century rides and the aging rider

Hey, I hoping for some thought and opinions out there.
I completed my first century ride of the season this weekend. I started riding last year, and did one century ride in August. I laid off until March of this year because an aching knee last year (pedal issue that has been resolved) and lots of excuses not to ride in the cold rain.
I have done 2 / 65 milers and several club rides of 20-30 miles in the last couple of months.
Yes, I am getting around to a questions here....I am wondering how you guys do your training and what goals you set for yourself on improvement. I am 46, have a competitive nature, and hate it when I see these guys swooping by me in the pace lines. I realize I will never be in one of those lines, but I want to be the best I can be.
I finished my ride in a little over 7 hours (half way through I was questioning my sanity)
What type of improvement do you look for in yourself? How do you train for it? Is it different now that you are a little older?
Thoughts are appreciated...

Hey! I'm 46 as well...am training for a ride my daughter talked me into that goes down the westcoast from SF to Tiajuana over 2 weeks. The meer thought of it right now makes me hyper-ventilate!
We started training with a Personal Trainer in January doing cross training. That was really helpful for building up strength and endurance. I had back surgery 6 weeks ago but i think becasue i had gotten in shape before it, i was able to bounce right back. I was back on my bike riding 20 within 4 weeks of it and have started my new routine of 20/day.
My goal now that the weather is nice, is to ride 20 a day, one rest day and then a longer ride of 30-60 miles. Over the next 4 weeks i want to up that long dist. ride and graduate with a 100 mile ride....just to prove to myself i can do it. I did 70 last summer on a cruser with no problem but wasn't really training for anything and just was out riding.
I think just putting those miles on is a good way to go. Be sure to let your muscles rebuild though.
I can always tell when i've pushed my body too far...i don't get sore, just fatigued. How about you?
Tell me what your workout routine is? I love getting ideas from others!

:D gretchen

I'm just about to turn 40 and am training for some riding I will be doing on vacation this summer. I hadn't done much serious riding before this but participate in other sports so was starting with an athletic base but not much riding base.

I started in January with 2 spin classes per week mixed in with my regular running and soccer playing routine. Once the weather improved in mid-March, I got out on the weekend for rides of 20-25 miles while keeping up with the spin classes. Once daylight savings time hit, I could get outside after work and skip the spin classes unless the weather was bad. I've also started increasing the mileage on weekends (40-60 mile rides).

My current routine is two weeknight rides of 20-25 miles, two longer weekend rides, run two days, an occasional soccer game and one rest day per week. My main goal is to be fit enough to have fun on my trip. But it is also nice to see some improvement along the way. I am finally getting to the point where I can keep up with the slow pack on the group rides. I struggle a little on the hills still so I'm thinking of taking a climbing clinic in early June to see if a little coaching can help me out there.

I'm always on the lookout for tips/pointers. It's great hearing what others like me are doing!

Beth

I love going fast. I ride with a group on Tuesdays and Thursdays that usually have a group that breaks and rides a little faster. there is a long stretch of about 5 miles. If I grab the leaders I can keep a 20-21 mph for that time. I am not much good for over 3 or 4 blocks at the front of the group though. I know it is not that great a distance, but it sure is fun while it lasts.
I feel pretty confidant at a better tempo (15 to 16 ave) on the 50 to 60 milers, but when I start thinking about how long the 100 milers are i am really concerned about just making it!( 14 ave last weekend) I know it is a mental thing, so my remedy is just to keep putting in more miles I guess. I have also started a training ride tackling a pretty good hill near my house several times. I have read about different workouts to work on speed, hills, etc., but haven't really incorporated them yet. Mostly a time issue.
I think I am just going to try to ride as hard as I can on the shorter rides with the thought of slowly building my average speed on the longer rides.

