Century Training Advice

I just got a road bike in January after about a year on a hybrid, and I’m hooked! I’ve read some great advice on century training on these threads, and I’m definitely going to put that advice to good use as I train for my first century over the next 5 weeks.

I completed a metric century at the end of April, and then toned it down on the bike a bit for the month of May…3 rides a week, weight training, pilates, beer, bad food, etc. Now I’m getting ready to ramp it up again to about 6 days of riding a week (with plenty of recovery rides). My question is, should I also stick with the weight training and pilates while I’m spending more time on the bike? I feel like I’ve never been able to find the right balance between cardio and strength training.

BTW…just saw the “hot male riders” thread, I like this place… :)

Hi there :)

There are lots of very wise people here. I know when I started weight training, my riding got better. I think Pilates is beneficial too because core strength is so important! I've been reading about triathlon training and one of the best things I read was to listen to your body. If you are showing signs of over-training, then maybe scale back on something.

What kind of bike did you get?

Yeah, that hot male riders thread is dangerous :D and nice.

I just did my first century in prep for 111 miles in August. A trainer told me to do a very basic weights workout every 5 days - Squats, rows, dead lifts and push ups. I added hammer curls and wrist flexes. It seems to make a big difference on hills (I think it's the squats). It's also not such a big or complex deal that it distracts you from riding, good for a rainy day.

Somewhere on these boards is a long and heated discussion about weight training and biking:eek:

I think Pilates is a great idea - I wish they had it at a convenient time at my Y. I do a little abs routine every morning, which I thinks helps too. I do a few pilates stretches after my rides too.

Thanks so much for the advice…

Bklynmom - I should be able to fit a pilates class or weight class in every once in a while. Squats are a great idea because hills are not my friends at the moment.

Teigyr – I was lucky to meet a woman who was looking to sell her old Giant OCR3. We have the exact same build (even measured our arms and legs!) and the bike fits me perfectly :) . As for the over training, that is one of my biggest worries as I start out on this journey…its definitelty on my radar.

I can tell you how NOT to do it. My PR was 42 miles and my first century was spur of the moment. No training, no planning, it took 11 hours, we started at 1:00 and got back to town at midnight, neither of us had adequate lighting for the trail. Headwind going out, darkness slowed us down coming back. It was quite an adventure. Here are some of the highlights.

My riding buddy is not the guy to ride with if you need a cheerleader. His encouragement was along the lines of "If we call my wife now, she can meet us at the next stop." I'd say "Do you think I need to stop?" and he'd reply "I am not going to make that decision for you" so being a bit stubborn I kept going.

We saw a copperhead. Since that ride I've seen a couple more, I tried to get a picture of one but my legs had other ideas and all I could do was glance back as I sprinted off.

Got to a trail town 5 min after the only restaurant closed. I wasn't hungry anyway.

Although not a cheerleader, my riding buddy kept up a steady stream of chatter the entire time. I alternated holding up my end of the conversation, listening, and tuning him out entirely. We agreed we had no idea what dark secrets we'd shared but that if I ever said "jail" he could respond with "hotel". (Sorry, I can't share those stories.)

I am planning my 2nd century. I decided I would wait until I had a brooks saddle, butterfly handlebars, gloves, & I'll start early morning. Most importantly it won't be spontaneous so I'll have adequate provisions, ie gatorade. I'm still debating whether to do it on the trail (former railroad, flat) or roads (hilly Missouri). I'd like to tackle the road, but maybe one victory at a time. I'll probably do it alone.

I'm not a century or training expert but here are a few thoughts/questions. I'm a big fan of spending some time off the bike, for no other reason than I think it provides a mental and physical balance. Yoga is my drug of choice in that regard. It has the added benefit of counterbalancing some of the effects of long hours in the saddle and strengthening my core. Pilate would likely have similar affects without all the "oms." If I were you, I would try to include it in my routine.

I, personally, haven't been doing any lower body lifting since I got back on my bike in March. But that's more because I don't love it and reserve it for fall/winter. I've been doing some slight upper body lifting at home to keep my arms toned, but it's just with light weights. I do recognize, however, that lower body helped me strengthen my glutes and hamstrings and that I feel stronger on the bike in that regard I've seen some added strength on the bike this year. If you do keep lifting, I would stick with higher reps and lower weights to (hopefully) guard against injury.

My concern, however, is that riding six days a week and doing Pilates and lifting doesn't give you much of a rest. In my opinion, planned rest days, over and above either lifting or pilates, will better prepare you for your first century. My suggestion would be to ride 4-5 days a week, do pilates and/or lift on one of your off days and take a day off from all of it the other. That suggestion is based, however, on the assumption that you're still able to get some good miles in in 4-5 days time.

Also, keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to follow the same routine each week. I, too, was preparing for my first century (completed it last weekend at the Horsey Hundred in Kentucky). Depending on the week and the weather, I might ride an extra day and skip my usual yoga class or ride one less day and go to an extra yoga class. As long as I was getting my miles in (at least 150/week) with some hill work, I didn't stick to a strict routine. I will tell you, too, that the one week in which I rode 6 days, I hit a wall and had to take a an unplanned day off. While that day did me a world of good, it made me acutely aware that my body has its limits.

You’re right, 6 days a week is a lot. I’m setting that as more of a goal than a rule. In fact, last week I only rode 4 days due to a cold, and this week I’m already one day down due to a date :) . I should be okay as long as I at least get in a long ride, a hilly ride, and a couple shorter rides in each week.

I have two goals for this century…the first is to cross the finish line on my bike and not in an ambulance, and the second is to have fun doing it!