[Closed] Setting personal challenges - what next?

Sounds like you've been plodding long enough, scruff - how about a change of pace? Come top ten in a local cyclocross race.

If you fancy a carrot of an event, have a look at Across the 5 ( https://www.act5.be), (its hard), its also a qualifier for the Highland 550 so it gives you a double whammy. It also passes through some stunning scenery.

Act 5, was set up by a TD finisher and a FD finisher.

For a change of pace, how about going for 1 of the time records for a long distance ride like the SDW or something like that.

Marathon Des Sables
Fire and Ice ultra marathon
Ladakh ultra marathon
Yak attack (Mtb)

Haute Route

Cheaper options include the Pyrenean C2C Marmot Tours do it as a 100hr challenge "holiday".

I'm in a similar boat. Done 6 marathons, some tris inc a 12h 226 a 10 and 7hr mtb event in the last 7 years.

At 49 with fitness seeming harder to maintain, a recurring running issue and anxiety/lack of motivation to train, I really don't want to give up ceompetitive events, but am enjoying them less and less.

I should probably join some clubs for the company and also MTFU re sorting my injury/training out.

Are you wanting "races" or just something out of the ordinary?

If you've winter experience (and a fat bike) then the Rovaniemi 150 is a great event/race. An alternative winter bike race would be the Fat Viking if it's still being run next year, I can't remember seeing entry requirements as strict as for Rovaniemi.

I'm doing the FD and am looking forward to it, I doubt I'll be worrying the fast riders 🙂

Running: One of the big three rounds (BGR, PBR, CRR) or something like The Spine or Dragon's Back

@celticdragon - there are no qualifiers as such for the HT550 just events that it helps to have done. Basically completing them shows that you can handle yourself in rough terrain for several days.

@cynic-al - sounds a bit like overtraining. I reckon I had this since last October: no oomph, very tired (going to bed at 9:30), Strava times getting worse despite "trying". I've taken to using a HRM. All my commutes are in Zone 1 and weekend rides are Zone 2 (if possible) and things are improving.

Running: Spine Race or Tor des Geants (if you can get a place), Marathon des Sables is high on the list of things I'd like to do if I ever win the lottery...

Bike: US coast to coast would be great. A proper adventure trip like ice riding Lake Baikal would be quite cool, too.

Swimming: cross channel?

4 weeks bikepacking through Nepal, part of Yak Attack Route, for me. What could possibly go wrong at 48. Challenge is too keep doing it not completing it these days!

Mates doing the Trans America race as we speak.

+ 1 CX race. Its only less than an hour, how hard can it be? Strangely addictive.

I've seen pro road racers get lapped & not make the top 10 @ a local race. Many aspects of fitness & skill condensed into a sub hour of blur.

If you want to be really silly on a CX bike, do the 3 Peaks.

Slightly different style the yours.  In the last  year I did:

Did my first proper DWS trip and my first solo of a French 7a rock climb (above the sea natch)

Cuillin ridge traverse solo IAD

Triple imperial century IAD

Skied my first proper graded 'winter climb'

So a good year for bucket list ticks.

Not got any particular climbing goals any more, but soloing 100 rock climbs in a day was one of my better previous efforts. Though possibly not recommended if you've not done much climbing before.

Revisiting my point above in a slightly provocative manner.... The things you listed above seem very fitness orientated.... why not get into something with more of a skill element as well? Kayaking, or climbing or surfing or something.

Might be a good way to maintain the challenge and interest as your body declines slowly

Do a different French Divide. Find a bunch of French foods or wines you like, cycle from the birthplace/home/most celebrated prosucer of one to the next. No shortage of destinations to choose from.

https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/earning-cake/

Similar boat here, last 4 or 5 years have been doing Ironman/half ironman stuff. Got injured last year and haven't had any motivation to get back into it. Still biking but for the pure enjoyment of it and not doing 10 hill reps.......

Can't see me doing them again but you never know.

I think its good to challenge yourself but it can take over the enjoyment of why you are doing it in the first place.

Next year's Dirty Kanza 200?

Probably a bit run of the mill for you, and all road bike related, but these three have all caught my eye (although I'll never score the time off for the third one!).

This:

http://www.mallorca312.com/

as training for this

http://www.langwaydoon.co.uk   (which I should have been doing in two days time, but then postponed till September, and now postponed till next June due to a broken collarbone! Grrr...)

and then this (which I'll never do)

https://100climbschallenge.org/about/

I usually like to have some sort of a challenge every summer to force me to get off my lazy arse, get out of the house and prepare. This year (this weekend, in fact) it's the Yorkshire 3 peaks circuit in under 8 hours. Previously it was the Bernia Ridge with my Bro in  law. Used to be Alps climbing  trips in August I spent the whole summer physically preparing for.

It's also ok not to have a tick, challenge or quantifiable achievement in mind. Just ride or do whatever because it inspires you for whatever reason. If there isn't anything particular just go and do that tour in France, enjoy it. Did pretty much that myself recently and it was both relaxing and a challenge that itched the itch. No epic points, just on my bike across France in a style of solo riding that suits me and pushes me without getting all type 2 or type A.

I could recommend something like the TINAT 600 if you wanted a challenge that's a bit different to what you've done before, it's not easy at all though. I liked how as an event there's a refreshing and total lack of bravado bollocks. Riders just get on and do it. Much like any other Audax. Just pick a tough one and set your own time aim.

Mont Blanc for me next year .Maybe something that would interest you?

Skied my first proper graded ‘winter climb’

What was that?

Running: One of the big three rounds (BGR, PBR, CRR) or something like The Spine or Dragon’s Back

All great challenges and maybe more doable than some think but... massive steps up from what the op has done before, not just in terms of fitness but also hill skills which can take some time to develop.

