Tips for preparing for first 35mile charity ride

Hi TE members, can anyone suggest best for training to prepare for my first 35 mile ride in FL coming up in Nov with Spoonbills & Sprockets ? I ride 1x weekly 20 mile, avg 10-12 mph, both flat(75%) and up/down hills(25%). I don't plan to race, but the duration will be longer than I have ever ridden on one ride without food break. Elevation is flat as is on the FL coast. I expect head wind in one direction more than likely. Should I be practicing longer distances, or more frequency at current distance? I have a heart monitor I use weekly, as well as Cateye solar with cadence, distance, time, but no intervals. I also use MapMyRid to track rides but have only used it for recording at this point. currently riding 12 speed road bike. will hopefully have new bike by this time and a month of break in.

I usually only ride two days per week and I'm able to do 60 mile/5-6 hour rides. My weekend ride is typically longer, 40 miles or more, while my weekday ride is shorter, about 1-1.5 hours depending on the weather. So I would suggest trying to ride more than once a week, but I think twice a week should be okay if you're not able to ride more that that.

Usually charity rides have rest stops with food and drink -- does their website have any details on the routes and support they provide? If there's no planned rest stop, I would bring my own snacks and stop once or twice to eat something, or find a convenience store along the route (using google maps before the event to find one). Also make sure you have enough to drink for 3.5-4 hours if they're not providing any stops where you can refill water bottles.

You'll want to make sure your bike is in good working order and have the supplies and knowledge to change a flat tire on the road if needed. SAG support at organized rides can sometimes take a while to get to you, so it pays to reduce the chances you'll need to call them for help.

Good luck!

Thank you for the pointers . We currently we are riding flats and hills into a park with a pretty good long incline - my guess is about 300 ft elevation climb across a S patterned paved road maybe 3/4 mile distance, then flat on both ends of the trails. One end is straight on old RR bed, the other curves through preserve. Cadence is usually 58-62, peaking at 75 on flats in low gear between the "hills".