What I learned preparing for Paris-Brest-Paris on a 600km Audax

I woke up early for the Wander Wye 600km Audax — my biggest ride of the year and my Paris-Brest-Paris qualifier. I ate my standard pre-ride breakfast: two fried eggs on a bagel (500 calories) plus oatmeal and coffee for an extra 250 calories. Fuelled up and ready.

The first 130km: flat, then the Chilterns

The first 60km to Henley-on-Thames were fairly flat. My heart rate stayed in Zone 2 — around 125 bpm — as I rode with a group from the start. We hit the Chilterns next, and I worked harder to keep my heart rate below 150 bpm on the climbs.

I stopped in Wallingford at 130km for a cheese toastie and coffee. I'd already burned over 2,000 calories. Fuelling is always tough on these long rides — I aim for around 500 calories per hour on the bike.

Through the Cotswolds and into Wales

The ride towards Stow-on-the-Wold was stunning — quiet country lanes reminiscent of a postcard. I passed the spot in Worcester where I'd bailed on this same route in 2019 with hip pain. This time I felt strong. My power was steady, averaging around 150 watts.

Night fell as I climbed into the Brecon Beacons. Temperatures dropped sharply so I added layers. Exhausted, I pulled over for a nap around 330km — probably only 7 minutes, but enough to finish the last miles to Chepstow. I managed two hours of proper sleep there before setting off again at 7am.

The return: fuelling becomes critical

Rolling terrain towards Chippenham in the morning light was beautiful. By this point my total calories burned was approaching 7,000. At a Starbucks I had two paninis (800 calories) which revived me for the final stretch.

At Ascot around 550km, I drank recovery milk even though I wasn't hungry — I'd learned from experience that waiting until you feel depleted is too late. The rain was picking up but seeing other riders gave me motivation for the final leg.

The finish and what I learned

I finished in under 34 hours — not as fast as I'd hoped, but I'd earned my Paris-Brest-Paris qualifier. Time to sign up for PBP itself.

The key lessons from 600km:

• Eat before you're hungry. At 500 calories per hour on the bike, you're always playing catch-up if you wait for hunger signals.
• Zone 2 HR discipline pays off on climbs. Keeping below 150 bpm on the Chiltern and Brecon climbs meant I arrived at each checkpoint in better shape than riders who'd pushed harder earlier.
• Short sleep is underrated. Even 7 minutes at the roadside reset something in my brain enough to keep moving. The 2-hour stop at Chepstow was even more valuable.
• Power stays surprisingly consistent. Averaging 150 watts for 600km with a 2-hour sleep stop in the middle — Zone 2 training had built a reliable, sustainable engine.