Training for a century?!

[TrekTheKaty]

I'm thinking of joining in my husband's first century October 12th. I've been "semi-training" up to this point because I didn't think I could do it on my hybrid, but it looks possible on my new street bike. We ride 16-20 miles a day, 5-6 days a week. We "go long" on the weekends on the Katy Trail near our house (rail-to-trails, fine pea gravel surface). Last month we did a two-day ride that was 44 miles each way.

My plan would be:

week 1/35 miles
week 2/45 miles
week 3/55 miles
week 4/65 miles
week 5/75 miles
week 6 REST
week 7 CENTURY

Any opinions? Advice? Suggestions? Concerns? Tell me I'm crazy?

I can't seem to find much on training plans for centuries (there are a million marathon training plans out there!) My husband's plan was to ride as far as fast as he could and I've been trying to reign him in (he finally took a HR monitor on his hilly ride this morning and I made him take a rest day last week).

[PscyclePath]

I'm thinking of joining in my husband's first century October 12th.

Any opinions? Advice? Suggestions? Concerns? Tell me I'm crazy?

I can't seem to find much on training plans for centuries (there are a million marathon training plans out there!) My husband's plan was to ride as far as fast as he could and I've been trying to reign him in (he finally took a HR monitor on his hilly ride this morning and I made him take a rest day last week).

Bicycling magazine has a 10-week plan that's been widely quoted and used.

Here's a 12-week plan that I put together for a local century ride that we're supporting with a training program for new riders:

http://www.kidsarus.org/centennial/b...e/schedule.pdf

If you ride regularly, you eventually can build up a level of fitness where you can ride a century just about any derned day you want to, and I don't mean that you have to train like you're going to ride the Tour de France. If you work up to where you can stay in the saddle four or five hours at a stretch, you can do a century and get a good time for it as well...

Tom

[kie_fujo]

here's an 8 week plan that i followed at one point. got out of it and need to get back but thought i would share!

http://www.maccfund.org/trek100/riders/train.pdf

[Bike Goddess]

Looking at both training programs, I'd say that if you can get a long ride in on mid-week and also on the weekend, you'll be fine. Depending on your age, depends on how much you need to rest/recover between rides.

The sooner you can get up to a metric century on a weekend ride, the better. I suggest that you also do road riding as you'll be able to go farther more easily. Also, you will learn to deal with traffic even is there isn't much on the century ride itself.

What kind of century is this ride? Do you have hills to do, is it flat, or is it a combination of hills and flats. What is the weather like in your area? What time does the ride start? These are all factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Use the next month learning what you can tolerate in the way of food and drink. Riding 100 miles is different than 35 miles. If the weather is hot and humid you will need to figure out how to keep hydrated and to keep your electrolyte balance (many people get cramps on long rides because they don't hydrate correctly). Be sure to research this aspect on the internet- lots of articles dealing with this aspect of riding.

I would also, when you get into the metric century (62.36 miles) type of mileage, figure out places where you can get food and water. You should plan to ride about every 25 miles and then take a quick break- water, snack, bathroom (if necessary). This is usually the mileage between rest stops on most centuries. You need to train yourself to get that far without stopping and learn to drink inbetween on the bike as you ride along. Learn to take quick breaks, even at the "lunch stop"-it will make the ride easier in the long run. (Don't eat too much- your body can't handle lots of food when you are riding such a long distance). Also, find a sports drink that doesn't have a lot of sugar. Your stomach can't handle sugar on long rides. Check the internet for advice on this one as well. If the ride itself just has Gatorade, then be sure to dilute it as it has sugar in it. I usually bring my own powder with me because I know it works. Don't try to change what has worked for you the day of the ride!!!!

After about 65 miles I need to handle my feet especially if it is warm outside. I get hot foot- a common problem with long distance riding. I know how to prepare for it so I"m not in excruciating pain at the end of a long ride. If you need some advice on this one, just let me know.

If you can do a metric or farther, you can do a century. A lot of long distance riding is mind over matter. If you can do a 75 miler (37.50 miles out and back) you'll be able to easily do a century. That length of a ride should give you an idea of how the bike works for you, what you can and cannot eat/drink, how the saddle feels, your legs, your back, etc.

The week before the century you should do less distance and just keep your legs limber.

Hope this advice is helpful. I ride about 200 miles a week and have been doing long distance rides for about 4 1/2 yrs now.

[Bike Goddess]

I forgot to add something. Now that I've read your other post and seen your bike (it's a great look!), I would suggest that you look at getting clipless pedals. (I couldn't tell by the picture, but it didn't look like you had them- correct me if I"m wrong!) If you have them, great. If not, they will make your ride so much easier! AND you'll find that you can use your hamstrings more and save your quads.

[PscyclePath]

Most training plans have you riding pert near every day every week, with a day off for rest. This is because for new cyclists, you get fitter the more you ride, and up to a couple of months (the time most of these plans go for) you see a faster improvement with more frequent rides.

