Back-to-Back Century rides...

[BabyBlueNTulsa]

Is there a good strategy out there in respect to on-ride refueling AND post first day recovery in prep for the second century day?

Depending on the weather conditions - which in Oklahoma could give me just about anything - it could make the already hilly courses even more brutal.

I challenged myself at last year's Tulsa Tough to ride the Saturday century instead of two days of 100K. I knew I could do 62 miles..back to back.. no problem. I wasn't so prepared for the century, and it was brutally windy the last 30 miles or so. BUT... I ate every hour, I drank well..and I finished with a respectable 14.something mph avg speed. I could not have done another ride on Sunday if I'd wanted to though.

Which... brings me to a question for 2009... can I do a back-to-back century - a la Tulsa Tough... ?? I dont have the total elevation change for you guys. I'm sure it doesn't come close to anything like Ridin the Rockies or anything of the sort, of course.. But.. It is a good day's ride... very good.

I think mentally and physically... though the second day would be tough.. if I fuel right and recover correctly on Saturday.. I could possibly do Sunday too.

Do you gals, guys have tips? Strategies for an undertaking like this?

I'm not looking to break speed records.. I just want to finish each day's ride in respectable fashion (not drooling and knee crawling over the finish) LOL.

Help?

thanks! Susan

www.tulsatough.com

[kathybiker]

Hi Susan,

Good nutritional advice for endurance is available at the hammernutrition.com website. Look at the links on the left and click "Free Knowledge".

Good luck with the centuries!

[Eden]

Do a few long back to back training days.

Leave early on the first day, so that you are getting to your destination fairly early.

When you get there - eat, take a shower, take a nap, get back up and eat, go to sleep (even if it is only 6 o'clock...), get up the next morning and eat some more (more than normal too)...

Get a massage at your overnight stop, if its offered.

Expect some soreness/stiffness/sluggishness at the start of the next day. It should pass once you get warmed up and going again.

Be extra careful to fuel the second day - you're reserves will already be low, so eating and drinking will be even more important.

[indysteel]

I haven't done back to back centuries, but I do the Horsey Hundred in eastern Kentucky each year. Last year I rode 110 miles on Saturday and another 70 miles on Sunday at a decent clip. Both days are pretty hilly. I also do some weeklong tours, although the mileage each day is usually in the 65-85 mile range.

With respect to training, do as many back-to-back long rides as you can.

Also, stay on top of your hydration as best you can. Try to drink more than you usually do. If you're like me, you will be beyond hungry. Eat and then eat some more. It's not the time to count calories!

Make sure you address well in advance of the ride any fit issues that you're having with your bike. Also make sure you have two pairs of good long-distance shorts and that you use (and carry during the ride for reapplication) some chamois cream. No matter how many miles you have in, your booty will probably hurt. I've had some of my only saddle sore issues after the Horsey. I find that zit cream is the best treatment for them once they have developed.

[kfergos]

I second the comments about doing long back-to-back rides -- if I'm riding two centuries back-to-back, I work up to riding two 80-mile days in a row. If you do that, you'll find Day 2 feels exactly like any other training ride. My first back-to-back ride people kept asking "How you doin'?" or "How do you feel?" on the second day, and I honestly answered, "Great!" because I'd trained so much ahead of time.

Food/everything else: I don't have much to add (eat lots, eat carbs, drink lots; same routine, really, as after any other training ride) except that napping and going to bed early on the night between is really helpful. Also bring a very comfy pair of shoes to wear on that Saturday afternoon -- the first time I did it, I only had flip-flops and my biking shoes, neither of which were good for an entire afternoon of hanging out.

[Geonz]

Yea, the main thing is to be in shape so that 100 miles isn't forever, and pace things accordingly. If winds are brutal, ignore the speedometer and slow down.