Rapha - The Festive 500 day 1

One year ago I entered the Rapha 500-challenge and you can read about my adventure here. This year I am doing it all over again. My preparations have not been so good this year and I am entering this after eleven rest days due to a stubborn cold. I could make it, or I will get really sick. Only time will tell. Last year I commuted by bike to work, giving me lots of kilometers without using valuable family time. My family is the most important thing and I will try to ride my bike when my family is not so affected, and this time I'm only working two of the nine days. I'll do my best to reach 500, but it ain't the end of the world if I fail.
On the other hand, I am now more experienced and knows what is waiting for me.
It's 500 kilometers in 9 days, that is 55.6 km each day! And I can tell you that I ain't riding every day which means that I have to do more kilometers every day I'm out riding my bike. Tomorrow we are celebrating christmas and after that we are going away for a couple of days. I might bring my bike because otherwise I know I won't make it, but tomorrow I will add 0 kms to my account.
Today I was working so I took my bike with a detour to work this morning. +1 degree Celcius, dark, headwind and slush on the roads made it so much harder and slower than I had predicted.

5 am, and I am full of energy!

Waiting for the Garmin to find some satellites

The front light went out after only fifteen minutes...

Fortunately I have a smart phone with a flashlight app, so I held the phone in my hand for two hours and 14 minutes...

Snow on the roads now, but we are expecting a week with temperatures above freezing and some rain so on new years eve it might be all gone

2 hours 29 minutes, 53.95 kms, an unimpressive 21.7 kms/h and a average heart rate of 149 (76% of maximum)

Recovery @ work

The ride home:

My Festive 500 bike, an Bianchi Zurigo with studded tires, fenders and a huge saddle bag

Studded tire and some slush. When I was going home it had started raining and the temperature was up to +3 C.

On my way home I had a lot more solid surface, giving me some extra speed

I don't mind riding on snow...

But all this slush is really slowing me down

Aside from the rain it was great to be back in the saddle again, towards the end my energy levels was low and when I got home my legs where shaking when I walked up the stairs.

1 hour 15 minutes, 29.83 kms, 23.7 kms/h and a average heart rate of 152 (77,6 % of maximum)

Total kilometers after day 1: 83.76
You can find my complete Garmin data from today here and here.

Sundays are my favourite day of the week

Sundays = long ride with company!
Today it was pouring rain so It was only one guy who showed up at the gathering place, Gamla Postenparkeringen. Considering it is November it was very warm with nine degrees Celcius. I had planned a route about 90 km long with about 50-55 km of gravel roads. Those gravel roads was very soft today due to the heavy rain, so it was hard work all the day. My friend didn't have his best day and was suffering for the plus four hours he was in the saddle today. Unfortunatly I forgot my smart phone at home so no pictures from todays ride, but here are two pics from when I had arrived home.

It felt good most of the time today and I'm happy that my winter training has started so well. It's only november but it feels like I'm getting stronger and I also think that I have more in my legs to bring out in spring. I will try to do these long rides on sundays, combine them with some bike commuting and hard sessions on the Monark. Consistency is the key for a great 2012. I ended my elite-ambitions at the end of 2009 but it's allways nice to feel strong, and great fun to race!

That's me on the all new Monark LC7. Thanks to my cooperation with Monark/Bianchi here in Sweden I got the chance to be model for a day. This picture is now traveling around the world on the LC7-folder.

Todays Garmin-data:

Night rider

After that fun-race I did last week I have been taking it easy and took some days of my bike to recover.
But now I'm back in the saddle again and trying to get into shape once more.
Today I started my Garmin at 8:08 pm and the day before yesterday I started the Garmin at 10:13 pm. The day before yesterday was not great, but today I felt much better and was able to push my pedals quite hard. I did two flat efforts and one up a nearby hill. After that I just rolled for a while and had fun with my camera.

Pictures from the day before yesterday:

Todays collection:

The Rapha Festive 500 - day 4

Short blog post today. Have been on my bike for four hours and ten minutes and at work for nine hours. Need some sleep because I start working at 06:00 tomorrow and I am going to work by bike...

It was snowing the first two hours this morning. After that the wind came and made things difficult. Only -6 C was nice for a change. Was riding in winther bib shorts and leg warmers.

On my way home in the dark I was racing against myself. Virtual friend in my Garmin. Won with about 180 meters after a good and hard fight.

My not so straight way to work:


The way home:


87.47 km today and 290.07 kilometers to go. In four days...

The Rapha Festive 500 - day 3

In sweden we celebrate christmas on christmas eve. So yesterday I had a great day with my family. That great family day ment zero kilometers on my bike. I did not care then, but today I was ready for my punishment. From the start of the Rapha Festive 500 the average amount of kilometers you had to ride each day was 62.5. After the first day I knew I had to do 64 kms the other days. And after yesterdays rest day I now have to do 75 km/day. Tough task when I only have a limited amount of hours to ride my bike due to work and family. On a good ride I average 21 km/h, so I do not get that many kilometers on my few training hours either.

My kids in front of the christmas tree.


To get some extra kilometers in my book I got up at 5.30 AM this morning. That gave me an extra hour in the saddle before work. Dark in the morning, and dark when I went home. This morning the moon kept me company and actually helped a lot. I think it's much nicer to see something when I ride my bike. I have a bike lamp, but that is mostly for the cars to see me. I do not see much with it. Rode some smaller roads and dirt roads today before work. That ment no street lights for much of the ride. 

Had -14.5 C ( 5.9 F ) in the morning. On my way home the temperature was up to -11.5 C ( 11.3 F ) and it actually felt warm. Interesting how the human body adopts fast. -11.5 aint warm! Tomorrow we will have about - 6 C ( 21.2 F ) here in Falun. Big question is what to wear at that hot temperature!?

Some of you may think that I am suffering a lot doing these rides in the dark, cold and snowy conditions. But it actually does not bother me. I love riding my bike and enjoy every minute of it.

Going to work:

Going home from work:

Day one: 26.11 km + 25.66 km = 51.77 km
Day two: 0 km
Day three: 41.81 km + 28.8 km = 70.69 km
Only 377.54 km to go!

The Rapha Festive 500 - day 1

Making the 500 will be a difficult task. To cold, to much snow and to much at work. But I will try, the worst thing that could happen would be me getting fit. Got nothing to lose. To get some kilometers I rode my bike to work today. Good thing my work is located in another city. Bad thing would be that it's only about 26 km to work which means commuting to work by bike will not be enough. 

Pictures and Garmin data:

-14 C (  6.8 F ) at the start today and some cozy -13 C ( 8.6 F ) when I got to work.

25 minutes from work I got to see the sunrise.

Sun looking all warm and nice. But it was not warm today, not at all.

On my way home in the dark. Bike lanes almost all the way!

-16 C ( - 3.2  F ) when I rolled out of Borlänge, and when I got home our thermometer showed -23 C ( -9.4 F ). Good temperatures for taking cool pictures.

Going to work:

Going home from work:

Day one: 26.11 km + 25.66 km = 51.77 km
Only 448.23 km to go!