Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - training for long distances?

Greetings everyone,

I've been cycling for a few years now and have grown interested in riding longer distances. On weeknights I normally ride about 15 miles, with longer rides (15-30 miles) on weekends. I ride trails that are a combination of pavement, dirt, and gravel.

I'd like to start training for longer distances with the (perhaps somewhat naive) goal of completing my first century, but I would like to get some advice from the experts explaining how to work up to longer distances. How much do you increase the distance at a time? When do you take recovery days? If anyone could share some tips, experiences, etc. I would be most appreciative. :)

Check out this thread and many like it in the Training & Nutrition forum:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=297431

General rule of thumb is not to increase your weekly mileage more than 10% per week. Rapid increases run significant risk of overuse injury. It takes some time for your muscles and joints to adapt to the rigors of endurance riding.

My thoughts are that you should concentrate on distance, not speed. To that aim, take one day per week (sat or sun) and plan to ride a little further each week. Don't worry about your speed and ride at a pace that allows you to enjoy the scenery. Try to plan out routes that take you someplace like a restaurant so you have a defined goal and a natural place to rest about halfway. Whether you do loops or out-and-back routes doesn't matter but try to come up with some variety so it doesn't get tedious.

If you want to do speed work, do that during the week, but not the day before your long ride. Remember to give yourself time off for recovery. Muscles adapt during rest.

Above all, have fun and before you know it, you'll be doing centuries.

thanks for the advice.

Immediately after posting this I noticed the 'training and nutrition' forum. Thanks for refraining from giving me the slap in the back of the head that I deserved! ;)

Thanks for the detailed explanation, supcom. I'll be sure to take those points into consideration!

Tips for Riding a Century: http://www.machka.net/century.htm

hi Machka! I was looking over your website earlier today, but had not made it quite that far yet. Great information, thanks for sharing!

If you regularly ride 30 miles on gravel on the weekends, ..... then I would very much assume you are already fit for a century. Just take it slowly for the complete century and be prepared for some sore muscles afterwards.
Obviously longer training rides could be better, but it sounds to me like you are already prepared (riding on gravel needs much more energy than riding on regular roads).

Just Do It :)

thanks for the encouraging words! Gravel can definitely be a harsh mistress. :D

My average right now is probably in the low-to-mid 20's on weekends. This past Sunday I rode 34 miles (but the last half of it was paved) I'll work on gradually increasing the distance and hopefully be ready to tackle it in a month or so.

(I think that completing a century would give me an excuse to spring for a massage, too! Mmm... incentive!) :o

hello Morea,

just make sure that you arrive ahead of the official starting time (with some time to spare) and that you get a good a good idea about the directions. Just prepare well to avoid unnecessary stress.
In this case the only thing that could prevent you from finishing you first century would be a thunderstorm or another natural disaster.

In other words: do it differently than me. Plenty often I show up late and twice I have started the route into the wrong direction (quite easy to do if the route is a figure 8) . Situations like this can really make you nervous .... and I would recommend to avoid them if possible on your first centuries.

Have fun on your centuries.

Greetings everyone,

I've been cycling for a few years now and have grown interested in riding longer distances. On weeknights I normally ride about 15 miles, with longer rides (15-30 miles) on weekends. I ride trails that are a combination of pavement, dirt, and gravel.

I'd like to start training for longer distances with the (perhaps somewhat naive) goal of completing my first century, but I would like to get some advice from the experts explaining how to work up to longer distances. How much do you increase the distance at a time? When do you take recovery days? If anyone could share some tips, experiences, etc. I would be most appreciative. :)

You are probably strong enough to ride a century now.

However, you don't know what pace to ride nor do you know what/how to eat on the bike. Those are the things that you will need to learn.

what i have discovered is that long distance rides are as much mental as anything. i find that i "program" myself for the distance i plan on riding. i feel fine as long as i don't go any farther but if the ride goes longer then i'm miserable. riding a century is no longer a challenge to me but if i'm planning on riding only 20 miles then the thought of having to read more is almost unbearable. yet when i'm on a 200 km ride i can easily say "it's only another 30 miles until the next control." i'm not fast but i can turn the pedals over all day long as long as if that's the plan.

i rode RAGBRAI a few years ago and took the century option midweek. i was ok for the first 100 miles but when my odometer clicked over to 100 i was ready to get off my bike. except that i was in the middle of nowhere and the next town was over seven miles away (and the campsite another four miles!). i was one unhappy biker that day. if i had known it was 111 miles, though, i'm sure i would have been fine. for me it's all about mental preparation and managing expectations.

** mp **

thanks for sharing the tips and experiences, everybody. I do appreciate it!