Over the long term, you need to ride at least three times per week, (4 is better) with one of those rides being a "long" ride of at least 90 minutes. This gives you an optimal plan where you can either sustain or improve your fitness and endurance, based on the level of work you're doing. For example, if you're planning on a century you should work your long ride gradually up to where you're spending four to five hours in the saddle.

Those rest days are important, since that's when your body has its opportunity to rebuild and reorganize...

[TrekTheKaty]

Wow! Thanks everyone. This is more info than I found searching the internet or at the bookstore.

Thanks for the mileage plans. Those look doable and close to what I'm planning. If I make it, great--if not I'll pick a different century.

I'd love to do a metric century but there isn't one with my husband's century. I didn't think to do one for training. I know there are some coming up. I'm pretty sure I could do that mileage right now.

We've learn to eat and ride. We used to go out and ride to a diner for breakfast, but we were tiring of the greasy stomacheaches we had when we got back. Now we pack hard-boiled eggs, cheese/sausage/crackers, oj/starbucks doubleshot, yogurt, fruit and nuts (with energy bars and gatorade for quick snacks and gu for emergencies--from my running days). Jelly belly cherry caffeine for the final sprint. Husband just switched over to Cytomax. Does this sound close? What do they serve at these things? My problem is I'm a celiac, so I can't have pasta, sandwiches, bagels, etc. My sister is planning on driving the family swag wagon.

This summer is my first time on the roads. For the last 4 weeks, I've been riding my "hills" out of the subdivision, along some moderately travelled side roads that lead to an industrial park. My husband rides behind me and "blocks." However, a pickup truck in a round-about (Missouri people don't know how to do round-abouts--they either plow through at full speed or sit and wait for an engraved invitation) came VERY close to me. I wasn't worried, because I saw him coming, but my husband didn't like it. I've been threatening to order one of those "flash flags" that you stick out your left rear but he thought I would look like a geek. He rolled up beside me and asked if I had ordered it yet! I also did the Midnight Ramble a few weeks ago and that was my first "group" ride. I refer to it as my "skills training." I made it through without wrecking. We are headed out tomorrow on the street bike for a 40-miler on the pavement--to evaluate where I'm at. I can't imagine doing 75 miles on the gravel (we figure it slows us down about 2 mph).

The century is Ride the Rivers (trailnet.org/century.php) October should be beautiful here--that's why I'm aiming for this one. We usually just have two seasons in St. Louis--sweltering (summer) and ice (winter), but it's been a mild summer. There is very little info on their website, even though they have been doing this for 4 years. We checked motionbased, mapmyride and the local bike forums and haven't been able to get any more info, not even a map. We do know that it starts in St. Charles along the river and is supposed to follow the "Greenways" and includes two ferry crossings, Route 66 and the Arch--so it should be relatively flat along the river. Any other ideas where to find info?

I do have clipless pedals! I LOVE them. They were a desperate attempt to gain any ground on my husband with my hybrid. I wiped out a few times, much to my dh's amusement (I only wipe out in front of other serious cyclists) but they do increase my speed and have actually saved me from wrecking a few times (person in front slams on the brakes, but my feet didn't come off the pedals so I was able to stay upright and recover!) When I test rode the street bikes without them, it took me a second to get started. I'm just used to clipping in and go, without thinking about it! I upgraded my new bike to the double sided clips, which is much easier. (I rode the whole midnight ramble--17 miles, with my left foot unclipped, because I was just sure some stupid kid would cut me off and I'd need to bail off quick. I had a blister on the inside of my right toe when we were done from pulling with one foot).

You guys gave me lots to work on. Rest days usually come when work interferes with play, but the longer distances are starting to require more planning. Keep up the great tips! This forum is awesome............

[Bike Goddess]

Food looks pretty good, although for longer rides I wouldn't bring any sausages or eggs as they are hard for your system to digest under the stress of riding. Remember, when you are riding longer distances you need to make it easy for your body to assimilate food.

Interesting that your DH is using Cytomax. I live in the town where it is made so I go over to the factory and pick up mine. They are a great group and I am happy to support them. It's fun to see them work- all of them seem to enjoy their jobs which tells me something about the company. Right now they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

A word to DH from the Cytomax folks - if you take small sips every 15 min (as much as you can time this) it will keep your energy level up without upsetting your intestinal tract, etc. I have used this program pretty regularly now and it has made a big difference! Are you able to use Cytomax as well? If not, you might look for Hammer products as they have a lot of good stuff too.

Good to hear you can ride clipless. Now try using your hamstring muscles. When you reach the downstroke pretend you are scraping mud from the bottom of your shoe. Play around with this on a flat surface and you should notice an immediate gain in speed and power. Then try it on a hill. It's hard to do it all the time, but the more you can, the less tired you will feel!! Also I'd recommend that you work on some exercises to strengthen your abs. This will make your back happy especially since it sounds like a pretty flat ride.

