PBP pre-qualification ride recommendations

[Bradley Brooks]

I am new to Randonneuring and since riding with SIR and learning about PBP, I am interested in pre-qualifying so I can get a start time of my choice. My understanding is if you complete 1000 km this year you can pre-register and get your choice of start time at the PBP. I have completed 200 km and 300 km this year and not sure what to tackle next. Looking at the SIR calendar for this year my options are the following:

1.      Option 1 - Ride a 600 km such as the Spring 600K (ACP) on June 6^th and 7th. Since I have not done a multi-day ride this long before, this might be good to try.

2.      Option 2 - Ride the Charmed 1000K (ACP) on June 20-23 to get a real feel of what the PBP might be like. This appears to be the only 1000km and 1200 km ride scheduled this year on the SIR calendar.

3.      Option 3 – Ride both the Spring 600K (ACP) on June 6^th and 7^th and the Charmed 1000K (ACP) on June 20-23. I thought of riding the 600 km and seeing how I did and if I could complete the ride in the time requirement. That way I would have some idea if I could complete the Charmed 1000K (ACP) later in June. However, since the registration for the Charmed 1000K (ACP) closes before I would finish the Spring 600K (ACP) on June 7^th I would have to decide before I would know how I did and if I could finish the ride in time.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated 

[keithmo]

FWIW in 2022 my longest ride was a 600K, and I got my first choice of starting wave at PBP 2023. Every event is different, but 600K is almost certainly fine.

As far as experience goes, doing the Spring 600K and the Charmed 1000K would really let you know where you stand, fitness-wise. 13 days of recovery between the events is (IMO) super tight, but probably doable. As Narayan says, "The willingness to get your butt back on the saddle when you REALLY don't want to is a muscle that must be exercised."

Regarding the timing of the 600K event and the 1000K/1200K registration closure, I'll talk to Rose about extending registration to Monday 06/08, or even later. This way you (and others) can ride the 600K and then decide if they want to attempt the bigger rides.

[Steve Ciccarelli]

Brad,

Not sure if it's the best approach, but I'm doing option 3 (600 + 1200). I figure: trial by fire.  If I succeed, my confidence will be strong.  If I don't, I will learn things and try another 1000 or 1200 later this year.

I can't do the SIR 600, so I'm doing the BC 600 May 30/31 Event Details: ACPB 600km 2026-5-30: VI Spring 600 -- BC Randonneurs Database.  Three riders registered so far - my guess is I'll be riding the entire thing solo.  Anyone else maybe doing that one?

Bottom line is that while a 600 is likely long enough to get a good pick of PBP start times, for me, at least, confidence in completion likelihood is more critical.  I'd like to get 2 or 3 of these 1000+ rides under my belt before France.

Steve

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[Bill Gobie]

Definitely ride the Spring 600. It is a great route. The overnight comes at 340 km, which is far easier (for me) than pushing on to the 400 km mark where many 600s put the overnight. If you feel good you could continue to the Mora control and then return to Forks for some sleep. Good rest is important. Don't feel compelled to leave the overnight ASAP. Something I learned about myself is I could leave at the closing time and finish the second day with at least an hour to spare.

Be ready to skip the 1000 if you are not recovered or you have equipment or fit problems on the 600. It is better to live to enjoy riding another day than to grit through yet another long ride.

Bill

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[Ron...@comcast.net]

Your understanding is almost correct.   You cannot pre-qualify for PBP.  You can, however, get a priority sign-up window based on the longest ride you complete this year.  If you complete a 1000 K, you get two weeks to sign up for PBP before everybody else.  If the longest ride you completed is a 600 K, you get a two-week window to sign up before everybody that only completed a 400 K.  And so on.  You still need to qualify for PBP by riding a full series next year, regardless of your longest ride this year.   If that makes sense to you, you’re well on your way to understanding the French.

 

There’s something to be said for exercising your option 3.  Do both.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  If you successfully complete the 600 K, you’re at least in the second priority window.  It’s highly likely you will still get the PBP start time you want.  You’ve also learned what it feels like to ride a long time, eat something to replenish what you just depleted, sleep for a short time, get up and ride again even though your still tired.  If you fail at the 600 K, you have a whole new set of lessons to learn.  But you still have a chance to redeem yourself in the 1000 K.

 

Why the 1000 K?  Why not the 1200 K full meal deal?  The important thing to learn about riding a 1200 K is that it is not the same as riding two 600 K’s.  Just like a 600 K is not the same as two 300 K’s.  Quantity has a quality all its own.  You get to ride then sleep at least twice, maybe three times.  You get to learn how to eat when your body consumes every calorie and stops trying to store energy for later.  You get to learn how to keep riding when you’ve stopped having fun and the temptation to quit fills your mind.  A 1200 K now will give you knowledge of yourself and confidence that will serve you well when you get to PBP.

 

I think it is important to believe you can succeed.  None of this wait-and-see-how-it-feels hedging.  That’s kind of what randonneuring is all about: finding a way to overcome.  If you believe you cannot do something, you’re right.  And for a week after the 600 K, you will think you cannot do a 1200 K or even a 1000 K.  Do it anyway.  Go for a recovery walk on Monday.  Do a zone 2 recovery ride on Tuesday.  Then get ready for a 1000/1200 K ride.  If you succeed, you’ll find that you’re stronger than you think you are.  If you fail, you’ll learn how to do better next time.  But if you don’t even try you will never know.

 

If it was easy, everybody would do it.

 

 

-Ron Himschoot

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[keithmo]

Registration for the 1000K and 1200K has been extended, and now closes at 12:59 PM (one minute before midnight) on Monday, 06/08.

I'll post a separate message here (and on Facebook) with additional details.

[Bradley Hawkins]

Speaks truth Ron does. 

My favorite quip about Ron Himschoot comes from Andy Speier: "if you want to finish, you ride with Ron"

Magic. 

Bradley Hawkins
composer, arranger, & cellist 

hawkinsmusic.com
206.417.5000

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[Jeff Loomis]

IMO the most important part of finishing any randonneuring event is having the certainty that quitting is not an option.  Ron embodies this pretty well.

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[Ron...@comcast.net]

Yeah, well, I have my share of DNF’s.  Most of them caused by pain or mechanicals, but some caused by sleep deprivation.  Lance Armstrong may be a fraud and a cheat, but he did have a quote that struck a chord with me.  He said “Pain is temporary.  Quitting lasts forever.”

 

Pain may be temporary, but there’s an important difference between pain and injury.  Injury, or the prevention of an injury, makes it necessary to quit.  Pain, however, can be ridden through.  Bonking, for example, is quite painful, but no reason to quit.  That’s what apple fritters are for.

 

I also have my share of DFL’s and hors delai.  What do they call the last person in on a brevet?  Finisher, same as the first.  And finishing hors delai is still finishing and lets me keep a shred of self-respect.  So, I just keep riding toward the finish.

 

That said, I still don’t have a lot of people looking to ride with me off the back.  But thanks anyway, Andy.  I take it as a compliment.

 

 

-Ron

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