[HoldFst18]

Ill have to agree with the above comments. I am by all means not an expert but I do choose to ride with clip in pedals and would never compromise (or doubt) the integrity of a decent mtb Shoe. I myself, happen to use Crank Brother’s Candy pedals. (I got them on ebay for $35… usually they are $60-100, depending on their alloy)… for a while I used an old pair of road shoes b/c I refused to dish out the $80 or so on new mtb shoes which i was sure couldnt make that much of a difference. Man was I wrong… Ever since I bought a pair of Specialized shoes ive been in heaven. MTB shoes are designed in a way to give you the most efficient leg revolution while putting your put in the best possible position of comfort. (My shoes are built up on the inside of the shoe, which makes my pedal very direct and efficient). Besides that they are extremely stiff, which gives me alot of control over the bike in rough areas.
I would not recommend making you own shoes b/c I dont really see it working in the long run. The road shoes I used previously were not only extremely uncomfortable in rough terrain, they also got torn to pieces due to all the trail riding and torque put on them. I acutally glued the bottom sole back on a couple times, even using epoxy at one point, but it was to no avail… I cant see how you’d be able to make an old sneaker have the ability to really hold a clip in when it mattered. But then again… why not try it and see what you come up with, I just wouldnt trust it lasting for more than a run or two. Anyways, good luck, make sure you repost if you do come up with a good cheap idea, im interested in hearing about it!

[HoldFst18]

Thanks to both of you for the encouragement! I did eventually get up the balls to join the Hampshire 100. Im still pretty nervous but I think my body is ready, and ive had very good training days in the past week or two. Im really seeing an improvement in my muscle conditioning, i think in large part to the long distances I do one or twice a week on the road…

"Yep, quit being scared, if you’re really riding 60-200 miles a week (which is a lot by the way, how many hours would you say you’re on the bike everyweek?), you can do a 100k."

To answer your question I try to do 1-3 hours per workout, usually closer to 1.5 hours with atleast one day a week (usually a sat/sun) where I do 3-5 hours at a slower pace. Typically I take 1-2 days off per week. I am beginning to add a little more stationary bike training in. I find that when i am riding on trails I naturally push my pace a little harder than I maybe should, so when im stationary im really trying to focus on a steady pedal pace to work on my flexibility and general conditioning over a long period of time.

…so needless to say im anxious to get the race done on the 22nd to get this under my belt. One of the many things I will be focusing on throughout the race is my pace. I think it will take a few miles to adjust to but mentally I need to be as ready as I can for the 62 continuous miles. I dont want to get to excited at the start of the race and hit the wall at the 40 mile mark. We’ll just have to see what happens…. Thanks again!

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