Be sure to check the weather a few days before your ride so you can get an idea of wind speed, direction, temperature changes and precipation.
I use the Weather Channel as they are pretty accurate with hourly forecasts.
Also, I'd rather start out a little cool as I know I'll warm up later. Arm warmers and leg warmers are great for cool mornings and fit nicely into a back pocket.

One last thing- I always take a small bag of pills- ibuprofren, electrolytes, & tums. Doesn't weigh much but is nice to have when you need something!

[TrekTheKaty]

Thank you, Bike Goddess!

I've used the Cytomax and it seems fine--doesn't upset my stomach. I used to use Hammer gels, so I'll look at them again. I'll work on getting away from the eggs and sausage.

I'll remember to work on my pedal stroke--I'll need the all the help I can get when my mileage picks up!

I usually carry ibuprofen, but hadn't thought about electrolytes or tums. I'm the "Mom" of the group--I have the first aid kit, sunblock and insect spray--so I'll add those in!

[TrekTheKaty]

Can you elaborate on the car traffic on a century? It looks like it is mostly on country roads and a paved bike path, but there is a portion through downtown and a busy residential area. Do you they usually close a lane of the road, or no?

[melissam]

Hi cunninghamair,

I don't think they've ever closed a road to car traffic on any organized century I've ridden in. The ride organizers stress the fact that even though we're on an organized ride, we MUST obey all local traffic laws and ride safely.

On a lot of the organized rides I've been on, the ride organizers also put up big signs on the road notifying drivers that there are bicycles on the road. There's also big signs reminding riders to ride singlefile!

Of course, your century may be different -- they may close the road.

There! How's that for the most waffling answer to a simple question? Maybe I should consider a career change to politics.

- Melissa '08!

PS How in the world do you pronounce your screen name?!

[wildhawk]

I have a hybrid and I am training for the MS150 next spring. I am curious why I see so many of you switching to road bikes and not riding centuries on hybrids. Is there something I should know about?

[tygab]

I have a hybrid and I am training for the MS150 next spring. I am curious why I see so many of you switching to road bikes and not riding centuries on hybrids. Is there something I should know about?

Because it's a lot more work? Hybrids are by and large quite a bit heavier materials than road bikes, and are geared to pretty flat terrain. Road bikes are lighter and usually able to handle much more varied terrain. And for a short ride, this may not be a big deal (short, let's say is 20 miles or less). But to get through a long ride, you want to maintain efficiency for as long as possible and not burn out all your muscles early on. A road bike will help you do this. That said, a lot of people are comfortable on hybrids because they have flat handle bars and much more upright positions, however, you can find road bikes that mimic this geometry and there are also a variety of handle bars that one could use if the standard drop bars don't do it. I think road bars actually offer more positions than a flat bar could, which makes it a lot easier to stay fresh by rotating through them.

anyway, my .02. You can do a century on a hybrid. Maybe you could do one on a fixie or BMX for that matter. But it could be a lot more taxing and less enjoyable than you bargained for...

[wildhawk]

Thank you for your .02 cents worth. Unfortunately not all of us can afford a new bike and I have seen some expensive road bikes. Plus, I have carpal tunnel and cannot use drop handlebars. I guess now I am feeling discouraged about doing longer rides because it seems that everyone thinks they can only be done on road bikes. I have ridden 20+ miles on my hybrid in an afternoon ride and the only discomfort I have had has been my seat, which I changed out. And yes I live in Florida, so I guess our bridges do not count as “hills”. But they are still a challenge. I guess I will keep training for the MS150 because it is a major goal I have set for myself, but some encouragement would be nice.

[Blueberry]

Thank you for your .02 cents worth. Unfortunately not all of us can afford a new bike and I have seen some expensive road bikes. Plus, I have carpal tunnel and cannot use drop handlebars. I guess now I am feeling discouraged about doing longer rides because it seems that everyone thinks they can only be done on road bikes. I have ridden 20+ miles on my hybrid in an afternoon ride and the only discomfort I have had has been my seat, which I changed out. And yes I live in Florida, so I guess our bridges do not count as “hills”. But they are still a challenge. I guess I will keep training for the MS150 because it is a major goal I have set for myself, but some encouragement would be nice.

Lots of folks do upgrade (I know I have), but you shouldn't let that (or what you can afford) discourage you. If you train, you can definitely do the MS150. You won't finish first, but you won't finish last either. Last year, I rode with a kid on a cheap, borrowed mountain bike. He was in better shape than I was at the end of 80 miles. His chaperon was on an el cheapo bent with a basket covered in flowers on the front and a boom box. They were quite the pair - and they had a blast. Probably a much better time than lots of the speed demons.

Absolutely don't take all of the bike talk on here as discouragement and keep training - what's optimal and what can be done are 2 very different things. Folks were just responding to why people change bikes. Also valid points.

Good luck and have fun! I'll be doing the NC MS ride in 2 weeks (eek!).

CA