Fifty Plus (50+) - What Do You Do Differently a Day or Two Before (metric ... then standard) Century?

What are some of the things ... practical or possibly ritual ... that you do a day or two before doing a 70- or 100-mile ride?

Possible changes a day or two prior:
* Do you change your diet to load up on carbs the night before a really long ride? If so, what change in diet are you talking about?

* Do you not ride at all a day or two before a really long ride, to ensure muscles are not torn? If you don't skip riding, do you at least greatly minimize the amount of riding on the day before?

* Do you spend twenty minutes rubbing your lucky rabbit's foot, for general purpose? If not, do you at least spend time with your new pup who is after all, part of the family and might also give you luck?

Tons of water, get to sleep early. Get everything I need ready and in the right place. Skip wine with dinner.

I try to spend time in the company of a beautiful woman. :D

I try to spend time in the company of a beautiful woman. :D

Me too! Luckily, I'm married to one so it's pretty easy.

Century coming up this Saturday - drinking lots of water, I'll try to get in 25 miles today, and be chowing down the carbs tomorrow.

Little or no riding a couple of days before if I expect it to be a hard ride. I'll eat extra carbs and hydrate more the few days before. I try to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast. Have the bike and riding gear ready to go.
The first few times required more preparation than now. Now I just try to be fueled, rested and ready.

Tons of water, get to sleep early. Get everything I need ready and in the right place. Skip wine with dinner.

I'll just add to put air in your tires the night before. Nothing more irritating than having a flat while pumping up the tires right before the ride:mad:

I only ride 3 days per week, anyway, so no change there. I'm a junk food junkie, so I sometimes try to cut back a little before a hard ride. When it's hot, I try to slack off at work Thursday and Friday so I'm not exhausted Saturday morning. I alway prepare my bike the night before.

When it's hot, I try to slack off at work Thursday and Friday so I'm not exhausted Saturday morning.

Best argument for long rides in hot weather that I've ever heard!
:beer:

Little or no riding a couple of days before if I expect it to be a hard ride. I'll eat extra carbs and hydrate more the few days before. I try to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast. Have the bike and riding gear ready to go.
The first few times required more preparation than now. Now I just try to be fueled, rested and ready.

Just want to emphasize this excellent advice, especially on the carbs - carbo loading is not a "big meal the night before the race" affair. It should be normal or a little extra carbs eaten along with the "taper" of reduced riding during the days (week) leading up to the event. This will result in an excess of carbs and glycogen build up. You can't just dump glycogen into your muscles and liver, it takes some time for maximum benefit.

Also, in the same way, hydration should be done at least a day or two before the race to really get the reserves up. It's not good enough to start the night before the event, or the morning of the event. Keep hydrating a lot until an hour before you start. You should be able to get a pee or two in before you start, then it's just a matter of keeping ahead of dehydration by drinking small amounts very frequently during the ride, according to your own needs, temperature, time, etc.

I never do things by halves- I start carbo-loading for a week before a ride and it is everymeal- Pasta- Rice Bread Cakes- Sticky buns. I will put on at least 4Lbs before a Big ride- but then I only weigh 150lbs. That may not go on the ride but it will have gone withing a couple of days.

Start drinking extra the day before a ride and in the 30 minutes before the ride- I drink a full bottle of Energy drink. I also have a good breakfast a couple of hours before the ride and from the start of the ride I start drinking and I start eating. Drink about 1 litre per hour for me and eat a ceral bar or Cake or Dried fruit or Anything else I fancy. If you realise that you do not fancy anything to eat, and you have been snacking on the ride-Eat something. Same with water- Don't feel thirsty- You will be soon-so drink.

Based on Stapfam's program of start drinking extra the day before a ride, maybe DG's $150 bottle of Scotch?

But I'm not sure how well that would really work. Others have already covered the serious advice far better than I could.

Based on Stapfam's program of start drinking extra the day before a ride, maybe DG's $150 bottle of Scotch?

He used that as a sweetener to get the sale on his Cruisers.

And while we are on Drink- I am a wine and Cognac Drinker- I have to go back to Ventoux next year as I found something better than Cote Du Rhone- You have guessed it and it is Made and Bottled at Bedoin- And I only bought 12 bottles- It is called "Cote De Ventoux" and only one bottle left.

I try to spend time in the company of a beautiful woman. :D

I'd have said that, but the OP said "do differently" and that's a regular thing here. Too bad you wait for a big ride to do it:rolleyes:

He used that as a sweetener to get the sale on his Cruisers.

And while we are on Drink- I am a wine and Cognac Drinker- I have to go back to Ventoux next year as I found something better than Cote Du Rhone- You have guessed it and it is Made and Bottled at Bedoin- And I only bought 12 bottles- It is called "Cote De Ventoux" and only one bottle left.I hope you don't have to ride up Ventoux to get it. :eek: If so, take a really large backpack and panniers, so you can bring back more. :D

A few days before I start cutting back on the riding, maybe 15 miles per day. The the two days before, no riding. I pretty much eat normally but for desert those last two nights I chow down on my favorite carbo load, Stewarts peanut butter pandamonium ice cream, it is my treat before the big ride. I always drink lots of water so extra hydration is not an issue. No alcohol the week before as well, alcohol and riding hard to not agree with me.

