Training for a century

In article <[email hidden]>,

ufatbastehd said:

So Im taking the two classes above, and riding my bike on Sat & Sun.
I'm able to do 25-30 miles one day and 40 the next. Just did a 50 miler
last Sunday but broke down the last 4 miles as I did not eat during the
ride. I average 14 MPH on my rides.

How hilly is your century compared to your 50 mile rides? In theory,
if you can comfortably do 50 miles and you keep eating/hydrating during
the ride and the terrain is similar, you should be able do 100 miles
without killing yourself. If the century ride is much hillier than
you are used to, all bets are off.

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In article <[email hidden]>,

ufatbastehd said:

I am attemptimg to do a Century on 9/11.

I am a 50 year old male who is in very good shape, an ex marathoner
and have done some biking in my past.

As running on the concrete here in NYC has become to painful on my
joints I started biking mid June when I bought myself a road bike for
fathers day.

I have been taking spin classes that simulate a road race for the past
two yeas and really push in the spin classes which last 50 min each. My
heart rate at the "finish Lines' approaches 180. With an average about
145-150.

So Im taking the two classes above, and riding my bike on Sat & Sun.
I'm able to do 25-30 miles one day and 40 the next. Just did a 50 miler
last Sunday but broke down the last 4 miles as I did not eat during the
ride. I average 14 MPH on my rides.I'm able to play paddleball with my
son a couple hours afer the rides.
I also lift weights intensly 2 days a week for an hour.

My question is can I make it though a century training as above.
I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

_ I do centuries with lot's of climbing on less training. I think
your fitness is probably just fine, what you'll need to work
on is eating, drinking and pacing. If you want to enjoy the
century you need to eat before you're hungry, drink before
you're thirsty and keep the pace low during the first half.
What you eat or drink is a lot less important than how much
you eat and drink. Find stuff that you like, all the magic
ingredients in the world won't help if you can't choke it
down after 4 or 5 hours on the bike.

_ I find controlling my pace the hardest to do, it's really easy
to get a bit over enthused and dig yourself a hole that
you spend the rest of the day trying to get out of. If you're
doing 14 mph for 50 mile rides[1], that means at best you'll
spend 7-8 hrs in the saddle for a century. Wearing a HRM
during the ride can help a lot with pacing.

_ Another skill that can help a lot is learning to ride
with a group safely. Drafting makes a big difference.
Try to find some group to do organized rides with, most
bike clubs have regular weekend rides. Length
is not that important, but check that the ride is at
a pace that you can get comfortable with pack riding.

_ Booker C. Bense

[1]- btw, for a solo rider in hilly terrain this is fairly
respectable speed.

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ufatbastehd said:

My question is can I make it though a century training as above. I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

You can definitely make it. But you've only got five weeks to go. I'd
increase the long ride 5-10 miles EACH week to make sure you get in at
least one 80 miler before 9/11. You may get a couple of weekends of
terrible weather.

Don't push the pace beyond your comfort zone in training, and
especially not on the day of the century. The more miles you get in
now, the less difficult it will be on 9/11. The hard part is just
getting your body comfortable on the bike for 100 miles.

Eat and drink often. Get off the bike and stretch at rest stops. Vary
your hand position. Get out of the saddle every 5-10 minutes for a few
seconds just to vary your position.

Resist the urge to hammer at the start of the century. If you've got
extra energy left at 80 miles, that's the time bump up the pace if you
want to.

Between now and 9/11, optimize you bike fit, and make sure there are no
mechanical problems.

Good luck,
Art Harris

Thanks for the replies. I'll take it all in and try to use your advice

C-my 50 mile ride was probally close to the terrain of the century, but
on the century the bulk of the hills will be the last 20mi.

Booker- the pace of 14MPH is on rolling terrain not what I would
classify as hilly.

"ufatbastehd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am attemptimg to do a Century on 9/11.

I am a 50 year old male who is in very good shape, an ex marathoner
and have done some biking in my past.

My experience was similar to yours although my running was confined to 10k
races. My first century was done at age 53.

Quoted message said:

I have been taking spin classes that simulate a road race for the past
two yeas and really push in the spin classes which last 50 min each. My
heart rate at the "finish Lines' approaches 180. With an average about
145-150.

The intensity is less important than duration. I have always hated indoor
cycling. All my riding has been outdoors..
I would recommend that you concentrate on time in the saddle rather than
setting a distance target.

