Three years ago, I entered the Seorak Gran Fondo for the first time and clocked a time in the 10-hour range.
The year after that, in my second entry, I recorded a time in the 9-hour range.
And now, with this being my third entry, my goal is to break into the 8-hour range.
While putting together a time table, I looked at all kinds of information floating around online
along with my own past Seorak Gran Fondo course records and combined everything together.
The conclusion is...
In terms of actual riding time, I just need to ride as well as I did when I finished in the 9-hour range, or just a little bit better than that.
The key issue seems to be: how well can I eat while cutting down on rest time!
When finishing in the 10-hour or 9-hour range, I would rest plenty(?) at aid stations and eat and drink to my heart's content,
but to come in under 8 hours, I'll need to keep pedaling as continuously as possible while steadily and mechanically fueling up on energy.
I've practiced eating while riding without stopping in my own way,
but I've never done it seriously on a course as long as Seorak,
so I'm a little worried about whether my body will hold up properly.
The first image is the time table from the official Seorak Gran Fondo website,
and the second image is the sub-9 time table I put together myself.
The Seorak Gran Fondo website's time table is written based on a constant speed from start to finish,
which has the downside of not matching reality.
The time table I made applies actual segment speeds that account for uphills and downhills,
so I've tried to make it as close to reality(?) as possible.
If there's anything I've missed, please feel free to point it out.
Also, if any sub-9 veterans have tips and know-how to share, I'd really appreciate it.
Even if I have to grind my thighs to dust, I want to hit that 8-hour range at least once. ㅋㅋ
