Too young for a century?
Hi. First let me introduce myself.
My name is Liam, I am a 15 y.o. and I live in Ireland. I have been cycling regularily for about six months, but have been on and off the bike for five years.
I spend about 10 hours a week on the bike, average speed is usually around 19 MPH over a 17 mile course. My main aim at the moment is to do a century ride before the end of next Summer. Not just that, but I want to do it in under 5 hours. I bought a second hand racing bike and I have all the gear (clothes, helmet, glasses, computer and heart monitor). I have so far ridden 55 miles three times at average speeds of between 16 and 18 MPH. As I said, I want to work up to a century, so my question is seeing as though I aim to improve distance (greatly) and speed (slightly) should I spend more time doing as many hours as possible than speed work? Should I do intervals (if so, how long and how many)? What should I eat on the longer rides (jam sandwiches at the moment and I'm growing weary of them)? Or (the biggie) am I too young to even think about doing centuries for a few years?
I am very dedicated to the sport, and am willing to work extremely hard on the bike. I also have big goals for the future, I am determined to go pro and join a top European cycling team.