thanks for the posts. I'm surprised to see so much rest recommended. I also talked to a biker today, he said ride the next 3 days, easy for the next 2 and on day 3 make sure to incorporate an easy hill or 2. His explanation for this was that it would rev up my cardiovascular system and have me ready for the big day.
Hmm, not sure what to do, but I'll take a bit of every advice and make up my own cocktail!