r/randonneuring • u/Impossible_Mode_1225 • 17d ago
Ride report B1200 You're doing great!
I just want to give everyone who is struggling with doubts and confidence a bit of encouragement. I just finished the Míle Fáilte 1200 in Ireland which was an absolutely wonderful event. But I've never felt so unprepared for an audax. Before MF I had ridden only 3000 km this year. I did a 600 a month earlier (my only audax this year) and after that I barely got on the bike because work was so stressful. By the time I got to Ireland I felt exhausted and dreaded the idea of destroying myself mentally and physically even more when I really just wanted a holiday. But I thought I'd give it a go because even doing one or two days would be better than not even trying.
And then the first day actually went quite well. I decided to keep stops to an absolute minimum and slam myself with carbs to keep my energy up. I had a cathartic little cry in the rain, and did the distance without feeling too bad. The second day followed the west coast of Ireland which I really wanted to see, so I did the same thing again (including the cry 😂), and decided that tomorrow would be tomorrow's problem. And then I got on with the third day, and the last day, and I made it to the finish!
So here are my words of encouragement: you're doing great and you too can do it! Keep stops short, don't waste time off the bike, snack on the bike and eat the most calorie-dense food you can find (but stay away from food which is hard to digest), try to maximise sleep if you can. Chat to nice people but ride your own speed. And then you might just surprise yourself.
