Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Feedback on solo century plan

I'm planning on trying a century (plus/minus) in May or June by which time I hope to have 3000 miles under my belt. Current gearing is 50/39/30 and a 10-spd 12-27 cassette on my Giant OCR 1 which I think should be ok for tackling terrain profile I've attached. I'm going to take six water bottles which may require a seat-back water bottle carrier and possibly a front handlebar bag. Will need spare spokes, tire, tubes, tools, etc. Reason for the six WB is that a good deal of this ride is back country between San Benito Country and the Central Valley (California) and once you pass Paicinnes I believe there is nothing until you're considerably downslope. I had inquired over in the LDR forum about ways to carry H2O and was advised against a Camelback.

This is a good deal of climbing, about 2-1/2 times what I've done so far, so I'll be doing more climbing over the next 3-4 months and working on hydration and nutrition (cut down on donuts mainly), but this looks like a real challenge and this back country is absolutely beautiful in a CA sort of way.

Feedback/critique would be greatly appreciated. Is this too ambitious with so few miles under my belt? BTW, I've joined a local (40 miles away) cycle touring club and will try to find someone to ride this with me. My Wife has agreed to drive to the other end for a good meal of course!

You can do it.
Have Fun.

The Bee's Feedback - Have a camelback on. It is really light and so easy to hydrate.... That way you are sure to drink a ton!!

My son has a Camelback. I'll give it a try on a 30-40 mile ride and see how it feels. Frankly, my biggest concern is pain in the "seat".

I agree with the advice OP got about avoiding a Camelback. Summertime solo century, lots of climbing, California sunshine... ew, sweaty back.

Carrying 6 bottles is going to weigh down the bike far too much for the climbs. What you might consider is checking for water sources along the way, and bring a pump filter to refill your bottles. That way you can bring 2 or 3 instead of lugging 6 of 'em.

750ml water bottle * 6 = 4500mL = 1.2 gallons * 8.33 pounds = 10 pounds of water.

The other option is since the wife is driving to the opposite end of the ride to meet you, can she do ride support along the way and stash some bottles along the route for you?

Looks like that ride is going to be a lot of fun after mile 65.

Asides from having lots of water make sure you have snacks ready and eat them every 20 miles or so. It's a good amount of climbing and bonking on a non supported solo century is not advisable.

I think most century riding plans I've seen require 8-12 weeks of training with 10 weeks being pretty common. Most of the 10-week programs assume you can ride 30 miles at the beginning of the program. If you start training now, doing something like this in May or June shouldn't be a problem. When I was riding consistently, I found I quickly got to the point where I could average 15mph and stay on the bike until I got bored or ran out of time to ride due to other time commitments.

Here are some things to consider:

1) Camelbaks aren't necessarily a bad thing. Lots of people don't like having weight on their back, feel the the Camelbak is too sweaty, etc. If, like me, you don't mind riding with a Camelbak they can make life a lot easier! Part of the secret, I think, is to train consistently with the Camelbak. If you just wear it once a week, you won't get used to it and you'll hate it. If you don't want to ride with a Camelbak, consider strapping one to a seatpost-mounted fender and using it to periodically refill the bottles you drink from. The Camelbak Unbottle is an easy way to carry 70 or 100oz of liquid. That said, I would do everything I could to find a route that allowed me to resupply my water along the way and not have to worry about either the Camelbak or carrying six water bottles.

2) For me, long-distance riding is much easier if I have a clear mental picture of the route. This really helps me to pace myself, so that I don't work too hard at the beginning of a ride and then struggle at the end. I'd suggest driving the route you intend to ride by car at least once before you attempt to ride it. If possible, do training rides on some parts of the route, too.

3) Don't forget to factor in the weather! The central valley gets hot in the summer. May is probably a pretty good time of year to ride. Don't know about June. It might start getting hot then?

