New rider here...Hello!

[mudmucker]

Go out as far as you can go on rides similar to the terrain you expect to encounter. As a general guide, then from there increase your mileage by 10-15% or so weekly but don't overdo it if you've been inactive for a while. Calculate that out to the event day and see what you have. You want to be able to ride at least 75% of your distance. Do some stretching and core work for good overall general maintenance.

[Tri Girl]

Welcome to TE!!
Some good advice has been given so far. I think 35 miles is MORE than doable by October!!

Here's a training schedule I found on the Susan G. Komen Ride for the Cure website:
http://www.komenaspen.org/ride/alder_train.html

Depending on how you feel as your training progresses, I can imagine you could do the metric century by October- that's plenty of time for training.

Here's Komen's century training schedule:
http://www.komenaspen.org/ride/sched.html

If you do the two training programs back to back, that's 18 weeks of training leading up to a century in October. See what's doable for you.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

[HappyTexasMom]

I'm a newbie, too, just wanted to say welcome!

[papaver]

Hi welcome, and yes you can do it! Just start with little tours and see how it goes. Just make sure you have lot's of fun. That's the most important thing of all!

[Pan Dulce]

Another newbie here, welcome! You can DEFINITELY do it!

Tri Girl, thank you for those training schedules! I've been looking for a good one to do a century.

[sarahspins]

Hmm... well I am creeping up on 2 months of cycling. I started off riding 5 miles, and that was really a stretch for me.. it really was. It would take me 45 minutes The first time I rode that same 5 miles with my 8 year old though, it took us well over an hour, so I didn't feel so bad for being slow.

Now, just 7 weeks later, that 5 miles is my 'short' ride.. I can do it in 20-25 minutes most of the time, depending on how strong the wind is (it has a nice 2 mile stretch uphill going into a headwind, so that's where it tends to suck up some time).

I regularly ride at least 10 miles 4-5 times a week. I can do 10 miles in about 45 minutes. I try for a longer ride on the weekends (since I have more time). On the days I've done 15 (or close to it) I normally get back in about an hour and 10-15 minutes, which has included at least one 5 minute stop (I'm a type 1 diabetic, so that normally means I have to stop and test, and possibly eat a snack if I'm going low). This weekend I'm going for 20, and I expect it will take me about an hour and a half, maybe longer if I need to stop and stretch or rest.

I actually have the goal of doing a metric century in September (charity ride) and honestly I can't say that I'll actually be able to do it, but it seemed like a worthy goal, and I felt like signing up for 35 miles meant wasn't giving myself enough credit.

So, I say go for it 35 miles by October should not be a problem

[Pedal Wench]

I think doing both rides is possible if you add miles slow and steady.