Annoying questions from a novice...
- Thread starter tmargul
- Start date
I don't believe you are allowed to be self supported. Soloists must have at least one crew member as far as I know. Tammy - can you confirm this?
General advice? I assume you have some sort of training plan you have been sticking to in order to get a lot of base miles in. Riding for 24 hours is not easy, it will help if you are physically prepared.
You'll want dry clothes every couple hours, it makes you feel better. So, bring a couple changes of clothes. Bring everything you have because you never know what the weather will be like.
Make sure you can do basics like fix a broken chain, a flat tire, adjust your derailleurs, true a hub. Or, bring a spare bike if you can. Make sure you have more then enough batteries for your light set.
Stopping sucks. It is soooo hard to get started again if you take too long of breaks between laps.
Eat, eat, eat. Eat early while your stomach will let you, and drink like you've never drunk before (I'm not talking alcohol - necessarily).
Incorporate a lot of eating in your training to make sure your stomach can handle things.
the woman knows mon.Originally posted by Heidi
I don't believe you are allowed to be self supported. Soloists must have at least one crew member as far as I know. Tammy - can you confirm this?
General advice? I assume you have some sort of training plan you have been sticking to in order to get a lot of base miles in. Riding for 24 hours is not easy, it will help if you are physically prepared.
You'll want dry clothes every couple hours, it makes you feel better. So, bring a couple changes of clothes. Bring everything you have because you never know what the weather will be like.
Make sure you can do basics like fix a broken chain, a flat tire, adjust your derailleurs, true a hub. Or, bring a spare bike if you can. Make sure you have more then enough batteries for your light set.
Stopping sucks. It is soooo hard to get started again if you take too long of breaks between laps.
Eat, eat, eat. Eat early while your stomach will let you, and drink like you've never drunk before (I'm not talking alcohol - necessarily).
and stopping sucks and eat, eat and eat. your going to be sick to your stomach but no matter what eat or you'll never make it.
I don't believe there is a RULE about having to have support, but I can tell you, after doing 24 Hours of Snowshoe solo without support - get someone to help you, even if you have to pay them. It will be well worth it.
However, if you just can't or won't do that, then go ahead and write out a "plan/schedule" sheet. Include everything on it, such as what time to put lights on, etc. Then bring at least two bikes. If you're using no support, use one bike for day laps and one bike for night laps. Have the night bike already set up with lights mounted, and have the backup lights charged, set out and ready to go.
Have your meals prepared and marked according to when to eat. I usually try to eat something after each lap, even if it is just some peanut butter and crackers. Soup is an excellent choice for the night meals - easy to digest and eat. Do not expect to survive on gels and stuff like that - it isn't gonna happen. You need real food - it doesn't have to be heavy, but you need actual food. Also don't forget plenty of water, and you will need salt intake as well (crackers, etc.). Practice eating a little bit while you ride at home to get yourself accustomed to eating and riding. Also practice eating small amounts all throughout the night, to keep yourself from getting sick while eating at those times (when you normally would be sleeping).
And yes, bring changes of clothes - including helmets, gloves, socks, shoes, etc., if you have them. Your feet will thank you if you can wear different shoes periodically, so the pressure spots change. And dry gloves and dry helmet are a blessing.
Seriously, though, as anal and silly as it may sound, if you decide to not use support, do keep a written log of everything, even eating times. I promise you, unless you do this or have a support person, you WILL forget to eat/drink, etc., which is disastrous.
Also, do try not to take a break longer than 15 minutes if at all possible. If you allow yourself the option of "just taking a nap", you are finished. Sleep is not really an option at all. You will be surprised at how easy it will be to stay awake - there is a lot going on at those races. Don't set up your pit area far away from everyone/everything. If you have no support, you will want/need the bustling activity to keep you up.
Feel free to e-mail or PM me if I can help you further. Most importantly, though, don't look at it as HAVING to ride for 24 hours - look at it as GETTING to ride for 24 hours. Your attitude toward it makes all the difference! Good luck and have fun!
