FarmallM51

I completed a windy, hilly 300K on May 8th in 18 hours. I can't participate in the 400K, but plan to do the 600K on July 10th. No real problems on the 300, just tired and general soreness and what I think is an ankle tendonitis. How do I prepare for the 600? I've been working on speed on my midweek (hilly 20mi) ride and plan to do at least 100mi ride on each weekend. Do I need to try and complete a 400? Should I do 150miles, sleep 6 hours then do another 150?

Machka 

First of all, you've got to do something NOW to deal with the achilles tendon issues. Check your saddle height. One of the most common causes of issues with your achilles tendon is a saddle that is too high ... and if you are cycling in hilly areas, you need to have your saddle slightly lower than you might if you were cycling in flat areas.

If you don't deal with your achilles tendon issues now, you can do serious damage to them on a longer ride which will take you off the bicycle for months.

Homeyba

Other than your tenden that Machka addressed. No, you don't need to do a 400k first. Many 600ks have a sleep stop designed into the route. Generally somewhere around 400kms. Take advantage of that unless you plan to ride it straight through. Since you took 18hrs to do the 300k I wouldn't recomend that. You don't need to do any special training, just don't go out too hard from the start, be efficient and time consience in the controls and pace yourself and you will have a successful 600k!

unterhausen

The 300k I rode last year was when I really realized that I could ride any distance. The important thing for me is eating at around 90-100 miles, any eating I do before that is just getting myself to 100 miles without bonking. The 400k was interesting because it showed me the inadequacies of my lighting. I finished the 300k just after the sun went down. 600k's are usually set up as a 400k + a 200k. Last year I tried riding straight through, and I think it cost me time. This year I slept 2 hours, and it made all the difference. Take a shower and change clothes.

I had everything I needed in my clean jersey pockets, 2nd day's cue sheet, antibiotic ointment, etc. That was good because after 400k I was a little confused.

FarmallM51

My achilles was fine, but on the medial aspect of my ankle where the large bony structure is, there was a red area about the size of a quarter. I asked an orthopedist at work and he said there's a tendon that runs just posterior that so I made the assumption that it was tendonitis. Inflammation went away after a few days, but I'll check with him again.

There is a sleep stop at 400K and I have a room reserved there.

Spiz, Powerade, and fig newtons proved to be good fuel sources on the 300.

I appreciate alll the help.

PerpetualBob

Pardon my ignorance. Are we talking about road or mountain bike?

FarmallM51

Road.

Coluber42

Definitely figure out what was going on with your ankle. A little pain after 300k could very well translate into something much bigger and requiring significant healing time after 600k. It may have something to do with your cleats or shoes, too. FWIW, on my most recent brevet (a 600k) I had some pain right around the ankle bone on the inside of my right ankle. I've noticed recently that all my right SPD pedals have gotten fairly loose, and my right cleats generally wear faster than my left because that's the foot I usually step down with. These two combined to make my right foot feel much less stable than usual, and I suspect that was the cause of the pain. It wasn't bad and went away within a few days, but it was strange because it's never happened before. New pedals and cleats are definitely on the shopping list.

As far as sleep goes on the 600k, keep an open mind. All the American 600's I've done had a sleep stop at around 350-400k in a motel, and at least one drop bag, and I'd sleep for 1.5-3 hrs or so, plus change clothes. But I've been in Germany for the last two years, and I've done three 600's here, and none of them had bag drops. One of them had a tent with cots which I didn't use, and the others had no sleeping provisions at all. So I carried a little more in terms of extra warm clothing, but didn't change shorts and didn't take a long sleep break. But in a way, this does give you a little more freedom because it means that if you do take a sleep stop, you can do it on your own schedule when you need it instead of whenever it comes up. Personally, I get sleepiest right around the time when it's getting light, regardless of whether I've already had my sleep stop at that point or not. A 20-min. nap early in the morning makes all the difference, even if it's just leaning against a corner in a gas station or bakery or something. If you want to sleep longer than that, the rooms with ATM's in them are great because they're generally warm and dry and you can bring your bike in with you. A lot of the riders in Germany carry those reflective space blanket type emergency sleeping bangs, which weigh practically nothing and don't breathe especially well but will keep you warm enough to sleep for a couple hours.

The biggest difference between a 300k and a 600k is riding through the night. You have the time beforehand, so if you've never done it before and you're concerned, you might try going out for an all night ride before that, starting in the evening and finishing in the morning. It'll be a good opportunity to test out your lighting and see what it feels like, even though you won't have ridden all day, and you'll have a little better an idea of what to expect from your mind as well as your body.

Richard Cranium

There's not much "headroom" built in to an eighteen hour 300k - ~10mph - you would need to be riding at faster pace if you are to have reserved some rest time on a 600k. Hopefully, the 600k would be in easier conditions, or easier roads.

No comment, but this kind of injury means you have come too far too quickly. It won't "go away" if you keep riding as much as can to get ready for a 600k. SO unless there is a real change in your cycling stroke or equipment - bad news in your future.

No, you just need to remain focused on all aspects of your health and ride your bike a whole lot. The 600k, at least for all experienced riders is usually broken down into two separate rides. Typically to ride at least half, take a break and then ride again. Many cyclists think of a 600k as riding a 400k, and the riding a 200k 24 hours later.