Originally Posted by
groovestew
I've now done two 300 km rides, one last September and the other just this past weekend. Both times I finished feeling both mentally and physically beat to crap (though the second wasn't quite as bad as the first). The thought of doing another 100 km seemed completely out of reach in both cases.
How do you make the leap to the next distance? I know there's a large psycological component to these rides...150 km into a 200 km ride (3/4) feels a lot different than 150 km into a 300 km ride (1/2). Does that carry through to longer distances?
Any other tips or tricks?
Yes, it carries through to longer distances. There are probably almost an infinity of tips or tricks. The biggest difference between a 300 and a 400 is that (depending on course/terrain) you may be up for most of 24 hours or even more. So one trick for helping deal with that is that a ten or fifteen minute nap can be unbelievably restorative. So if you're getting drowsy to the point where you are potentially a danger to yourself or others, it can be helpful to stop and take a little nap. It usually takes a few minutes to settle in to sleep, but just be patient and let yourself go for at least five minutes before giving up. Even just lying down and trying to fall asleep seems to be helpful.
Nick