A painful endurance training lesson!

I think I may have finished dead last in the Pais to Ancaster 60km race
this year (other than those who did not finish)

While training a few times over 2 hours, I always had the 175's on the
coker, but I was planning on riding with the 110's (which I did)

I figured saddle and leg time was saddle and leg time.

not true

My 110mm legs were not ready at all (I had already ridden with 110's
last year, but not in 6 months or something, I figured initailly
learning them was the thing not to do on a long race or ride)

My quads completely locked up about 45 km's in where it hurt too much to
ride, dismount, walk, stretch, or anything for 5, sometimes 10 mins.

Where walking for a bit after a 10 min break (sitting would be
neautral, but would not allow for any recovery as my legs were still
bend in 'unicycle pose') I could hop on the uni, and ride it on the
flat, but as soon as it inclined any, my quads would lock up and I soon
discovered that dismounting hurt even more.

So, at about 55km, I decided I would just walk the rest (a very
pathetic, crippled looking walk). 15 mins later at about 56km, I
discovered that walking downhill at all casued my legs to spasm, not
allowing me to support my own weight, and having to sit down (or slump
down quickly) and sit down for a few minutes. It turns out that and leg
extension beyond unicycle riding extension was frowned upon.

I had to ride the reaminder of the downhills because it was less
excrutiating than walking. (picture how much breaking power I had on
those downhills! )

Ugh.

Train with the setup you are going to use!


--
Brian MacKenzie - LAN Solo

'TRAINING WHEEL NOT REQUIRED DVD - NOW AVAILABLE!'
(HTTP://WWW.LBMMULTIMEDIA.COM)

'Unicycle Product Reviews'
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Doesn't the military have a saying, "Train Like you Fight?" I always
take that to mean either train on the equipment you'll use, or train on
harder equipment then you'll use

I rode 1.5 miles a couple weeks ago downhill, on a 20" trials uni... It
was hell compared to my 24" muni... My legs were sore for days...

Either way, you're the man for doing a 60K!


--
evil-nick - Unicyclist, Linux Geek, & swell guy

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total
obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and
through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see
its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will
remain.

* Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

I'm late for checkers with the Dalai Lama!

My gallery:
http://evil.linuxfreak.ca/uni.html
Our Club:
http://cs.ubishops.ca/~buuc/
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Ouch. Sounds unpleasant. My memories of our silly names ride with 125's
involves some interesting thoughts/feelings in the legs on about the 50
mile mark when reaching some 'mild undulations' that seemed less mild
than they had been when I rode them 30 miles ago.

Just to be awkward, does anyone have any experience of this the other
way around? I've got 125's on the coker, but plan on using 170's for a
24hr race soon (SSMM, big hills, apparantly).

I'll do a bit of training to get used to the cranks, but my hope is that
adjustment to longer cranks means less power needed. The question is
wether the bigger leg movements might cause problems. But then my bikes
have 170's, and they work. But they have gears.

John


--
johnhimsworth - Nullus Anxietas

What if the hokey cokey really is what it's all about?
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Generally, I would recommend a month of training on the cycle you're
planning to use, with at least half of that being with the exact setup
you're planning to use, and at least one significant ride with all the
exact gear you're planning to use (shorts, shoes, hydration, etc.)

Good job finishing anyway!


--
tholub - Kinetic Sculptor
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Man, I so know what that feels like. Reid had to witness it first hand
a couple of weeks ago after our 23 mile ride. My legs locked up and I
rolled around doing everything I could to stretch them out.

Do you think potassium would have helped?


--
bugman - Survivor 2004 Wolfman Duathalon

-* [ F O N T = c e n t u r y g o t h i c ] ' H e l p C u r e D i a
b e t e s b y S u p p o r t i n g M y R i d e ' ( h t t p : /
/ t i n y u r l . c o m / 6 8 m k v ) [ / F O N T ] * -

*Fund Raising Honor Roll*
Kathy Susanka
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johnhimsworth wrote:
*
Just to be awkward, does anyone have any experience of this the other
way around? I've got 125's on the coker, but plan on using 170's for a
24hr race soon (SSMM, big hills, apparantly).

*


Yes, I have and it was an embarressing lesson in makeing sure you ALWAYS
test your unicycle out before the start of the race.

I was running late and had swapped 170s on to my coker as I was about to
do the first lap of a 24 hour race (starting at 10pm).

Unfortunately in the rush to get to the start line on time I had not had
a chance to mount my unicycle and test ride it. Big mistake! When the
starter gun went I hopped on and discovered I had completely forgotten
to lower my seat height to account for the longer cranks. Due to the
crowding of cyclists I could not stop and adjust my seat until after the
first few very uncomfortable "on tip toe" km.

The lesson has since been learnt and now before going on any large ride
or starting a race I always take my unicycle for a short test spin to
ensure everything is tight and the seat height is correct for the
terrain I will be riding.


--
peter.bier - Unicycle trasher

-Peter Bier

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that kinda sucks, sorry to hear about it. still very impressive doing
60k.
if you're ever in that position again, try walking down the hills
backwards. it helps a LOT, a whole lot.


--
James_Potter - betcha can't stick it!
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Well done Brian for completing the ride one way or another, but i'm
suprised a guy of your experience would make such a boo-boo. Hell of a
ride though.


--
marty - '72 dart

The devil takes the hindmost.
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marty wrote:
*i'm suprised a guy of your experience would make such a boo-boo. *


Realistically, I have always been one to switch wheels and crank sizes
around, so due to my extensive past experience, it has simply been
'saddle and leg time is saddle and leg time'

the thought of different leg muscles being used and therefore untrained
(and it actually making such a difference) never crossed my mind,
because it never was an issue.


this is the first endurance race i have done though, since I turned 30
[gulp]

Hopefully I can redeem myself in the solo 24 in may


--
Brian MacKenzie - LAN Solo

'TRAINING WHEEL NOT REQUIRED DVD - NOW AVAILABLE!'
(HTTP://WWW.LBMMULTIMEDIA.COM)

'Unicycle Product Reviews'
(http://londonunicyclingclub.ca/unicycleReviews.aspx)
*120* reviews on *77* products, never make an uninformed purchase again!


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I've been training for Mt Washington on a 29er with 102mm cranks. Using
tiny cranks and sprinting is the only way I can make the hills near my
house difficult.

It sounds like I may want to switch to more realistic cranks in the near
future. Someone asked this earlier in the thread, but does anybody have
experience switching from short cranks to long? Any reason to suspect
the transition would be easier than long to short? I also have personal
experience switching from long to short cranks right before a race, and
it isn't a good idea.


--
Ben Plotkin-Swing

www.benps.com

"Every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible" -Fortune
cookie.
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