120 miles, 2 days, How to Train? (and intro)

Hello! Guess I should do a quick intro first. I started riding in April and got hooked fast. I've got a Murray mountain bike I bought several years ago at a garage sale for $10 but I have put road tires on it thanks to my elite cyclist neighbor. :rolleyes: My goals with riding are to lose some weight (down 13 with ~35 to go) and have some fun! I really wanted to get a tour in this year and had planned to do a metric century in June but had foot trouble that set me back quite a bit. My feet are better and I'm back to riding 4 days a week with my longest ride being 36 miles. Last week and this week I put in over 60 miles total and am tired but feel good. I've bought shorts and a camelback and have a huge list of "things I want/need" that I'll get as I have the cash.

There's a 2-day ride coming up in late September that looks like a lot of fun. 60 miles each day, supported, diner and camping included. That gives me 7 weeks to get ready which will mean pushing myself but I think I can do it. Increasing my mileage by 10% per week puts me at 120+ the week of the event.

I'd love some suggestions on training for it though. I've read through the century training threads and googled some training schedules but should I tweak it so I have 2 long rides each week instead of one? Is it easier or harder to do a century or 2-60 mile days? I'm excited but very nervous and need to make a decision so I can get registered and start racking up miles!

Thanks!
Lora

Welcome! What a great sounding event! And a great goal! I can't really offer any advice as I have not done any organized events yet, but it sounds do-able to me. I would make sure and keep well fed and well hydrated on the first day to make sure you've got enough energy left for the second day. But with your current mileage and training regimen, I think you'll be ready no problem!

So far, I've gotten up to around half my base mileage in a single ride, and I'm able to ride again the next day for a shorter distance. I try not to push myself too hard tho since I do a lot of utility biking :). So I can do 2 14-15 mile rides in a week, probably even back to back (base mileage is currently 30), but I won't have anything left for grocery shopping and the like the rest of the week.

I do find I can increase my longest ride by more than 10% at a go, *if* my base mileage is solid.

Oh and if you'll be carrying things on your bike, practice it! Panniers are a lot of fun, but I've definitely had little kinks as I learn to use them. My feet are big, my rack is an extra long model, my panniers are small, and sometimes I have heel strike (where you bang your heel against your pannier) despite my attempts to avoid it. The bike's handling also changes, and if you're not used to carrying a load, it can affect you.

I probably could *really* increase my longest ride distance if I had a light grocery week and planned a long basically unloaded ride :D.

Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement sara! I do think I can get there but I'm sure I'll be exhausted when it's over. Rest stops at wineries are my motivation. :D

Torrilin thanks for the idea. I hadn't even thought about carrying stuff other than my camelback. I need to do some shopping and get supplies. Honestly all I have is my bike, helmet, 1 pair biking shorts, and camelback. :o I would love to find a road bike by then but I'm not sure finances will allow it. It's possible though and if I do it'll make a huge difference in how far and fast I can go. My Murray is pretty heavy and though the tires are smooth they are still wide!

Lora

Welcome to you!

I also started this year, April / May, with a mountain bike with city slicker tires. After a month I bought a used road bike and what a difference. I am much more comfortable going longer distances.

I encourage you to go for your tour!

Indy

Noooooooooooooo! I logged onto the tour site and it's full! I'm going to email them and see if they have a waiting list in case people back out but I'm so bummed. Maybe I'll just do some Sat rides with the club (if I can keep up) and plan tours for next summer. :(