What

This Zwift Distance Record attempt will be an indoor cycling record attempt on a Wahoo Kickr which will simulate me going round and round in loops in a virtual cycling world.

The current Zwift Distance Record is 1626 km (1010 miles) in 72 hours and 36 mins. It is held by Chris Hopkinson, one of the world’s best ultra-endurance cyclists. I am hoping to get as close as possible to his record, and ideally beat it.

You (and I sometimes) may think this is wishful thinking, but it is worth giving a try at least?! At worst, I fall short but still learn a lot from it. At best, I manage to beat it and temporarily hang onto the record until the next man or woman goes one better. Such is the nature of records…. they should inspire and encourage others to have a go.

When

I will start the record attempt at 3pm GMT on Saturday 18 February and keep going until I have either broken the record or simply cannot endure any more hours in the saddle.

Where

I will be doing the attempt in the comfort of my own house in Hampton Hill. The initial plan was to do it at the London Bike Show at ExCeL, but whilst the organisers welcomed the initiative, the additional cost for overnight security were rather high! Within Zwift, you can find me on the ‘Watopia Flat Volcano’ course. For those who don’t have zwift.. some of the live broadcasts will be little clips of my avatar riding around on this course, so you can see what it is like.

Why

• To test how my body and mind respond beyond 24 hours to things like sleep deprivation, nutrition, etc. all within a safe indoor environment before my LEJOG and 1000 mile record attempt on the road in September 2017
• To see how close women can come to men in ultra endurance challenges…
• To raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK

Can I join you

Yes! You can join me on Zwift for this challenge and ride a few miles with me. As drafting is allowed for this one, I would very much appreciate a bit of shelter from time to time behind a few of you during the attempt. If you join before 5am GMT on the 19th (which is 9pm on the 18th in LA), you need to perform the ‘hack‘ (click on this hyperlink) and choose world1 (Watopia). If you join any time after that Watopia is scheduled anyway, so you don’t need to perform this hack. You can find me on the Watopia Flat Volcano course (12.3km in length and 46m of elevation). I should be finished when the Zwift schedule automatically changes to Richmond at 5am UCT on the 22nd (i.e. 9pm in LA on the 21st) but if I am still going, just perform the ‘hack’ for Watopia again (see above).

How can I help

Facebook and Twitter messages of support are very welcome as are retweets/shares of this announcement, suggestions for playlists (I like euro dance trash for on the turbo…) or cool audio books and podcasts to keep me entertained (nothing sad please as physical exhaustion makes me more emotional).

If you live near London, you are very welcome to visit and cheer me on for a bit!

The plan is to also set up some ‘fly on the wall’ cameras and do regular Facebook live updates, so can you follow the record attempt and see how I get on wherever you are. The live video streaming will be broadcast from my Facebook Duracellbunnyonabike page. Make sure to like and follow this page in advance if you want to receive notifications ahead of the live updates to inform you when my support crew will be broadcasting live footage from the record attempt. There will be regular updates and commentary on my Twitter (@JasmijnMuller1) too.

LEJOG & 1000 mile Record Attempt and Cancer Research UK

It is not easy asking for money, but I hope that by taking on such a huge challenge you forgive me for asking donations.

Record setting is an expensive business. Transporting and feeding officials and a support crew from Land’s End to John o Groats and back home in September will likely cost a few grant just for car and motor home hire, petrol and accommodation near the start and end. I would love to give all donations to charity, but the truth is that I also need some help funding my record attempt. I am saving up, but still have a long way to go.

I plan to use 50% of each donation towards the record attempt and the other 50% will go to Cancer Research UK. If I raise more than I need for the record attempt, all surplus will go to Cancer Research UK. And if some miraculous sponsor emerges for transport/petrol/accommodation, all donations will go to Cancer Research UK!

Why Cancer Research UK?

