Starting too fast
Starting too fast
Despite your best intentions to stick to the plan one of the biggest clangers that a sportive rider can commit is starting too fast.
It’s easy to drop it down a gear and hang on to the wheel in front in the hope that you’ll suddenly sprout wings and learn to fly.
Unfortunately adrenaline has a very cheeky way of masking your perceived exertion level which means as the timer starts suddenly you can find yourself working far harder than you’re used to in training.
The art to riding a good sportive is to gauge your effort and finish strongly. If you’re pushing too hard, too soon, it may feel like you’re in control but the chances are it’ll catch up with you – leaving you in an aerobic and energy deficit that can be very hard to get back on top of.
Concentrate on your own pace and don’t get caught up in the moment. If you’re used to gauging your effort with a heart rate monitor or power meter then use the numbers that you’ve seen in training to keep your body in the green.
If you normally just ride on feel then consider tapering back just a tad for the first half of the ride or until your body has settled. Often riders working on feel alone will perceive how hard they are working to be lower than they actually are.
Keep this in mind and make the last part of the ride a joy, not a misery.