WHAT ARE YOU LETTING YOURSELF IN FOR:

Taking the decision to ride solo is a huge step, not only do you have to think about the physical side of riding for 24 hrs but you also have to consider the mental challenge it will pose. Many riders forget this aspect of their attempt, but remember the body and mind cannot be separated.

You must prepare mentally to complement your physical capabilities.

AT THE BEGINNING:

Get yourself organised long before the race is even a blip on the horizon; plan it like a military operation. Make sure you have a fully committed support team in place, rope in family, friends, people off the street, just make sure they know what will be expected of them. There are times when you’ll be happy, you’ll be sad, you’ll be excited, you’ll be despondent, you’ll be delirious, you’ll be angry, you’ll wanna do one more lap, you’ll wanna quit, … It’s all part of the huge range of emotions you’ll be putting your body and mind through whilst undertaking this ride. Just make sure your supporters can deal with this, coaxing you to eat, coaxing you to rest a bit, coaxing you to get back on the bike, it’s all part of their job.

Plan your training methodically, if you really want to do well get professional advice about what you should be doing or just trust in your own abilities, surely you know your limits? Or do you…

If you can, bring two bikes with you that are well prepped before the off. With the weather being as changeable as it is, it might be useful to swap a dirty bike for a clean one, physiologically as well as physically.

Pre ride the course; look for the smoothest lines, the ones that will allow you to keep the most momentum with the least amount of effort. Memorising the course will let you replay each lap in your head so relieving the stress of the unknown on the start line.

With all these things in place your confidence should be boosted and your stress levels on an even keel. A perfect way to face what’s to come, one of the ultimate challenges you’ll probably ever face.

LETS START:

Okay you’re on the start line ready to go, your first challenge ahead is the 1 km run, part of the LeMan’s style start that Mayhem is famous for. If you’re a strong runner and can keep a steady pace, move toward the front, and keep out of trouble.  It will be inevitable that someone will either completely blow up 2 minutes into the run or someone will stumble taking another runner out, so take it steady and keep your wits about you. If you are not a strong runner then let the real runners go and save your energy for riding.

When you’re on the bike the real racing and pacing begins.  Remember your biggest concerns during the race are pacing and nutrition.  The right pace and refuelling strategy will keep you riding smoothly straight though the race.  The wrong ones will have you sitting on the side of trail feeling like death or refusing to come out of the toilet after a ‘quick’ comfort break.

BE CONSISTENT:

You’re aiming for a consistent pace, one that you can easily sustain for the entire event. Everyone has his or her own levels and it’s a tough one to work out if this is your first 24 hr solo. Try to keep an even pace, focus on your breathing, this should help you control that pace.

Mayhem has some pretty hilly sections; make sure your efforts here are as smooth and controlled as on other parts of the course. When you come to a section of the course that is either too technically challenging or too steep for you to keep your effort under control just get off and walk.  It's that simple.  You may be tempted to attack these sections, especially early on, that's your ego telling you can do it, ignore it.  If you repeatedly put out too hard an effort in throughout the early part of the race you may be walking the whole course before dark (or worse, sitting in the pit, your body refusing to budge). 

FEED YOUR FACE:

Eating is the yang to pacing's ying.  A 24-hour race requires constant refuelling from the very beginning.  It’s incredibly easy to forget to eat; you may be on a roll and don’t want to stop or you just might not be feeling hungry. But to keep the sustained effort you have to eat constantly. Aim to take on board about 200-400 calories per hour while riding, plus a warm "meal" or two at some point during the race. 

Take a look at the scores of energy products available on the market now that will deliver the calories you need without making you feel stuffed and remember to keep yourself well hydrated. Though best try these out well in advance of the race day, what works for one may make the other one puke!

Think about eating something at the same place out on the course each lap, pick somewhere which lends itself to eating safely on the bike, this will act as a cue to eat something at least once on each lap. Make sure you take at least one bottle out on course each lap, preferably two, keep one filled with a carb drink and the other plain water.

At some point you may want to eat some "real" food.  Ask your support person to make something you know you can digest easily while riding.  It is best to prepare it before the race and have it heated up for you during the race.  Little things such as a small bowl of pasta, some warming soup etc. can help keep your spirits up during the lonely night laps.

HAVE A BREAKDOWN:

It definitely helps if you break the 24 hrs into small chunks. That way it will make it easier for you to get your head round the task ahead. Set yourself goals and think about your strategy before you start. You could say stop on each lap for 5 mins, or aim to ride for 3 hrs then have a break for 15 mins. Sort out a strategy that will work for you and your way of dealing with stressful situations. Thinking about small goals is much easier than focusing on the whole event and will make the whole race go much faster.

Don't however beat yourself up, if you fail to achieve a set goal for a certain part of the race.  Instead focus on keeping a steady pace and fuelling properly.  You will be surprised how these races are won and lost in the later stages.

FEELING SAD:

At some point in the race it will be inevitable that you will feel incredibly down and possibly start to hallucinate. This usually occurs during the hours of darkness. Apparently there is some scientific explanation for this but I don’t think we’ll delve any further. Just recognise that it WILL happen at some point and prepare your support crew for the storm ahead.

It may get so bad you may want to quit.  Don't give in to that despair; this is part of the fatigue process. Your body is sending signals to your brain that make you think you should go find a hotel room and sleep for a few days.  This is one of the major challenges that you have to overcome if you’re gonna make it through the night and through that finishing arch shaking hands with Pat.

One of the easiest methods to help with raising your spirits (not the dead, although some may disagree) is singing. Other riders around you may be alarmed but don’t be put off. Plug in your iPod and belt out those classics, just don’t try doing any air guitar stuff on the descents!

If singing is not your bag, the thought of crooning out in the middle of the night doesn’t appeal to your inner romantic then maybe try repeating something inspiring along the way, or maybe just try counting up to 20 or a 100 and keep that going all the way round the lap. If that fails try talking to your imaginary friend who will have inevitably started following you around by now!

It may sound tedious but it’s a method that helps focus your mind on the positives and stops it wandering around thinking why aren’t I asleep!

FINISH ON A HIGH:

Dawn arrives pretty early at Mayhem. It’s held as close as possible to the summer equinox meaning you have to ride in the dark for the shortest amount of time possible. With the arrival of dawn comes the realisation that the race will soon be over, the worse is done. If you have paced yourself correctly you’ll still be tired but plodding along. If your pacing has gone out the window, you may find yourself going to places you have never been before in the effort to realise your ambition of finishing. Either way it’s time to think about stretching yourself that little bit more, making sure that everything you had is left out there on the course (and we don’t mean your lungs).

Anything can happen in the closing stages of a 24 hr race, some riders call it a day even with the finish in sight; others push it up a notch.

What will you do?

Wanna know how Kate Potter does it? Click here to find out...