Quoted message said:

So Im taking the two classes above, and riding my bike on Sat & Sun.
I'm able to do 25-30 miles one day and 40 the next. Just did a 50 miler
last Sunday but broke down the last 4 miles as I did not eat during the
ride.

As a runner you will appreciate that frequent liquid intake is the most
important. I find that a short food break of 15 min after about 2 or 3 hours
plus a couple of granola or energy bars en route is sufficient. I find that
longer breaks result in stiffness and demotivation.

Quoted message said:

I also lift weights intensly 2 days a week for an hour.

I don't lift weights at all. I don't really see much of a connection with a
first century. In recent years I have been kayaking and canoeing for upper
body exercise. As with spinning I don't like the gymnasium environment.

Quoted message said:

My question is can I make it though a century training as above.
I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

Again I would recommend that you concentrate on increasing time in the
saddle first. When you can ride for about six hours, the distance will come.
The intensity of effort will be far less than you have experienced in
marathons. In my case the ability to remain in the riding position for
extended periods without discomfort was the main problem.
Remember Eddy Merkx's formula for cycling success -"Ride lots".

Quoted message said:

Note I cannot ride outside Mon-Fri due to my home and work situation

That's unfortunate. I used to augment my weekends with eveing mid week rides

Good luck!

Roy

Ufatbastehd said:

I am attemptimg to do a Century on 9/11.

I am a 50 year old male who is in very good shape, an ex
marathoner and have done some biking in my past.
...
I have been taking spin classes that simulate a road race
for the past two yeas and really push in the spin classes
which last 50 min each.
...
So Im taking the two classes above, and riding my bike on
Sat & Sun. I'm able to do 25-30 miles one day and 40 the next.
Just did a 50 miler last Sunday but broke down the last
4 miles as I did not eat during the ride. I average 14 MPH
on my rides.
...
My question is can I make it though a century training as above.
I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

The short answer is, yes, you can make it. The longer answer includes
the proviso that you need to treat your first Century as an experimental
ride, planning to make it an embarassingly leisurely all-day affair, and
resisting the urge to push yourself hard *AT ALL*. Do not focus on
keeping up that 14mph average, do make sure you eat well, and make
doubly sure that you drink more water than you think you need, sooner
than you think you need it. Enjoy yourself, save the competitiveness for
later, have fun and good luck!

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

The terrain is similar. I road the 50 miler and parts of the Century
route.
I may add some hill repeats to my workout to help be through.

"Art Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ufatbastehd said:

My question is can I make it though a century training as above. I plan
to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

You can definitely make it. But you've only got five weeks to go. I'd
increase the long ride 5-10 miles EACH week to make sure you get in at
least one 80 miler before 9/11. You may get a couple of weekends of
terrible weather.

Don't push the pace beyond your comfort zone in training, and
especially not on the day of the century. The more miles you get in
now, the less difficult it will be on 9/11. The hard part is just
getting your body comfortable on the bike for 100 miles.

Eat and drink often. Get off the bike and stretch at rest stops. Vary
your hand position. Get out of the saddle every 5-10 minutes for a few
seconds just to vary your position.

Resist the urge to hammer at the start of the century. If you've got
extra energy left at 80 miles, that's the time bump up the pace if you
want to.

Between now and 9/11, optimize you bike fit, and make sure there are no
mechanical problems.

Good luck,
Art Harris

The only advice I would add is to make sure that the three days before the
ride are light exercise or rest days. A few weeks ago I ran into a friend
on a ride. He told me that he was getting in last minute training for his
first century, unfortunately it was the next day. He was trying to get one
last long ride in at 7:30 PM and was planning on getting at the start line
at 7:30 AM. I called him a few days after the scheduled century and got the
report. He had a horrible time and pulled out at the last rest stop. He
had the fitness, but not the rest needed to have a fun day.

1. I'd start early, so you'll be in cool weather most of the time.
2. Drink and eat. Drink an energy drink. I drink Gatorade. If you stick to
water, you're not replacing the salts and electrolites your body needs. You
won't be thristy if you drink water, but you'll have zero energy. I've heard
you need to drink a quart an hour, more if it's hot.
3. Take a break. Last I looked, there's no record time for your route,
right?
4. A slower, even pace is better than fast/slow/fast/slow.
5. Drink.
6. Have fun.
"ufatbastehd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am attemptimg to do a Century on 9/11.

I am a 50 year old male who is in very good shape, an ex marathoner
and have done some biking in my past.

As running on the concrete here in NYC has become to painful on my
joints I started biking mid June when I bought myself a road bike for
fathers day.

