2023 & 2024 Festive 500

[The Ouzo]

Right, I've got it in my mind to do this.

25th is out, so that leaves me 7 days.

My thinking is either, 

1) 24th - 100km

    25th - 0km

   26th - 100km

  27th - 100km

  28th - 0km

  29th - 100km

  30th - 100km

Or

2) Split it up over the 7 days, some days longer some days less. It will mean less rest days though.

 

Doing more than 100km will probably mean needing a longer rest between. Already not sure how my body will be handling the consecutive 100km days.

 

Any other tips for doing this ? I'm hoping the weather plays along and I'll be picking easy-ish routes.

 

[ChrisF]

following ....

 

 

(seems we have the same questions)

[Spinnekop]

I always try to aim for 1000km.   That way the 500 gets done quickly and easily without thinking.  😉

Always try to do more per day in the beginning 3-5 days, if you can.  Makes the goal more doable in your head.
If the sun is good, legs okay (legs will be eina after the 3rd consecutive day.....learn to live with this), and you have some time.....do extra.  More than 100km.
If you go 125, 0, 130, 125, 120.  Then 5 days in you are already at mission accomplish.  
Obviously there will be a day in there with rain or sore ass or family emergency.  That is what day 6, 7 and 8 are there for.

That is my usual strategy.

 

[Sprockets]

Try get someone to join you on a day when they are available. 500km solo is mind numbing 

[Frosty]

It depends, on a number of factors:

• weather conditions (rain, heat wave);
• your own ability to handle back-to-back days;
• available days;
• available hours on each day.

My strategy would be similar to @Spinnekop except for the total distance (600Km is adequate for me based on my weekly average, it's not too much of a stretch). Get at much done, as possible, in the first 5 days, and allow for a bad day (you and/or the weather). 

I'll start earlier, meet up at 05:00 means leaving 10-15 mins before, so that we're back before the heat kicks in. Will try for 120-140Km on days 1, 3 and 4 - and then take it from there for the remaining 4 days.

I have done 80, 0, 80, 80, 60, 60, 60 and 80 one year when I was working the 3 days between Christmas and New Year weekends. 
 

[The Ouzo]

Just now, Sprockets said:

Try get someone to join you on a day when they are available. 500km solo is mind numbing 

yeah, going to try and get my mate to join at least 1 day, also going to check if the local bike shop group rides have anything planned.

 

forgot to mention, also need to leave some time and energy to spend time with my family, that is after all why i took leave. 

But I'm going to try and head out the door very early in the mornings, that way i'll beat the heat, as well as be back by the time the rest of the family roll out of bed for breakfast.

[Dazshell]

I have to ride 1 500kms in December to reach 100 000kms since I started riding 11 years ago.  It's not even 1 December and I am tired already!

[Frosty]

A 500-gravel would be a good challenge; but not this year... I'm going away to get away from the daily routines.

[The Ouzo]

5 minutes ago, Frosty said:

It depends, on a number of factors:

• weather conditions (rain, heat wave);
• your own ability to handle back-to-back days;
• available days;
• available hours on each day.

My strategy would be similar to @Spinnekop except for the total distance (600Km is adequate for me based on my weekly average, it's not too much of a stretch). Get at much done, as possible, in the first 5 days, and allow for a bad day (you and/or the weather). 

I'll start earlier, meet up at 05:00 means leaving 10-15 mins before, so that we're back before the heat kicks in. Will try for 120-140Km on days 1, 3 and 4 - and then take it from there for the remaining 4 days.

I have done 80, 0, 80, 80, 60, 60, 60 and 80 one year when I was working the 3 days between Christmas and New Year weekends. 
 

yeah points 1 and 2 are the unknown factors.

I know how tired my body has been after doing 160km in one ride, 947 took a bit to recover but I was deep in the red the entire race, if I'm doing these rides at a max of zone 3 then I should be ok.

 

In terms of recovery, what do you guys do on a daily basis ?

[Frosty]

29 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

In terms of recovery, what do you guys do on a daily basis?

Recovery or riding?

[Zeffer]

26th will be 10 laps of Klapperkop again. Thats 180km in the bag. Just saying

[The Ouzo]

25 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Recovery or riding?

recovery on a daily basis. i.e. you've ridden what you need to for the day, what do you do to recover.

[Spinnekop]

1 hour ago, The Ouzo said:

yeah, going to try and get my mate to join at least 1 day, also going to check if the local bike shop group rides have anything planned.

 

forgot to mention, also need to leave some time and energy to spend time with my family, that is after all why i took leave. 

But I'm going to try and head out the door very early in the mornings, that way i'll beat the heat, as well as be back by the time the rest of the family roll out of bed for breakfast.

I do 5-10 on most days.
If the sleep was okayish (6 hours +) then I try to get out at 4.

Heat and time with family.  

[The Ouzo]

1 minute ago, Spinnekop said:

I do 5-10 on most days.
If the sleep was okayish (6 hours +) then I try to get out at 4.

Heat and time with family.  

yeah, if the heat is anything like we're having now, I'll be trying to get out the door by around 4:30am

[Spinnekop]

1 hour ago, The Ouzo said:

yeah points 1 and 2 are the unknown factors.

I know how tired my body has been after doing 160km in one ride, 947 took a bit to recover but I was deep in the red the entire race, if I'm doing these rides at a max of zone 3 then I should be ok.

 

In terms of recovery, what do you guys do on a daily basis ?

During the December week?
Get home. 

• Protein shake. 
• Shower. 
• 15min with the massage gun. 
• 20min nap.

Then daily family stuff.  Go out somewhere.  Do things.  Spend way too much on ice-cream and fun

From 5pm easy afternoon.  Maybe a bit of TV.  8pm in bed.

 

[Spinnekop]

24 minutes ago, Zeffer said:

26th will be 10 laps of Klapperkop again. Thats 180km in the bag. Just saying

Always an AWESOME to-do.  More like 150km if you are going to park there and just ride 10 laps. 
Lots of people and the vibe is lekker and pace is okay. 
Did it last year on the gravel bike and it was manageable with the thick tekkies.