Anyone done LeJog

[checkmybadself]

No - not some french half assed running....... Lands End to John O'Groats - by bike!

Have (foolishly) agreed to do this in September for charity and am looking for some fitness / training advice. Obviously need to get as many miles in the saddle done as possible, including back to back long rides - but has anyone on here done it who can share their experience and offer any other suggestions?

Doing the route over 9 days (100-110 per day) unsupported, so carrying our gear and staying in youth hostels.

[MikeyW]

Your using your own bike I take it ? If you are, spend AS MUCH as you can on a comfy seat, cause your guch will be on fire after a day !

Only advice about training I could say would be to get out on your bike as much as you can, going for ultra long rides.

A fair amount of leg muscle training would be beneficial too.

[checkmybadself]

Yeah - own bike..... i'm a MTB'er used to 3" tyres and full suspension, so i've gone and bought myself a second hand roadie bike for the task. Rattled my bones the first few times out, but getting used to it now. The saddle i have isn't great so i'm gonna chop and change until i find one that fits right.

Leg muscle training? Bearing in mind i'm not compatible with the gym.......

[saxo-karl]

Yeah - own bike..... i'm a MTB'er used to 3" tyres and full suspension, so i've gone and bought myself a second hand roadie bike for the task. Rattled my bones the first few times out, but getting used to it now. The saddle i have isn't great so i'm gonna chop and change until i find one that fits right.

Leg muscle training? Bearing in mind i'm not compatible with the gym.......

if you dont do gym, then do things like squat thrusts, box jumps and ski sits, easy to do at home at work well.

[barrett]

Loose weight

Cycle lots

Carry bear essentials buy the food stay in hotels / b&bs

wash clothes every night

Eat and drink plenty on the bike

People say it gets easier fitness wise towards the end!

ENJOY

[checkmybadself]

We've planned on staying at youth hostels as the cheapest option, plus they have bedding, drying room, cooking facilities / utensils as well as a small shop for food essentials. This will help us keep our kit list down to a minimum which is good, since we have to carry it all ourselves....

Planning on carrying just one change of clothes, so we have something to wear in the evening when our cycling kit is being washed, plus a wind/waterproof shell and maybe waterproof socks. Things like tools and spares are being pooled so we can split between us. My toughest kit decision really is whether to take a compact camera or the SLR - but thinking it's gonna be the compact, as i can't see me wanting to stop often/long enough to get value out of the extra size/weight of the SLR

Weight is being lost gradually, with a variety of exercise - but mainly swimming and cycling with a bit of footy thrown in too. We're building up from a few 10-15 mile rides per week at the moment, to a few 20-30 mile rides of a weekday evening plus a hefty ride at the weekend. Will try and get a couple of long rides back-to-back nearer the event, to give us more of an indication of what it's like to get back in the saddle the day after doing 100 miles - i should imagine this will be the obvious answer of "pain"!!