I have been taking spin classes that simulate a road race for the past
two yeas and really push in the spin classes which last 50 min each. My
heart rate at the "finish Lines' approaches 180. With an average about
145-150.

So Im taking the two classes above, and riding my bike on Sat & Sun.
I'm able to do 25-30 miles one day and 40 the next. Just did a 50 miler
last Sunday but broke down the last 4 miles as I did not eat during the
ride. I average 14 MPH on my rides.I'm able to play paddleball with my
son a couple hours afer the rides.
I also lift weights intensly 2 days a week for an hour.

My question is can I make it though a century training as above.
I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

Note I cannot ride outside Mon-Fri due to my home and work situation

Any adivce is needed an welcome!

ufatbastehd said:

I am attemptimg to do a Century on 9/11.

<snip>

Sounds like you will be able to tough it out
on your current regime, but the real problem for
you is going to come from muscular fatigue in
areas you may not have anticipated, namely the back
and neck. I would get out on a few 70-80 milers
before the big day so you can feel what parts of
you might really hurt, and just a few rides like
that will make a huge difference in getting these
trouble spots minimally used to extended time on
the bike. Good luck sir and have fun.

Robert

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In article <[email hidden]>,

Art Harris said:

ufatbastehd said:

My question is can I make it though a century training as above. I plan to increase my Sunday long ride every other week by 10 miles.

You can definitely make it. But you've only got five weeks to go. I'd
increase the long ride 5-10 miles EACH week to make sure you get in at
least one 80 miler before 9/11. You may get a couple of weekends of
terrible weather.

_ If you can do a training ride of 50 and not be completely
wiped, then you can easily do a century. While the longer rides
are helpful in learning about eating, drinking, pacing and most
importantly getting a comfortable position on the bike, I don't
view them as absolutely necessary. They do build confidence and
get you used to what to expect after 5 -6 hours on a bike.

_ I very rarely ride longer than about 2-3 hours on my long
training rides. This is probably not ideal, but I have no doubt
as to my ability to finish a century tommorrow.

_ Booker C. Bense

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I agree with most of the others -- sounds like you should have no
problem. As someone else hinted, you don't want to do anything too
strenuous for a day or so before the ride.

I usually use the 3-4 days prior to a long event as a "taper" period.
For example, my normal schedule for a Sunday event is rest on Thursday,
10-12 miles Friday and 5-6 miles Saturday. If I think of it I try to
drink a bit more water and avoid alcohol in the last few days.

Enjoy the ride!

-JR

I took some of the advice here and road 4 hrs today. Actual saddle time
was 3:45 with two breaks. Road 37 miles on hills no traffic and the
rest rolling terrain in the streets. Did 58 miles total. My lower
neck/upper back did get stiff but I was able to change positions and
stretch to ease it out.

Brought food and ate 3 powerbars on the ride as well as gatorade. The
food/gatoraide made a huge diff as I finshed feeling pretty strong. As
a marathoner I drank only water and had an occasional orange slice but
that was it. Eating and taking a break to stretch every once in a while
made a big difference on the ride.

Plan on trying to go over 5 hrs one day next weekend.

Thanks to all for the input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ufatbastehd <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> I took some of the advice here and road 4 hrs today. Actual saddle
:> time was 3:45 with two breaks. Road 37 miles on hills no traffic and
:> the rest rolling terrain in the streets. Did 58 miles total. My
:> lower neck/upper back did get stiff but I was able to change
:> positions and stretch to ease it out.
:>
:> Brought food and ate 3 powerbars on the ride as well as gatorade. The
:> food/gatoraide made a huge diff as I finshed feeling pretty strong.
:> As a marathoner I drank only water and had an occasional orange
:> slice but that was it. Eating and taking a break to stretch every
:> once in a while made a big difference on the ride.
:>
:> Plan on trying to go over 5 hrs one day next weekend.
:>
:> Thanks to all for the input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like you're making good progress! Good to read about it.

ufatbastehd says...

Quoted message said:

I took some of the advice here and road 4 hrs today. Actual saddle time
was 3:45 with two breaks. Road 37 miles on hills no traffic and the
rest rolling terrain in the streets. Did 58 miles total. My lower
neck/upper back did get stiff but I was able to change positions and
stretch to ease it out.

Brought food and ate 3 powerbars on the ride as well as gatorade. The
food/gatoraide made a huge diff as I finshed feeling pretty strong. As
a marathoner I drank only water and had an occasional orange slice but
that was it. Eating and taking a break to stretch every once in a while
made a big difference on the ride.

