Photo credit to the 100climbs guy, Simon Warren. Ignore the terrible mismatched wheels 🤮, I had an issue just before the event and this was the only viable option.
This year I managed to get into the Fred Whitton at the first time of asking, which was surprising as I know several people who’ve tried to get a place many times and have failed consistently. It’s a route/event I first discovered around 2014 and I’ve had an ambition to complete it ever since due to its severity, regularly called ‘The UK’s toughest sportive”. Since discovering the route, I have completed very similar routes a few times taking in a lot of the same climbs, but these attempts included a couple of café stops (I think I even took some sandwiches once). A recent 100-miler in the lakes even included a pub lunch a couple of miles before Hardknott pass, I wouldn’t recommend this strategy. Hitting arguably the toughest climb in Britain full of burger and chips with ‘café legs’ was a terrible idea. Anyway, for the event I had 3 goals:
Ride it solo - I want to see how far I can push myself without the aid of a group. Essentially, treating it a bit like a time trial.
Sub 6:15 moving time, with a total time of sub 6:25 (giving me 10 minutes leeway to stop for water and 'comfort breaks')
Be completely empty at the end. To go to the limit.
Goal 1 was a big decision, I know I could have gone quicker by riding in groups and finding fast riders to share the work in the valleys. You can gain significant time in the valleys where it's relatively flat. I mostly achieved this goal, I’ll say I did 95% of the ride solo because just after Keswick I was swarmed by a group of 5/6 riders from the Kendal Giant Race Team who were pace lining the whole thing. Being a helpful chap, I duly joined in and did my turns with the group for around five miles until we got to Honister Pass, at which point they decided to go hell-for-leather up the climb. I eased off and stuck to my plan (not something I’m normally good at). When I got to the top, they were all hung over the handlebars being fed and watered by someone in a car handing them bottles and food. I guess if you’re from Kendal, a good showing on the Fred is imperative to your standing in the local cycling community, and this group were clearly going for a good time. In the end, they completed it in 6hrs.
Goal 2 was a bit ambitious if I were to do it solo, but I thought it was achievable. Training was not perfect either, I fell on the ice in early January and had some hip issues for 6-7 weeks that limited my ability to do longer rides. So I had to get creative with my training and opted for a reverse periodisation model, completing high-intensity sessions during those 6 weeks and then ramping up the volume in the 4-5 weeks before the event. I think it worked, but with ideal training I may have done slightly better. The targeted time would also need near-perfect conditions; not too hot or cold and, most importantly, no wind. The wind always takes more than it gives, and this addition of the Fred was no exception. On the face of it the forecast looked good with no rain forecast and temperatures between 9-13 degrees. This issue was the wind. From 6-9am it was still, barely a breeze, but during the second half of the morning a 10-15mph easterly was due to arrive. And it duly did. The last 30 miles were a grind against a decent headwind, and after 80 miles full gas riding this was somewhat irritating. I’ll never be sure how much time it cost, but it was a significant factor when fatigue was ramping up in those last couple of hours.
Goal 3 - Achieved. On the last drag of Hardknott Pass I could barely keep the bike moving. The bit where it 'eases' to 20-25% after the 33% hairpon had me all but done. As you can see below from the last 30minutes, I was pushing as hard as possible and could barely get out of Zone 2. The legs were gone and a bit of cramp was creeping in too. Done.
So for those that love the data, let's get into some numbers. I aimed to ride the hills at 90-95% (270-300w*) of threshold and the valleys at low tempo (225-250w*). I think it worked, mostly.
Distance: 112miles (180km)
Elevation: 12965.88ft (3591m)
Completion Time: 6:36 total (6:25 moving)
Calories Burned: 5221
Normalised Power: 253w*
Average Heart Rate: 164bpm
TSS: 475 (490hrTSS)
Power Profile:
Fuelling:
Pre-Ride (2hrs before the start):
100g Overnight oats with oat milk, 1 banana & blueberries
Coffee x2
750ml water
Fuel on the ride (90g carbs per hour):
OTE Super Carbs 320g (4x bottles with 80g each)
OTE Super Gels 160g (4x 40g)
SIS Double Espresso Caffeine Gel (1x20g)
OTE Flapjacks 80g (2x 40g)
Total: 580g carbs
Hydration:
3.75litres (5x 750ml bottles)
600ml per hour
Power Distribution*:
Heart Rate Distribution:
The Climbing
*My crank power meter reads 20-30w low compared to a more reliable source (Wahoo Kickr), so add around 20-30w to any power number.
In summary, the Fred Whitton is possibly the hardest bike ride I've ever done. For some context, the fastest time on the day was 5:35 by a 3/4 riders from a race team. Madness. I’d do it again and I think I could go faster. Only one way to find out.....
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