August 2013 - Danger Dendy Thoughts: Preparation for the Grand Fondo....
Given that the Grand Fondo is <6 weeks away, this month's post is dedicated to the Grand Fondo.
I've split this blog into a couple of sections:
- Things to do now:
- The week before
- The day before
- Ride day
And, the DR committee helpfully suggested a couple of variations:
- advice for the Clydesdale
- advice for 'cramming' (ie the untrained)

To do now:
1. Ride your bike: preferably twice of more during the week and go for a longer ride on the weekend. It is not rocket science - but it is not easy either. Especially in the cold, wet and dark.  As DR we should be trying to get in one Dendy Special per week and doing this plus a longer ride on the weekend should get you through at a minimum.
2. Service your bike: if it is not running well or you have been pushing it through winter.  Now is the time to replace a worn chain / cluster or to buy a new tyre.
3. Sign up for the Dendy Rider bike skills training and long ride - scheduled for Saturday 17 and 24 August.  We will have Kevin Ford as our coach - and he will check our bike position, your pedalling style and we will get out on the road to practise on a long ride or two
4.  On your longer ride, practise your nutrition strategy for the GF - see the July post on what to eat on a long ride for some ideas: www.dangerdt.blogspot.com

The week before:
With a week to go, you need to do a taper - of sorts...
Try to get out for a ride early in the week, say Tuesday's Dendy Special
Fine to go out on Thursday as well - just go by feel and don't smack it if you don't feel 100%
With 1 week to go, it is more about taking it easy and saving your legs for the ride, rather than trying to smack down one more hard session
But do make sure you lay out your gear.  Think through all the clothing requirements you might need - for wet, windy, or warmer conditions.  Think through your nutrition plan for the ride; and make sure you pack enough gels, sports drink, bidons etc... as an example, refer back to the Ironman report in my blog - with the picture of all my stuff laid out for the day.... - as they say:  preparation prevents piss poor performance.

The day before:
- buy me! - I'll be auctioning my domestique services for the day, the evening before the ride.  All monies will be donated to charity (tax deductible!)  Ask Lethers about his experience last year.... he rode beautifully and way above himself - it was awesome to see.  He also was never alone through the day and I was directive (when required) about when to put in a bit of extra carb / fluids.  He donated $500 to charity for my services.  If you say it is tax detuctible, then for 4 hours - I am a much cheper domestique than a healthcare consultant (!!) - what a bargin!
- get off the legs.  You will ride better if you have a rest day.  I'm constantly astounded that people go out and ride and ride hard the day before an event.  I made this mistake at the 1996 World University Triathlon Championships - held in Prague.  I got there 5 days early and had really nothing else to do - so I went an trained with the pros - I swam with Greg Bennet, rode up mountains to ski fields and ran intervals around a beautiful lake.  When race day came around, I was a spent force... Learn from my mistake!
- eat some carbs for lunch and dinner.  The day before a 4 hour ride is not the time to go Atkins / primal etc.   Yes, your muscles can burn fat as a fuel source - and it is super efficient - but, if you want to push hard - then your body needs carbs.  You don't need to go crazy, but pass on the steak and go for the pasta...
- don't go crazy on the beers.  None is probably best, a light beer better (but I've been castigated by the DR before for even suggesting light beer!), 1-2 beers is probably fine... but, save your drinking boots for Sunday night....

Ride day:
- Get up early and get organised.  No need to stress / rush / forget something pre-ride
- Have breakfast.  Something you are familiar with - not the time to try spelt porridge...
- It is a long ride - so don't go crazy early on.  The ride along the Great Ocean Road was amazing last year - but there are other riders who are going way too fast, and passing too close.  Also, we had great weather last year, but it is a very exposed part of the course - so if it is cold / windy - you will need your warm gear.
- The climb is pretty hard.  It is a solid 30-40 min effort and it get steeper nearer the top and it is more exposed to the wind.  Last year the "1km to go sign" was at about 1.7km to go - and that really added an extgra dimension!  I expect we will re-group at the top of the climb.  By all means, have a good crack up the climb - but the climb comes just 40km into the 120k ride - so there is a lot more time in the saddle after the summit....
- Take care decending off the mountain into Forrest.  The roads can be wet, and the centre and edges of the road often is covered with wet bark.  I saw (non-DR) riders scream past me, with really no idea what they were doing and literally only just hanging on.  You will definitely not enjoy Sundey night beers if you are in Geelong hospital.... so, ride within yourself.
- For the big guys.  Yes, climbing is all about your power / weight ratio.  And you are penalised on the climb - no question.... So my advice is to find a comfortable, seated cycling pace and settle into a rhythm - pretend you are climbing with the other sprinters in the Tour de France.  They don't try to chase the whippets, they don't waste energy and they don't try to start climbing too hard... so, ease into it and you will be fine
- for the unprepared.... you can still have a good time - but you just have to re-set expectations.  Don't try to climb with Kings, don't pull massive turns on the front, keep your nutrition and fluids up.  Find another DR to ride with and enjoy the day.  There will be plenty of beer at the pub, irrespective of if you do 3:25, 3:45, 4:00, 4:20 or 5 hours... (and really, no-one cares that much anyway) - the important thing is that your ride, have a crack, finish and enjoy the day with the DR crew.

OK - I'll see you on the road, at the Kevin Ford skills training sessions on Saturday 17 and 24, and, of course - at the Grand Fondo.  & happy bidding if you want to experience a domestique for the day....

Danger