EDIT: One more thing, to get yourself used to the solo routine, try going out for multiple short rides in a single day at home, to get your body out of the habit of one ride per day. Maybe go ride for an hour, come back in and do some errands, etc., then go back out. This will teach your body to always be prepared instead of "shutting down" after one outing.
And finally, keep going, even if it means just walking the course and dragging your bike with you. You can sort of rest while you walk if you need to. But if you are sitting around at your pit area, you are not progressing.
However, if you just can't or won't do that, then go ahead and write out a "plan/schedule" sheet. Include everything on it, such as what time to put lights on, etc. Then bring at least two bikes. If you're using no support, use one bike for day laps and one bike for night laps. Have the night bike already set up with lights mounted, and have the backup lights charged, set out and ready to go.
Have your meals prepared and marked according to when to eat. I usually try to eat something after each lap, even if it is just some peanut butter and crackers. Soup is an excellent choice for the night meals - easy to digest and eat. Do not expect to survive on gels and stuff like that - it isn't gonna happen. You need real food - it doesn't have to be heavy, but you need actual food. Also don't forget plenty of water, and you will need salt intake as well (crackers, etc.). Practice eating a little bit while you ride at home to get yourself accustomed to eating and riding. Also practice eating small amounts all throughout the night, to keep yourself from getting sick while eating at those times (when you normally would be sleeping).
And yes, bring changes of clothes - including helmets, gloves, socks, shoes, etc., if you have them. Your feet will thank you if you can wear different shoes periodically, so the pressure spots change. And dry gloves and dry helmet are a blessing.
Seriously, though, as anal and silly as it may sound, if you decide to not use support, do keep a written log of everything, even eating times. I promise you, unless you do this or have a support person, you WILL forget to eat/drink, etc., which is disastrous.
Also, do try not to take a break longer than 15 minutes if at all possible. If you allow yourself the option of "just taking a nap", you are finished. Sleep is not really an option at all. You will be surprised at how easy it will be to stay awake - there is a lot going on at those races. Don't set up your pit area far away from everyone/everything. If you have no support, you will want/need the bustling activity to keep you up.
Feel free to e-mail or PM me if I can help you further. Most importantly, though, don't look at it as HAVING to ride for 24 hours - look at it as GETTING to ride for 24 hours. Your attitude toward it makes all the difference! Good luck and have fun!
EDIT: One more thing, to get yourself used to the solo routine, try going out for multiple short rides in a single day at home, to get your body out of the habit of one ride per day. Maybe go ride for an hour, come back in and do some errands, etc., then go back out. This will teach your body to always be prepared instead of "shutting down" after one outing.
And finally, keep going, even if it means just walking the course and dragging your bike with you. You can sort of rest while you walk if you need to. But if you are sitting around at your pit area, you are not progressing.
24 Hours of Adrenalin Volunteer Program
Introduction
Volunteers are an integral part of a 24 Hours of Adrenalin event. Each team MUST supply one volunteer for one 4.5-hour shift. Please note, there is no restriction to the amount of volunteer time donated. Team Volunteers must sign up in the on-line registration process, as well as at the event. Feel free to sign up for as many shifts as desired during the on-site registration process, on Fridays from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., or Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
http://www.trilife.com/fr_need.htm
Introduction
Volunteers are an integral part of a 24 Hours of Adrenalin event. Each team MUST supply one volunteer for one 4.5-hour shift. Please note, there is no restriction to the amount of volunteer time donated. Team Volunteers must sign up in the on-line registration process, as well as at the event. Feel free to sign up for as many shifts as desired during the on-site registration process, on Fridays from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., or Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
http://www.trilife.com/fr_need.htm
Tom,
Did you talk with the folks at Trilife, and did they tell you that you had to provide a volunteer? And were they aware that you are racing solo? I would doublecheck that - I have never heard of them requiring a solo rider to provide a volunteer, and in fact was told by them that solos were exempt from that requirement. I would call or e-mail them for verification before I sacrificed a $300 event by taking 4 hours out of my race time, if I were you.