Ultracycling

Ha, good shout.

1000km of Naples pizza is very tempting

For the dutch speaking among us, Allegaert will be a guest in Vive le velo tomorrow.

Was in Poland with work this week and stumbled on the finish line of this: https://wisla1200.pl/en/vistula-1200/

1200km off road race across Poland. The elevation for 1200km is unlike anything I've ever seen!

4000m? It's basically flat.

My kind of race. Profile looks like the Welsh 25 course!

Ultrariders, have any of you experienced loss of feeling in your fingers after events? I rode a 1000km Audax a week ago now and still don't have normal sensation in my ring and little finger. Sort of feels like constant pins and needles. Any tips to resolve?

Ulnar nerve flossing.
Thoracric outlet syndrome.
Massage your neck too

Amazing, thanks

Yup, got this after TAW. I got numb ring finger and pinky in both hands but never lost ability to use them which was ok. It's Ulnar nerve damage apparently. Google Ulnar nerve flossing and cyclist's palsy.

I went to a good cycling specialist osteopath who sorted my calves (another story) and did acupuncture on my arms (for the hand issues) but I'm not sure the hands improved. It's still a bit wrong, but is getting better. Another rider described it as 'my hands are drunk'.

I did the Dunwich Dynamo last night and it's no worse after. I realised before that it's a lot to do with bike fit. I intentionally set up my ultra bike as shorter (1cm) and higher (2cm) than my out and out fun bike (which i have happily done a few 200km rides on) as I didn't want to get Schemer's neck or generally be too aggressive. But as a result I think I was pushing away from the bars to maintain a comfortable position.

On TAW I used the aero bars a lot, but the nerve runs all the way up the arm to the neck so I'm not sure resting on aero bars was actually taking all the pressure off.

Totally missed thie point that I swapped out my stem before the dynamo so I was much closer to my summer bike position and my hands were much better.

Cyclist Palsy.
Ulnar and sometimes radial nerves get compressed.
What skinny said, plus a B12 supp probably won't hurt.

Yes. As above, it's nerve damage.
Ulnar nerve is the little finger side of your hand and radial nerve is the thumb side. It's possible to damage both.
Pins and needles / numbness is the first stage. If you damage it more, you would get impaired movement,
Depending on the length of the damaged bit, the nerves grow back at a certain rate, about 1mm per week, I think (if the damaged bit is too long they won't grow back, but that is not normally the case with cycling injuries, it's when you damage it up at the shoulder, or elbow)
I had it after Indypac where I couldn't move my last three fingers from side to side (so if I tried to cup water in my hand it would run through the gaps) and didn't ride a bike at all for a couple of months so as not to impede the recovery. They did get better and all normal now.

Really helpful, thanks all.

I've felt that the angle of your wrist is a big factor. Change the angle every once in a while, move your hands and whole body around. And at least for me aerobar with ski bend is considerably more relaxed than one with straight extensions.

I wrote a blog post about that time I rode across Finland faster than anyone ever.
https://samulimaekinen.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/fastest-known-time-across-finland/

I've still got a mark near my shoulder from the arm warmers I used in RaTN. :S

https://www.transiberica.cc/badlands/

The road at the end of the trailer looks incredible!

We got a pre-release at the start of the Transpyrenees. Looks cool.

The Transiberica goes through some of the same areas (though I hope not too much gravelz)

Yeah, my point. Even flatter than RAtN I think. First section is just one big descent.

It's 600k shorter and RATN goes through the climbs in Limberg

"Expressed in hard numbers or graphic words the climbs beat out a cruel rhythm. The Woolfsberg, Loorberg, Gulperberg, Kruisberg, Eyerbosweg, Fromberg, and then the steepest hill of the race; the Keuteberg, 1,700 metres long with sections of 20 per cent."

With these events, p-b-p and events like dragon ride, if the route is freely available, or/ and is signed what is to stop people just following along without entering?

Other than morals, not much, unless there's closed roads or something.

These events are a big deal for most people such that most people want to do them properly. It's more than just a long ride.

With rides like PBP and LEL the biggest problem would be no access to the controls. Whilst it's perfectly possible to source food and sleeping arrangements elsewhere, it'd be a huge pain in the arse.

Also, the motivation for "just doing it" is going to be less when you're not being tracked and your name won't be on a list of people who completed it.

As an example: running the London Marathon route without entering, or on a completely different day, doesn't get you on the list of official finishers. You can still post it on Strava though and you've still run a marathon.

you've still run a marathon.

You've run marathon distance. It could be argued that without doing it officially you aren't racing and therefore aren't in a marathon.

Also, the motivation for "just doing it" is going to be less

With an ultra, this would be a massive issue. It's such a mental battle to get through these things that you often ask yourself 'why am I doing this?'

If you can't give yourself a good answer that makes you feel really good about yourself and what you are doing, then you are fucked and you are out of the race because you won't want to carry on!