I will start my prep ritual on Monday as I am preping for the Saratoga Century. I will make sure the drive train is all washed out and oiled up and the tires are full and have good tread. A little shine on bike and I am all set to go.

I've found that lots of leafy greens before a ride really help stabilize my bladder.

I've found that lots of leafy greens before a ride really help stabilize my bladder.

You DOG!

What are some of the things ... practical or possibly ritual ... that you do a day or two before doing a 70- or 100-mile ride?

Possible changes a day or two prior:
* Do you change your diet to load up on carbs the night before a really long ride? If so, what change in diet are you talking about?

* Do you not ride at all a day or two before a really long ride, to ensure muscles are not torn? If you don't skip riding, do you at least greatly minimize the amount of riding on the day before?

* Do you spend twenty minutes rubbing your lucky rabbit's foot, for general purpose? If not, do you at least spend time with your new pup who is after all, part of the family and might also give you luck?

I'm doing a century Saturday, and my plan is to not ride tomorrow, and to eat a hefty carb rich meal tomorrow evening, and a big omelet Saturday morning. I don't know how scientific this approach is, but it works for me.

I've found that lots of leafy greens before a ride really help stabilize my bladder.


You DOG!

I've always had trouble having to stop every hour or so to use the men's rooms, but after I started eating a lot of greens before a ride, my stops have been much more infrequent.

Sorry to be so blunt in my first post.:o

Eating lots of leafy greens has the same effect on me as taking lots of Carter's Little Liver Pills. Which would NOT be the smart move before a big ride.

Here's my pre-ride ritual, beginning the night before, that virtually guarantees a great day:

*Fill water bottles and put in fridge.
*Drink a beer.
*Forget where I put the cell phone, wallet, and floor pump. Decide to think about it tomorrow.
*Drink a beer.
*Think about loading bike in car. Decide to drink a beer instead.
*Leave the alarm unset.
*Drink a beer. Fall asleep on couch. Dream fitfully that I'm being chased by DeeGee on a white bike, who thinks I stole his wallet.
*Wake up an hour later than planned.
*Run around like a wet hen looking for cell phone, wallet and floor pump,as wife shakes head in silence.
*After much amusement arrive at ride with the sinking feeling that water bottles are in fridge.

Here's my pre-ride ritual, beginning the night before, that virtually guarantees a great day:

*Fill water bottles and put in fridge.
*Drink a beer.
*Forget where I put the cell phone, wallet, and floor pump. Decide to think about it tomorrow.
*Drink a beer.
*Think about loading bike in car. Decide to drink a beer instead.
*Leave the alarm unset.
*Drink a beer. Fall asleep on couch. Dream fitfully that I'm being chased by DeeGee on a white bike, who thinks I stole his wallet.
*Wake up an hour later than planned.
*Run around like a wet hen looking for cell phone, wallet and floor pump,as wife shakes head in silence.
*After much amusement arrive at ride with the sinking feeling that water bottles are in fridge.


It seems the more I try and do the night before the more I forget ride day.........water bottles in the fridge is a hoot!!!!

I try not to do anything differently. I've learned that any efforts for last minute prep only serve to raise any negative anxiety I might have about the coming century. Hence, I try to approach it as just another ride, a long one, but just another ride. I figure either I'm in good enough shape to do the ride, or I'm not. Either way, special last minute prep doesn't seem to help me at all.

What are some of the things ... practical or possibly ritual ... that you do a day or two before doing a 70- or 100-mile ride?

...

* Do you not ride at all a day or two before a really long ride, to ensure muscles are not torn? If you don't skip riding, do you at least greatly minimize the amount of riding on the day before?

...For a metric to 70-ish ride: nothing. Sometimes my Sunday recovery ride is longer than my Saturday hard ride. Sometimes my Sunday recovery ride is faster avg than my Saturday hard ride, but that is usually course choice (e.g., "hillfest" Saturday, "looking for all the flatish roads" Sunday).

For English metric training or charity ride, that's different. 100 miles north & northwest of Raleigh, I need fresh legs. 100 miles on the coastal plain that starts just of east Raleigh, the only thing I worry about is the wind direction.

For mountain rides in western NC, no comment.

Do not eat very much and drink a lot of water. Suppliment with dark chocolate and red wine as needed. Hey, that is what I do all the time.:p:D

Resist the temptation to make changes to the bike.

All component changes or disassembly for cleaning have to take place one week before the event with at least one test ride in the interim.

Resist the temptation to make changes to the bike.

All component changes or disassembly for cleaning have to take place one week before the event with at least one test ride in the interim.

Ha - that's a good one. So I have a century tomorrow and because of business travel, I hadn't ridden since last weekend. So last night I get out the bike for a quick 20 miler - loosen up the legs and see how I'm feeling. 1/2 mile from home (right after a big climb) my chain breaks! Luckily it wasn't too far a walk home but the LBS was closed. So I just went out and bought a new chain and replaced mine. So now I'm gong to be riding 100 miles tomorrow on a brand new chain without much troubleshooting. It seems to shift fine in my office (where I did the work), hopefully there'll be no problems tomorrow.