So I completed the challenge yesterday, and a challenge it was. I’ve been getting in some good riding lately with some long rides, climbing and intensity, and after some better weather good long rides up in the hills and mountains around here, and some shorter but full gas rides in the last couple of weeks I was feeling good. Then came the bad weather and looking at the forecast I saw that it would be that way for a week or so, and so I starting thinking to the Knighthood attempt I had read about recently. I’m mid way training for some other challenges etc and building up and wasn’t really feeling like a week of indoor sessions when I wanted to be getting volume with some climbing intensity . The last ride was a full gas blast on a Saturday then I mixed up days off, easy recovery rides and a ‘recharger’ mid way before the attempt on the following Friday.
I knew that the first session would be steady at at 80% so I wasn’t too bothered for priming the day before as ‘Butter’ at no.1 would get me warmed up nicely.
Fuel is key. I had everything on hand. Pizza, cake, bars, bananas, emergency gel or two if needed. All portioned up. Pizza slice on the break, cake and sweet things on the bike. A full bottle a session with electrolyte tab and and glucose. That all went well.
Computer. If this decides to play up you are screwed. Mine can be patchy and did start to freeze a bit in one session, but it worked itself out. Any doubts about it then definitely get it sorted or have a back up, cos otherwise it could end up a real bummer.
I don’t suffer too much from saddle sores but damn my arse cheeks were rubbed raw from the seated static position and all that lovely salty sweat. Baby wipes, chamois creme and fresh shorts every 3 or so sessions really helped.
Ventialtion. I had a fan and an air con unit and that was a massive help.
Everyone is different, but early for me is best. Was hoping for 5am but ended up at 6am. Psychologically I didn’t want to be still going in the evening and nice to think that come lunch time you’ve broken the back of it.
Any other questions feel free to ask…
If you are thinking of doing it then I say go for it! Be prepared, cover your bases and take care of the basics, but don’t overthink it.
Heres a brief write up…
As the venerable Buddha so sagely taught; 'all life is suffering’. Us humans are shadowed by this truth through life and we have the choice to succumb or turn this suffering into something tangible and beautiful…these were my enlightened thoughts as I reached the end of The Bat that signalled the end, and triumph of my Knighthood attempt. These contemplations as I appeared from the other side of the 10 hour ‘jolly’…going through various mind frames over the course of this time whilst also going through litres of water that was then going straight through me to pool in delightful puddles of exertion. An entire pizza and traditional Italian cake that packed a sugary punch in Killercals kept me ticking over as I alternated between sweet and savoury over the course of the day. I had expected the obvious sufferings, and they did not disappoint, with it really biting at no.5, but I hadn’t expected the saddle sore that I was feeling from no.3…however having read a few tips on the forum I had on hand spare bibs and a tub of arse butter, and thank god for that! slathering it on at the start of each session in the spirit of damage limitation. ERG and 80% all the way, the less things to think about the better! Though 'The Trick’ was an absolute killer in the big efforts; 40 seconds ok but 60 and the final twenty had me hanging on for dear life!
And so The Bat finally arrived, with the finish in sight and I chose this intentionally for its less intensive nature (though it was still some work at that point!) and motivational chat to help me through and which it did mightily well. However it was not looking good when I got a biting cramp in my right quad; it bit, it grabbed and it definitely worried me, especially as its not something from which I usually suffer, and I’d seen some people all screwed up from them in the past. Luckily with a bit of adapted pedalling and massaging they passed off, and the minutes continued to pass by. And so it was then that I started to become philosophical returning to a presence of mind to make sense of things, as one may do with the passing of a storm. All the suffering made sense. 100% tangible, lived and experienced, and overcome. To quote old Dave Buddha again ‘All is impermanent’. Even the Knighthood attempt ends, even though at times it seemed like it wouldn’t!!
Thanks Dame Teresa! And congrats to you too! Glad I won’t have to do that again any time soon, but super stoked to have it in the bag (and legs!) and never has it been so pleasant to lie on the couch the next day lazily looking out the window!
Just a footnote on the running order…
butter (endurance)
the wretched (climb)
the omnium (race)
defender (endur.)
thin air (climb)
14 vise grips (speed)
attacker (endur.)
the trick (speed)
GOAT (endur.)
The bat (race)
The logic to me to putting them in waves; so first three working through endurance-climb-race/speed…then repeating this pattern again but with the more intensive sessions of climbing and race/speed being just a little less intensive than in the sequence before. Then the final four sessions being an alternate endurance-race/speed. This seemed to work well and meant that as the intensity was fractionally lowering with each sequence then I could keep the level at 80% ftp. That was part of the challenge for me…to complete but all at the same %. Like I said I did ERG, and when I hit the big 60 second efforts in The Trick (20secs big power,20 secs a fraction lower, and then sickeningly the final 20secs at increased power again, urgghhhhhhh) I dropped off in the final 20 secs where the power kicks up again as I was spanked and those twenty seemed to go on forever, and as you know, if you let the effort go in ERG you’ve still got to humiliatingly grind those pedals over (like you’re starting out on a hill in 53X11) to finish the effort or it pauses. So that was horrible. Oh and it says to alternate out the saddle and in the saddle…NO CHANCE! I stayed seated, grit my teeth, wound it up and held on for dear life, battling against whatever resistance changes came. The best I managed in those 1 min efforts was to hold out 50 secs before it kicked me in the legs (and lungs!). But otherwise I held all the number and cadences across the 10 sessions and found it easier in ERG as there is nothing to think about…when the efforts came I assumed Chris Froome and stared down at the stem whilst counting really slowly hoping that when I look up again there will be less time to go than I had counted!!
The Bat is great as a last choice as it gave me the motivation when I needed it most, as If I put it first when fresh I would have not really heeded it so much. Having it at then really helped, and I think I actually learned something too…bonus!
I like long steady sustained efforts, but too many of those are a killer…mix it up, variation, but also know your weaknesses. Strengths are less important as after 5 or 6 those start to go out the window! A challenging one (perhaps one you’ve done in the past that has been a thorn for you, for example Omnium for me) can be good as it can give you a real boost once its done, and that can be an initial challenge to break it down…I was saying to myself-if I can do Omnium then thats my first challenge, then its halfway, then the dreaded 7th etcccc, then its the magic countdown of 3,2,1
Thats all I think, just wanted to add a few bits that might help future Knights and Dames in there planning of attack!
Inspiring TBone … love the Buddha wisdom.
I’m trying to map out my own Castle plans and a potential KoS attempt the last week of May.
For those who have successfully made the attempt is 80% FTP the usual setting?
Trying to get an order figured out.
My 8th grader thinks I should do “Maximum Suffering” and she suggested this order:
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (ISLAGIATT) - 111 (Endurance)
Cobbler - 106(Endurance)
Blender - 102 (Endurance)
Team Scream - 69 (Racing)
Hell Hath No Fury - 64 (Endurance)
Violator - 63 (Speed)
The Hunted - 61 (Climbing)
Norway - 60 (Racing)
Thin Air - 60 (Climbing)
Nine Hammers - 58 (Speed)
Not really sure ab these 10 … but I kinda like the idea of ending with 9H.
Would love to know if the coaches have ever suggested a 10 Ride Package that best correlates to one’s rider type? Or do they stay out of the Knighthood attempts.
@itsbrianegan Check out this thread for some tips and video lists from others.
I started at 80% and eventually ended up at 65%. I had The Omnium at #7 and it really cooked me and I didn’t really recover for the duration. It is a long day so think about that as you plan your attack. The prep plan is really helpful and I would also highly recommend the mental toughness program.
