Think 5,000 miles in one year is too easy? How about 3,100 miles in one month? That was the target Corinne ‘The Mountain Goat’ Black set herself as she rode 100 miles every day through July to raise money for the MS Society.
Corrine is no stranger to clocking up the miles. Last year she rode the distance of the Tour de France over 21 consecutive days, the year before that she rode every day for three months - through winter - clocking up 1,000 miles a month, and in 2017 she managed to gain one million feet of elevation throughout her year of riding. The achievement that cemented her nickname.
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This July’s challenge was slightly different as it was based indoors, with 99% of the miles done on Zwift. She did just four rides outside through the month, although one of them was 125 miles. The only day that she didn’t register exactly 100 miles. This part of another challenge, the Audax based Randonneur Round the Year.
While riding on Zwift was more controllable and made it easier in some respects, Corrine rode on the flat Tempus Fugit course each time, it also presented some challenges. “It was more mentally tough really, especially riding indoors.” Corrine told us when we caught up with her in August just as she was getting ready for a 200 mile ride.
“I’m up for work at 2:45am four days a week. So I got [home] at quarter past eight, had something to eat and drink and jumped straight on the turbo.” After the first week her wrists were starting to hurt, so she added some tri-bars to allow her to change positions.
“That was a game changer.” she said, although on the bad days it wasn’t exactly an aero position she was focusing on. “There were points I was just slumped over my time trial bars, head down, grinding away.”
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“On the really tough days I think I spent more time jumping off the bike and stretching and lying on the floor with the dog, thinking, I cannot do this!” The comments logged next to her rides on Strava tell the tale of how she felt through the month. ‘Totally cream crackered!’, ‘Saddle sores. Sore hands’, and ‘heavy legs and no power.’
She did have one amazing day on the bike though. The last one. “I did my fastest time. Everything clicked in to place. I had the day off work so I had some good sleep. My fiancés friends had made me a cake, there were balloons and champagne waiting for me. Everything just seemed great.
Corrine has now raised just over £2,000 for the MS society through her riding. She chose the charity as her mother has suffered with the condition for over 30 years. For ten of those Corrine was her carer. If you’re impressed with Corrine’s achievements, you can still donate through her just giving page.
Ride Stats
Distance: 3,125miles
Number of rides: 35
Ride time: 168hr 55m
Longest ride: 124.99 miles
Shortest ride: 4.26 miles (Zwift crashed, re-started and did 96 miles)
Fastest ride: 22mph
Slowest ride: 13.9mph
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
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