexible window of opportunity for the ride and I'd be cheesed off if I don't achieve completion of the ride. |
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