We thought we’d ask our Head of Marketing Gary Trudgett a few questions about his upcoming Raid 100 Pyrenees charity cycling challenge.
What made you decide to enter this epic cycling challenge?
I was looking for a new cycling challenge this year, as it had been nearly 3 years since I did London to Amsterdam as part of #MenUnited. So, when a friend of mine asked me if I fancied giving it a go, I jumped at the chance. It will easily be the toughest cycling challenge I have undertaken. 712km in 100 hours with 55,000 ft of climbing are some scary numbers
How much training are you doing?
I am doing 8 to 10 hours a week, which started in April. A training program was written for me to follow and includes sessions 5 days a week. It’s a combination of turbo training sessions, group rides and long solo rides. Plus, I also race TT’s, so I am fitting these in and incorporating them into my training. Also, I have ridden a small number of events such as a 200km Dorset Coast Audax, the 100-mile Jurassic Beast sportive and Ride London 100
What aspect are you looking forward to the most?
I think it will be cresting the iconic mountains, particularly the Tourmalet, as I have watched it for years on the Tour De France, so it will be amazing to ride it myself. Plus, it’s the tallest paved mountain in France, so it will be an achievement to reach the top at an altitude
And what about this challenge are you most worried about?
I think it is the fear of not knowing how my body will recover for 5 consecutive days in a row. Long days in the saddle with lots of climbing will be challenging on my body, but I am not sure how quickly my body will recover to repeat it day after day
To read more about Gary’s Raid 100 challenge please click here