How do I get ready to ride a century?

[amyhb]

I am new to biking but I really want to ride the ms150 at the end of august. Could someone tell me how much I would need to ride each day to get ready for that?

[Adventure Girl]

It depends on lots of factors. What is your current fitness level? What do you consider an average ride for you now? How far do you think you could ride now (on terrain that is similar to the course you want to ride)? Is your goal to just finish it?

Everybody every course is different, but the old rule-of-thumb is to increase by about 10% per week. You have about 8 weeks to go. So if you can ride about 50 miles now and you add 10% each week, you would be at the 100 mile goal near the end of August.

And even if you don't make it to your goal, it's still good! You're out riding your bike!

[amyhb]

Hi I can ride 20 miles a day now. hmmmm I really want to do this. I have 6 kids so I am very active but I am also about 40 pounds overweight. I REAAALLLLY want to do this. So I need to go 50 miles a day right now???????

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by amyhb
I REAAALLLLY want to do this. So I need to go 50 miles a day right now???????

That 10% thing is just a rough idea! As they say in car commercials, "Your actual mileage may differ." If you're really determined, anything's possible... One of our members here (Trek420) just completed a 500+ ride in 7 days. She did almost 4 centuries in one week, and I don't think she had ever done more than a metric before! That's one determined cyclist!

[amyhb]

Well I am not even close to that. I just really want to be able to raise money for MS. Also my husband rides this each year and I really want to be with him on this. I just had no idea where to start. I will try to do 30 miles tomorrow. And then I will better be able to see where I am at. Thanks for the advise.

[jobob]

If you're keen on raising money for MS, the Tyler Hamilton Foundation is sponsoring live screenings of Stage 13 of the Tour de France at various theaters across the country:

http://www.tylerhamiltonfoundation.o...eevents25.html

Amy, there's a screening in Cleveland Heights, OH, if you happen to live near there. Jo Geographically Challenged cannot remember if that's in the Eastern or the Central time zone; if it's eastern then the screening starts at 7:30 am (whee!)

- Jo, who thought about going to the screening in nearby Emeryville CA, but acknowledges it is highly unlikely she can get her carcass anywhere at 5 am

[snapdragen]

Originally posted by jobob
- Jo, who thought about going to the screening in nearby Emeryville CA, but acknowledges it is highly unlikely she can get her carcass anywhere at 5 am

I considered the 5 am screening too...for about a minute

Amy - check this site out. I've not tried it, but it's been recommended by some ultra riders, hope it helps.

http://www.ultracycling.com/training...centuries.html

[jobob]

This might be of interest....

http://www.blayleys.com/articles/firstcentury/index.htm

[melissam]

More helpful links!

From the Velo Girls site:

Riding your first century

First century outline -- contains sample training schedule

Good luck!!

-- Melissa

[Trek420]

" If you're really determined, anything's possible...Trek420 just completed a 500+ ride in 7 days. She did almost 4 centuries in one week, and I don't think she had ever done more than a metric before! That's one determined cyclist!"

I'm not determined, I'm stuborn! there's a difference ;-)

Tell everyone you're going to do it, much harder to sag ;-) When the going got tough I hate to get all mushy and personal on y'all but I thought of those I'd lost, I thought of the people my sponsors had lost, I thought of my Dad who we lost to prostate cancer this year.

I think it's day 4 I got to the top of the Evil Twins and I'm catching my breath pretending I need a drink but really I'm whooped, a rider rolls up behind me and stopped, a tiny timer on his watch goes off and he stops to take the drugs that keep him alive. Sort of puts things in perspective. Here i am sucking on Gatorade, he's managing a complex drug regimine. This positive pedler and I shared many a mile on the ride, I'm slow but steady, he's fast but goes in spurts, sometimes we were the same pace. He said "I'm all about spurts of strength, when I'm feeling strong I go, when i need a break, I take it" Good rule for any century rider.

But thanks for the compliment, yes, I'd never done more than a metric (except for the one I got lost, ended up being 85 miles, another story) I didn't complete all 585 miles of the ride, but I "done good"

You're supposed to be able to do a back to back century or metric and then you're ready for the ALC. I never did, my longest training ride was the Cinderella, a women-only metric I did (where were all you TE members?)

I followed the 10% rule. I started in October when I registered but I'd already been training for another sport so had a rolling head start. I also had rest weeks, 10% more each week but then every 3 weeks take a rest week.

You don't get stronger training harder, you get stronger recovering from training harder. Take rest days, crosstrain.

Spin classes rock! I did 2-3 of those a week then long rides on weekends but my long ride was still only 30+ miles.

The week before the ride was a total rest week, I didn't stand if I could avoid it, it felt odd but resting, hydrating, good diet helped. My legs were fresh and the first two days (85+ miles day 1, Century day 2) I felt fine. Bonked day 3...but after that you get stronger each day!

It's a work in progress but I'm starting to put together tales of the ride and "what I learned training for it" on my homepage

http://home.pacbell.net/dita_rae

[snapdragen]

Oh God, I remember the Evil Twins from CAR7! A guy in front of me was singing irish drinking songs all the way up, I swear that's the only way I made it up!

Next year's Cinderella we all must meet up. I'm going to start my vitamin regimen well before March, so my sinus's can't attack and explode my head again!!

AND FINALLY - Spin classes are the best for getting the strength and endurance built up quickly!

[Trek420]

"Oh God, I remember the Evil Twins from CAR7! A guy in front of me was singing irish drinking songs all the way up, I swear that's the only way I made it up!"

Music helps, and you can't wear headphones or mp3 on the ride, I didn't have breath left to sing, but one gal rode with a megaphone that must have weighed 20 lbs and a tape deck. She'd ride ahead ans set up at hard hills and blast us with disco hits, KC and the sunshine band is good for climbing.

yes, we gotta all meet up at the Cinderella next year....or another ride?