The first time I raised money for Cancer Research was in September 2010 on a 100-mile cycle in the North West of England organised by one of my work clients. Back then, it was by far the longest I had ever cycled and only the first time ever I tried clipless pedals. The experience encouraged me to take up cycling properly, become a member of a cycling club and push my boundaries further and further. What moved me most about this 100-mile fundraising ride was that Phil had just recovered from cancer of the esophagus and had used time on his bike as a way to fight the cancer. That day he was amazing, easily the fastest out of all of us. Shockingly we heard that he passed away only three months later as the cancer had hit him hard in the brain this time…

That resilience is something I have tried to tap into whenever I suffered on my bike since. I have fundraised for Cancer Research UK once more (in 2013 when I rode the 24-hour bike race in Le Mans). It seems only fitting to fundraise for Cancer Research UK again now that I step it up by embarking on this ultra endurance challenge.

Unfortunately, most of our lives are touched by cancer. We all know a Phil; have lost loved ones; or try to support friends and family living with cancer as well as we can. I hope my request for donations for this record attempt can help to fund the research to get closer to finding cures.

Predict how far I will go

You are of course more than welcome to make a donation without submitting a prediction, but for those of you who fancy a good guess:

• Make a donation either as Paypal gift (jasmijnmuller1@gmail.com) or by bank transfer (send me an email to ask for bank details).
• Then send me an email with your prediction for the distance (in miles, up to 1 decimal) you reckon I will cover in this Zwift Distance Record attempt. Any distance qualifies.
• You may be confident I can do it and predict a distance which is greater than the current record or you may doubt whether I can beat such a strong male record and predict a lower mileage (I promise I won’t hold it against you if you predict anything lower!)
• If you want to qualify for the top prize (and 3 runner-up prizes), your prediction needs to be submitted before I start the attempt on Saturday 18 February at 3pm GMT
• Don’t worry if you are way off the mark or late to the game, everyone who donates before Wednesday 22 February 2pm GMT is in with a chance to be one of 12 lucky people to benefit from a fantastic give away of Verbatim power packs to keep your phone, music or cycling gadgets going for longer without worrying about battery life.
• Of course donations are still very welcome long after the record attempt.

Nearest prediction: Receives an Isobar Compression scan and pair of custom fit compression socks. These socks are awesome for muscle recovery. You won’t find any better compression wear. I will wear them throughout the record attempt to keep my legs as fresh as possible. Contact sales@isobar-compression.com if you can’t wait to get yourself a pair. They are great for long distance travel by plane, car or train too and continue to protect me from a recurring DVT.

 

 

 

 

3 Runners-up: Receive a box of extra strong electrolytes (500mg/litre) from Precision Hydration. Ever since I started using Precision Hydration electrolytes my cramp issues have gone. I love the taste (not too strong) and look forward to using Precision Hydration during the Zwift Distance Record attempt to replenish the electrolytes I will be losing in sweat. I am a very sweaty person, so I even use the Precision Hydration 1500s! Contact hello@precisionhydration.com if you have any questions about how to use these electrolytes or want to take an advanced sweat test to fine tune your hydration strategy based on how you sweat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky Give Away: Even if your prediction is way off the mark or your donation comes in after the record attempt start (but before 2pm GMT on February 22), you can still win one of the 12 Verbatim power packs. There is a variety of sizes to give away as a lucky draw. I use the smaller 2,600 mAh ones for my longer training rides and will be using one of the larger 12,000 mAh dual USB ones to keep my Wahoo Element going during this Zwift Distance Record. They are also great to charge your phone on the go or keep your music going during long journeys.

 

 

 

 

 

All donations from £50 and upwards: Receive a signed photo from the Zwift Distance Record Attempt.

All donations from £100 and upwards: Receive a signed photo from the Zwift Distance Record attempt and an invitation to ride with me for a couple of easy recovery laps of Richmond Park post record attempt (date to be confirmed but will be some time in early March). This will be a chance to hear me out, swap cycling stories and ask any questions you may have about what it takes mentally or physically to embark on such mad challenges and perhaps I can give you some advice for how to approach your own goals. One thing is for sure: it will be a slow, easy fun and social ride which is more about the coffee and the chat than the miles, as my legs will need a break!