A big(ish) trail ultra might be a good stepping stone?

Some have already mentioned it, Bob Graham Round, although you might want a longer than 1 year horizon on it.  I set my sights on it in 2014 and did it last month.

Spin

What was that?

He he,busted. It sounds better than the reality. Broad gully on stob coire Nan lochan about a month back

Details here:

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/glencoe-tomorrow-what-to-do-given-that-bike-uplift-aint-running/

Broad gully on stob coire Nan lochan

Cool, I was just curious having done a bit of that stuff myself.

Have you skied Paradise Face on Bidean? Easier than Broad Gully but just amazing.

Paradise Face with my tracks:

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@thegeneralist - you may have seen this. The Cairngormwanderer blog did a post on the first ski descent of The Black Spout at Lochnagar done way back in 1954!

Spin

Paradise Face with my tracks:

And indeed taken from near the top of broad gully. That really does look special. The description in my recently purchase BigginBookOfGlencoeSkiing sounds brilliant.

Did you look at the photos on the thread that I linked to. It turns out the thing I skied as a warm up for broad gully was significantly steeper than the gully itself, and scary sluffy snow. Not an experience i want to repeat.

I'm based in Manchester, if you or whitestone fancy any trips next winter then I'd be well up for it.

Thanks for the offer but I haven't skied in years and my off-piste skills were close to non-existent back then! 🙂

From whitestone's link

Luckily, I managed to roll over, get on my feet and ski off the moving slope.”

Ha ha. That'll teach me to be such a Wendy about my sluff scares.. love the story.

Yes, good photos. I skied that line to the left that you did on my way back from Paradise Face. I'd planned to do broad gully but it hadnt had any sun and was icy and lumpy.

My skiing has really fallen by the wayside the last few years. I had a few years where I was stupid keen (and just plain stupid at some points) but the last few years I've been more motivated for winter climbing and running.

my off-piste skills were close to non-existent back then

Hmmm. A closer look at those tracks strongly suggests otherwise.😁

the first ski descent of The Black Spout at Lochnagar done way back in 1954!

I heard an interview with him on Radio Scotland. He was talking about just how shite the kit was but it was cheap as there was loads of army surplus stuff around after the war.

Dragons Back, Cape Wrath Ultra and Spine are all good challenges. I’lld say the Spine offers best challenge / ££ ratio.

That’ll teach me to be such a Wendy about my sluff scares

Sluff (if that's how it's spelled!) shouldn't be too much of a worry on spring snow unless it's really heavy (rare) and catches up with you lower down.

@thegeneralist - you are getting @spin and myself confused! Those definitely aren't my tracks 🙂

I've completed the 66/150/300 events at Rovaniemi - I was originally down to the 150 on foot this year, but injury meant I had to drop down in distance and completed it on a bike.  When I did the 300, I had the luxury of decent night's sleep in a shelter, whilst those on foot were just bivvying down for 2-3 hours per night, sometimes in the forest.  The sense of camaraderie and achievement you get from the winter events far exceeds the 'corporate' feel you get with IM's.

far exceeds the ‘corporate’ feel you get with IM’s.

What's an IM? Edit: Iron Man of course doh!

the ‘corporate’ feel you get with IM’s.

I'm not a triathlete but my wife has done a few IM events and I find the whole money making circus pretty depressing. At Bolton last year they wanted me to pay something like £11 to get into the prize giving to see my wife get her age group 3rd place prize.

20 ****s in one day?

Keep your eyes closed for the longest period possible.

No washing or change of clothes for a week?

See how long you can hold a poo in for.

or all of the above! Think BIG!

Why not take youre mountain biking to the  next level and ride Spooky wood.

Get so good at yoga you can look at your own bum hole.

Change sport:

Orienteering, Climbing, CX, MTB, bike packing, kayaking, caving, sailing, etc etc

Or

Change location:

There must be some good challenges in China, Patagonia, Siberia, Norway etc etc

Or

Pick a long distance trail to walk or run. South West Coast Path, GR5 etc

Create some Strava art

Or

Visit every OS grid square in UK

Or

Munro/ Corbett/ Graham/ Marilyn bagging

Or

Visit every trig point in the UK

Or

Cycle to every county cricket ground

White collar boxing. 🙂

Thanks all for the suggestions. I completely agree about the Ironman money machine - the Iron distance races I completed were Lakesman & Outlaw - much smaller and friendlier.

I do have other interests too. One of my longer term goals is to visit every Scottish  (Hamish Haswell Smith) Island and i have visited 37 between the Clyde and Skye out of 233 in total. visiting those means I now have a decent fleet of boats including a comfortable sized Moody, a wayfarer, Canadian canoe & touring kayaks, surfboards, windsurfer etc... I'll be off sailing for a week of two next month to tick a few more off.

events wise, I am / was looking for was single event to train for and complete - the marathon de Sable looks silly mental and reportedly good fun (have a chum that completed a few years ago). Alas I wont be able to spend that amount of money on the entry fee's.

Spine / mountain races sound good - may look into the ring of Steall ridge race.

Thanks all - given me some food for thought

The Haswell Smith book is good isn't it? Reminds me in a way of the Lakes Wainwright guidebooks due to his water colour paintings. Some of the skerries in the Minch and north of the Hebrides could be interesting, a friend has been to Rona and Sula Sgeir which are really remote.

@whitestone - The book  by Haswell Smith is tremendous, The combination of pilotage information, geology, history and cracking the lid on the anthropology of the region is in itself fascinating. Especially as it (feels) designed to read whist at anchor off the island you are reading about. The artwork within it is just sublime - minimalist watercolours but conveying the essence of the island completely.  It is far and away my favourite book in the book case and very often thumbed. Have you read An Island Odyssey?

No I haven't. Will have to get it for the fireside sessions this coming winter.