Training for century ride

[cycling@42]

Hi all. I am so impressed and inspired by all of the posts. Love the one from the mom that just started biking and has done 70+ mile rides.

I have been road riding for about two years now. Just got my first "real" road bike in April. Prior to that I rode a Trek "fitness bike" or a hybrid. I am 43 years old and I would consider myself to be in good physical condition. Not overweight, pretty active, etc. Negatives would be lack of muscle mass, not the greatest eating habits. My question is this...how do you train for your first century ride? How do you know when you are ready? This is my goal and would love some direction on how to get there...my dh thinks I should do 30+ mile rides every day. A friend said she has a book that says you do small rides and one long ride (40+ miles) per week. How about fueling my body? How about keeping my "private parts" from feeling like they are going to fall off?? That is my biggest problem at this point...my crotch kills me at 30 miles. Can't imagine how I'd ride for 100! I do wear padded Pearl Izumi shorts, no undies. Just to be clear...it is not by butt that is the problem here. So, any and all comments would be greatly appreciated. I am so looking forward to attaining this goal. Does it take months of training? Or, could I be ready for a century ride in September?? Thanks to all of you and continue to post such interesting stories. This is a great source for inspiration!!

[Veronica]

If you're having problems with your folds look at how your saddle is adjusted. Most women tend to like the nose to be pointed slightly down. There should be no pressure on your middle - it should all be concentrated on your sit bones. You might also want to try a different saddle. I love my Brooks - have it on two of my bikes - and if I ever start riding my mountain bike again I'll put it on that too.

As for training for a century you can do a Yahoo or Google search and probably come up with something. Diablo Cyclists in the bay area have something on their site.

For our first organized century I did spin class 3 - 4 times a week and we did a longer ride on the weekends, gradually working up to a 90 miler a couple of weeks before. My hubby did Spinervals in the trainer during the week - though less often and the weekend rides.

For food - there are lots of theories about food. Really you just need to keep yourself fueled on whatever works for you. I don't really like to eat when I'm riding so I have gatorade. Lots of folks get upset stomachs from gatorade, but it works for me. I really like the little bite things that Power Bar has come out with. I can manage to choke down a few of those while I'm riding and bananas. Most of our long rides we tend to do on the tandem, so we frequently share the banana. Thom likes Endurox (I think it's gross) but it works for him. He also likes the apple flavor of Carboom. I can tolerate it in a pinch. Thanks to AKA Kim I love Red Bull. We'll hunt down a store in the middle of a long ride now so I can have my Red Bull. Mostly I think it's figuring out what you can stomach while you're riding. I've watched people eat ham and cheese sandwiches in the middle of a Double Century (200 miles - one day) and be just fine. Not me!

Good luck!

Veronica

[BikerBabs]

I agree with Veronica - you need to play around with the saddle. I would literally get numb in front - for days after a long ride. I read various posts and checked out the Terry website. Click on which saddles is best for me and they list which saddle are best based on your sensitivity issues. http://www.terrybicycles.com/

I got a Terry Butterfly and the numbness has improved. Also a good bike shop will let you try it out and see if you like it and then return it if you don't. A nice option since a good saddle can cost upwards of $100.

I've also heard some women's teams swear by the Sella Italias for women.

So many options - don't be afraid to experiment until you find what works for you.

Good luck!

[aka_kim]

How *do* you know you're ready? Hmmm, maybe you just have to try and see.

You see a lot of 10 week training programs out there, and most seem to have you riding up to 150-200 miles a week just prior to the event, with highest mileage ride being about 70 miles, or two back to back 50 mile days. So if you can already comfortably ride 70 miles you might be ready...

But don't try it if you've got crotch pain after only an hour or two in the saddle, something is definitely wrong. If you've got a local bike shop that does fittings you might see about getting one -- maybe the problem is the saddle or its angle or fore/aft position, or maybe you're stretching out too far to reach the handlebars, who knows. But if the thought of sitting on the bike for 6-8 hours sounds agonizing, don't even think about it until you get the problem fixed.

And, oh yeah, Red Bull gives you wings. Plus I swear I could go all day on Cytomax and Fig Newtons.

[MightyMitre]

Hi cycling@42

First of all, about food - my suggestion would be to start of with as much 'normal' food as possible and also nothing too sweet to begin with as it can get a bit sickly. You can move onto the pre packaged energy food a bit later in the ride.

Why not try some small sandwiches to begin with. I know the pro's often have little sarnies with cheese or ham , as well as all the energy gels etc. But whatever you do , go for something you know you like and can stomach, rather than something new. You could maybe use some of your training ride to 'experiment' with various foods and see what works and what doesn't. I personally find bananas are like rocket fuel for me, but one of my riding friends can't stand the sight of them!

Secondly, discomfort in the saddle department - I recently switched to a Selle Italia saddle with a cut out section, which is bliss, as after some rides I was so sore it felt like I was on fire down there. I also raised the angle of tilt on my handle bars as they were a touch too flat which put extra pressure on the front and now I'm happy to report a much more comfortable ride.

Hope this helps and the very best of luck in your ride. Make sure you let us know how you get on

[Dogmama]

Originally posted by aka_kim

And, oh yeah, Red Bull gives you wings. Plus I swear I could go all day on Cytomax and Fig Newtons.

Ahh yes, necter of the Goddess! Somebody else (aka Kim?) talked about emergence-C (the vitamins in the packet) the night before. I've been doing that for my longer rides, plus the Red Bull or Hansen's energy drink before I hit the road.

I like Cytomax because I don't get the sugar buzz that I get from other sports drinks.

How do you train for a century? Ride ride ride! Intersperse your weekly rides with laid back days, sprinting/interval days, short rides and medium rides at tempo. One ride a week should be long. Don't forget to take a day or two off to give muscles a chance to recover and build.

[MM_QFC!]

Hey Cycling@42 -
You've already got some great tips from this terrific TE group and I'll add my encouragement to the rest. Of course you can do a century in September! Just build on whatever you've been doing by following a training program, but be sure to adapt it for what you need - NOT for anyone else's. So, take what we're all saying,knowing that we're speaking from our own experiences, and find out how it all works for you. There is great advice here about eating, hydrating, training, etc, but you and you alone have to experiement with what works well for you. Do you need a certain kind of electrolyte drink? Do you gag on some energy bars or favor a particular gel or road snack? How about stretching, hydration, body mechanics on the bike (use your lbs to check you out while on your bike - saddle? bars?)?
Also, the 10% rule is a good guide - not adding more than that to what you've been doing each week, so that you build your endurance for long rides. Use speed/hill intervals about once a week to help make you stronger and faster but it's time in the saddle that counts most of all, so the suggestion to ride, ride, ride pretty much sums it up.
When it comes time for your century ride, you can just consider it 4 lil ol' 25 mile rides all rolled into one and it'll be a breeze! Happy trails!

[hibiscus09]

I'm a newbie -- but this is what I'm using as a century training schedule. Hope that helps.

http://www.geocities.com/ne_century_....html#SCHEDULE

Here's another site that may help with the nutrition:

http://www.cptips.com/index.htm