My goal this year is to do a century. I turn 50, so that would be a good acknowledgement. My training is way less than others, I'm thinking I should up it. Usually I do 20 miles on Sat and a little less on Sun, around 12.5 mph, mellow. This weekend I did a 33 mile ride, but I was in a hurry to get back. I rode with the "fast" group coming back, about 14-15 mph. I felt fine when i got home, but that afternoon I was headachey and so tired. I had run out of water and only had a banana to eat. The next day my legs were tired too. Too much, I suppose. So, I'm interested to see what others are doing. I also mix in 40 min most mornings @ the gym, and some mtn biking with my family. I'm thinking I'll add some evening rides and try to go faster.

Here's a cool thing to do: On your birthday, ride your age! Gives you something to work towards. Impresses the heck out of your friends!

In a few short months, I'll be 50. Yikes! I've been riding for almost 15 years. I mix up riding & weight lifting. Maybe once a week I'll go for a 45 minute jog, just to work the hamstrings. In the gym, I'll do mainly full body weight lifting workouts during the prime riding season and then go to a split weight lifting workout in the winter to concentrate on legs more.

I ride before work because the traffic is lighter and it sets my mood for the day - around 15-20 miles maybe 2-3 times during the week. On weekends, I do my longer rides.

I rarely ride with a club, but I keep saying that I'm going to start. I like my alone time on the bike. I call it my "brain dump" - I can dump all the garbage that accumulates up there & get "the committee" to be quiet for awhile!

Good idea, Dogmama! I will be 52 in a few weeks, and that would be a good challenge for me. I just bought a road bike last weekend, and the longest ride I've done on a mountain bike was a 1/2 metric (~37 miles). An "Age Ride" gives me an immediate goal to train for.

What a great way to spend your birthday! Instead of grumbling about being another year older (or about moving into a new decade which is the case for me this year), you can have a great accomplishment to celebrate.

I just turned 41 and have been riding for the last 10 years, with the last two fairly serious. I try to ride 100 mi/wk weekdays with longer rides thrown in on weekends. I have to have some kind of goal or I won't get out there to train and push myself so I committ to certain events so I have something tangible to work towards.

For instance there's a weekend ride coming up in June - 110 mi one day, 80 the next, but it's mainly hills. My training for that is a certain route where I ride a circle of these hills. And this ride will get me ready for a weeklong 500 mi ride across Iowa the last part of July.

My only frustration with riding this time of year is either the weather doesn't cooperate or my kids have something going on that keeps me from the bike and then I start feeling grouchy and like all my hard work over the winter has been wasted! If I could ride every day, I would, but that's just not feasible!:(

So I do what I can when I can, and watch out - cause if I've got the time I'm spinnin!:D

Ragbrai40...check out the other postings of "miles per week" in the open topic forum! WOW...
There are some serious riders out there!
I'm tired just reading how many miles some of them ride!!!
BUT!...

INSPIRED!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Sounds like Baboo is on the right track - if you want to go faster or ride longer it just means a bit more training. I have time constraints too - sometime I just want to relax on the couch after work! I try to train in the morning but that means short rides for me.
I am turning 50 soon too! I bought myself a bike 3 years ago and do most of my riding in the spring and fall. I do average 4 days a week at the gym throughout the school yer (which includes 2 really good cardio days). This is not a lot of training but I am able to ride anywhere from 13 to 15 mph average without a ton of bike training and without feeling like I'm struggling to keep up. I just finished my 1st century this Sunday too. I did the Montauk Century on Long Island (near NYC) - it is mostly flat and I did it with no problem. I'm hoping to do more bike training this summer. I want to celebrate my 50th by doing a more challenging ride in the fall.

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Here's a cool thing to do: On your birthday, ride your age! Gives you something to work towards. Impresses the heck out of your friends!

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Too funny. I've done that with running for years, although I didn't do it for the last 3 (I am now 39). Running 40 for my 40th would be grand!

I'd sit in the tub and admire my muscles after the run and thank the ol' legs for serving me so well for so many years.

No reason you can't do that after a ride. A glass of champagne would be nice too :)