How many miles?

[AutumnBreez]

A century is 150 miles right?
How many miles should a beginner push themselves each day to train?
at intervals of weeks-

1 week ride ?? miles
week 2 ??? miles
week 3??miles

How many weeks should it take on average to get to riding a century?
OR is there a better method???
Please advise.....

[nuthatch]

Hey, AutumnBreez! There's a "metric century" which is 100 kilometers and a regular 100 mile century. I'm planning to do the MS Society 150 ride this year and their website has a great training brochure at: http://events.msillinois.org/site/DocServer/05TrainingGuide.pdf?docID=1301. This is to get you ready to do 150 miles over two days but it's a great gradual build-up for long distance riding. I've heard that the Bicycling Mag website (www.bicycling.com) also has some good training advice.

Good luck with your century plans!!

[AutumnBreez]

Thanks for the links...I have looked at them and it is helpful.

[Bike Goddess]

Hi Autumn Breez (great name)- If you have a bicycle club in your vicinity, I highly reccommend you join. I started riding in August 2003, joined my local club and began riding with them twice a week in October of 2003. Since than I have done 5 centuries and many metric centuries. I am no spring chicken either. What I have learned over this time has been that a lot of your training is learning how your body handles being on the bike.

Every time I do a century, I learn something else about my body. I did one this past Saturday (March 5th) and started cramping at 60 miles. (Fortuneately I wasn't far from the next rest stop where I could start hydrating like crazy which helped). One of my bike club buddies (who rides about 200 mi a week and is older than I am) said that your body can usually keep hydrating until that 60 mile mark and then if you haven't been drinking the cramps will show up. Other centuries I have learned about hot feet, camelbacks, back pains, etc. So I take them as lessons learned for the next one. I am doing another century this Saturday, the first time I have done 2 centuries with 6 days inbetween. We'll see what gifts from Mother nature I get this time!

RE training- I started out doing hills. If you can find a hill near where you live, (Utah-right?) and master that hill, it will make a big difference. I often choose a hill of about 1/4 mile and do it about 3-4times. I start in low gears and gradually go to higher gears. I also practice spinning on the hills as then you learn to get to the top with the least amount of effort.

Why ride with a club? One of the most wonderful things about riding with a club is the social aspect. Fortunately for me, the guys in my club were willing to spend some time coaching me on efficient ways to ride- I had no idea of what spinning was, how to gear down in advance of a hill climb, how to draught, etc. Generally speaking the guys I know are thrilled to have women ride with them As you get stronger (from all the hill work you do on your own) you will start to see that you also get faster. A year ago I was in the back (yes they waited for me but I didn't like being last all the time)and now I am somewhere in the middle. In fact on some hills I now challenge some of the guys just for fun! It's been a wonderful year of riding for me.

One other piece of advice- I have granny gears on my bike and I wouldn't trade them for anything! I switched out shortly after I got my bike as I wanted to do a ride up Mount Diablo (about 3300ft of climing in 13 miles). I'd driven up the road (steeper side) and knew it would take a lot of strength to get up there on a bike. I did the climb last summer thanks to those granny gears. My back cassette is 11/34 and of course I have three chain rings on my front. (Shimano XT Derailleur- a mountain bike set up). This gearing has allowed me to literally walk up (standing on the bike) almost vertical pieces of road.

One other comment- 1st long ride- 20 miles. Then keep increasing- 25-30, 35-40. After you can do 40 miles, you can now do a metric century (63mi). After you do a metric century you are on your way to a century!

I forgot to mention- I joined a gym this year for endurance and a woman who I ride with set me up on a program to increase my strength, etc. That has also helped with speed!

GOOD LUCK and welcome to the road addicts!
Nancy

[SadieKate]

There are all kinds of articles all over the internet with information about training, such as riding with buddies, fueling, drinking, etc., but what I find the most helpful is a simple mileage chart. Bicycling Mag used to have a good one of their site but I couldn't find it. I did find this one posted by Chico Velo, a bike club in California that puts on a series of great centuries rides (they bring in a professional caterer - ever had jumbo shrimp at the end of your rides?). Any
way, they sponsor a century training series and posted a mileage chart. Using your current training base and your goal (100K per day, 100m per day, multi-day event, etc), you can kind of plug yourself into the chart and determine where you need to be. You also need to look at the century you are doing. If it is all flat, you need to train your butt to sit on the saddle and spin for hours. If it is hilly or mountainous, you need to train your climbing muscles. Check out the clubs in your area of Ootah and participate. Great way to train and glean info. Also, look at the Red Riding Hood Century for women only out of Hyrum -- maybe I'll see you there.

Chico Velo Century training schedule (http://www.chicovelo.org/centurytraining.html)

[AutumnBreez]

I am thankful to have you all for support.
Currently I don't have a club to go to, still searching, I am not in Utah, but abroad, here for another year on this expensive dinky, bad car driven, animal poisoning island. Sorry had to vent. I will train by myself, or with husband and his friends. There are a few people who ride, so that is a positive. I really needed this bike, and to find this forum to get me through.
I will get myself ready for when I do have a club to join and I will be ready to take on a century with confidence when getting back. For now I will find enjoyment and stress relief cycling with friends.