Plan on trying to go over 5 hrs one day next weekend.

Thanks to all for the input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eating and drinking is absolutely and positively fundamental. You will
notice dehydration first, but running out of energy is more subtle. It
will get harder and harder to maintain a decent pace and at some point
you will 'bonk' as it is called. When this happens, you will give up
physically and mentally, no matter how determined you are. If you don't
have a Camelbak, consider getting one. I fill mine up with Ice and then
add Gatorade. My 70oz one is good for about 2 hours, more if it isn't
hot. Power bars are nice, but they are pricey and the ones I have tried
haven't been all that tasty. I think you can get by a lot cheaper. I
use granola bars, Nutri-grain bars, Reeses pieces, fig newtons, oatmeal
raisin cookies, usually with diet Coke and ice cream sandwiches from
convenience stores thrown in. If you have the room and you don't mind
warm jelly and squashed bread, a PB&J sandwich would be great. If you
plan for a convenience store about every two hours or so, you can refill
your Camelbak with ice for $0.25 a cup. I'm so cheap I carry Gatorade
power along so I don't have to buy more, although that doesn't help much
if you can't find free water. If you want to spend food money well,
grill yourself 16oz ribeye when you get home. You will have burned so
many calories it would be hard to eat enough to replace them all.

Fred Barney <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> ufatbastehd says...
:>
:> > I took some of the advice here and road 4 hrs today. Actual saddle
:> > time was 3:45 with two breaks. Road 37 miles on hills no traffic
:> > and the rest rolling terrain in the streets. Did 58 miles total.
:> > My lower neck/upper back did get stiff but I was able to change
:> > positions and stretch to ease it out.
:> >
:> > Brought food and ate 3 powerbars on the ride as well as gatorade.
:> > The food/gatoraide made a huge diff as I finshed feeling pretty
:> > strong. As a marathoner I drank only water and had an occasional
:> > orange slice but that was it. Eating and taking a break to stretch
:> > every once in a while made a big difference on the ride.
:> >
:> > Plan on trying to go over 5 hrs one day next weekend.
:> >
:> > Thanks to all for the input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:>
:> Eating and drinking is absolutely and positively fundamental. You
:> will notice dehydration first, but running out of energy is more
:> subtle. It will get harder and harder to maintain a decent pace and
:> at some point you will 'bonk' as it is called. When this happens,
:> you will give up physically and mentally, no matter how determined
:> you are. If you don't have a Camelbak, consider getting one. I
:> fill mine up with Ice and then add Gatorade. My 70oz one is good
:> for about 2 hours, more if it isn't hot. Power bars are nice, but
:> they are pricey and the ones I have tried haven't been all that
:> tasty. I think you can get by a lot cheaper. I use granola bars,
:> Nutri-grain bars, Reeses pieces, fig newtons, oatmeal raisin
:> cookies, usually with diet Coke and ice cream sandwiches from
:> convenience stores thrown in. If you have the room and you don't
:> mind warm jelly and squashed bread, a PB&J sandwich would be great.
:> If you plan for a convenience store about every two hours or so, you
:> can refill your Camelbak with ice for $0.25 a cup. I'm so cheap I
:> carry Gatorade power along so I don't have to buy more, although
:> that doesn't help much if you can't find free water. If you want to
:> spend food money well, grill yourself 16oz ribeye when you get home.
:> You will have burned so many calories it would be hard to eat enough
:> to replace them all.

On my long weekend rides while gearing up for centuries, I get water at the
local fire stations along the route. It makes sense to find out where they
are and plan your route accordingly. They also make a nice reststop and
bathroom break.

Roger Zoul says...

Quoted message said:

On my long weekend rides while gearing up for centuries, I get water at the
local fire stations along the route. It makes sense to find out where they
are and plan your route accordingly. They also make a nice reststop and
bathroom break.

I guess you learn something new every day. I never heard of just
dropping by and visiting a fire station. I didn't know they had public
bathrooms or water. Where do you get the water from?

"Fred Barney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I guess you learn something new every day. I never heard of just
dropping by and visiting a fire station. I didn't know they had public
bathrooms or water. Where do you get the water from?

A water faucet perhaps?

Cheto

"ufatbastehd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Plan on trying to go over 5 hrs one day next weekend.

Thanks to all for the input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I was training for my first Century I kept increasing the length of my
long rides until I was able to ride 100 miles in one day. When I could do
that a few times, I was fairly confident I would be able to complete a
Century. Turns out I was wrong though. Never was able to complete the damn
Century.

Cheto