Possible to train for a century when you can only ride 2 or 3 days a week

[rebeccaC]

The problem with riding during the week is by the time I get out to an area that's decent to ride, go for 20, 25 miles, then fight traffic home it's usually about a 3 hour adventure.

That suggestion was more about getting more time on the bike....well that and my preference is being outside You can get a lot done in the gym during the week and rides on the weekend. You have the time to learn about training plans and putting one together for the MS 150. Your gym time and progressively longer rides on the weekends can easily build a great base for a plan for any ride you want to do!!!

[Becky]

Sure, it can be done. I rarely get to ride more than 3 days a week. Building up time in the saddle and developing the mental state to slog through the tough parts are as important as the fitness. For me, regardless of the ride length, my brain gets in the way when I'm ~80% done with the ride. I think I did my first century when I was routinely riding ~65 miles on weekends without too much stopping and feeling tired but not destroyed at the end.

Can you swap a gym day for a day on the trainer and do some interval work? That "butt time" can't be replicated in the gym, and I find that the trainer is harder on my butt than riding outside.

[luvmyguys]

You probably want to take this with a grain of salt, given that I got my backside cooked on my century attempt, but I still think that to a certain extent, it was a matter of not selecting the right century and factors otherwise beyond my control.

I did a spin class on Monday (or did DIY spin on Tuesday), tried to get an outside ride on Thursday (20-25 miles), and then I had the long training ride on Saturday. Others did something similar, and they DID finish their planned centuries. The advice given was to push it as hard as you could on the short rides during the week.

And you can cook something in a crock pot for your mid-week ride day.

[TigerMom]

You probably want to take this with a grain of salt, given that I got my backside cooked on my century attempt, but I still think that to a certain extent, it was a matter of not selecting the right century and factors otherwise beyond my control.

I did a spin class on Monday (or did DIY spin on Tuesday), tried to get an outside ride on Thursday (20-25 miles), and then I had the long training ride on Saturday. Others did something similar, and they DID finish their planned centuries. The advice given was to push it as hard as you could on the short rides during the week.

And you can cook something in a crock pot for your mid-week ride day.

I definitely do agree that choosing a flatter century and having good weather helps A LOT!!!!