4) Don't bring too much junk along for the ride. I wouldn't, for example, bring a spare tire or spokes. If I cut a tire so badly that I can't fix it with a new tube and a tire boot, I'll call for a ride home. Same for a broken spoke. To me, it's just not worth the weight or hassle to try to make major repairs on the side of the road. If mechanical failure keeps me from completing the ride today, there's always tomorrow or the following weekend... That said, it's not a bad idea to have a bike shop check your wheels out a week or two before you plan to do the century. Also not a bad idea to use a tire that's known to have more puncture resistance (e.g. Gatorskin).

5) Plan for rest stops along the way. Don't know about you, but I couldn't imagine being on the bike for 6- or 8-hours straight. When I'm doing longer rides, I like to hop off the bike for 5 minutes every hour. Every 2 or 3 hours, I'll take a 10- or 15-minute break. I stretch, walk around, maybe sit down for a couple of minutes and eat, refill water bottles, etc. For me, breaks work better if there's a decent place to stop; standing by the side of the road with cars whizzing by isn't as restful as being able to stop at a convenience store, gas station, or a park.

6) Consider drinking something other than water. On longer rides, I'm a big fan of CarboRocket (http://www.carborocket.com/). I'm an insulin-dependent diabetic and CarboRocket doesn't make my blood sugar yo-yo up and down like Gatorade any many other sports drinks. It also isn't sickly sweet; even when it's warm it still tastes good, which means that I drink more consistently. I always eat and drink the same things when riding, so there are no unexpected stomach problems when it comes time to do a longer ride.

Great advice all around. I'll definitely cover the fuel part of the operation sans donuts. This would be a bad drive for my wife, but I could drive up to the top on the previous day and stash some gallon bottles. Won't need as much water on the way down anyway. I'm thinking in a few months of driving out to where the old road peels off from the main road and riding a significant way up to the top - would be a good confidence builder. Water purifier is not a bad idea either. Lots to think about.

I think most century riding plans I've seen require 8-12 weeks of training with 10 weeks being pretty common. Most of the 10-week programs assume you can ride 30 miles at the beginning of the program. If you start training now, doing something like this in May or June shouldn't be a problem. When I was riding consistently, I found I quickly got to the point where I could average 15mph and stay on the bike until I got bored or ran out of time to ride due to other time commitments.

Here's (http://www.bikevb.com/goals/century/century_schedule.html) a 10 week schedule that works very well for century training.


1) Camelbaks aren't necessarily a bad thing. Lots of people don't like having weight on their back, feel the the Camelbak is too sweaty, etc. If, like me, you don't mind riding with a Camelbak they can make life a lot easier! Part of the secret, I think, is to train consistently with the Camelbak. If you just wear it once a week, you won't get used to it and you'll hate it. If you don't want to ride with a Camelbak, consider strapping one to a seatpost-mounted fender and using it to periodically refill the bottles you drink from. The Camelbak Unbottle is an easy way to carry 70 or 100oz of liquid. That said, I would do everything I could to find a route that allowed me to resupply my water along the way and not have to worry about either the Camelbak or carrying six water bottles.

I'll add that a Camelbak can be packed with ice and will remain cold...even in very hot conditions...for many hours. Most of a 7 lb bag of ice can be forced into one. Cold water is much nicer to drink than warm water, the water is 'right there' so you drink it more often and the ice melting in the bag takes care of the sweaty back problem. It's like wearing your own air conditioning unit. Very nice for a dry boy from Colorado riding in Missouri:rolleyes:


2) For me, long-distance riding is much easier if I have a clear mental picture of the route. This really helps me to pace myself, so that I don't work too hard at the beginning of a ride and then struggle at the end. I'd suggest driving the route you intend to ride by car at least once before you attempt to ride it. If possible, do training rides on some parts of the route, too.

I don't know if you need to drive the route but breaking the route into 10 mile segments helps. Ten miles is easy to do and if you know...from maps...where each 10 mile segment ends, the task looks less daunting.



4) Don't bring too much junk along for the ride. I wouldn't, for example, bring a spare tire or spokes. If I cut a tire so badly that I can't fix it with a new tube and a tire boot, I'll call for a ride home. Same for a broken spoke. To me, it's just not worth the weight or hassle to try to make major repairs on the side of the road. If mechanical failure keeps me from completing the ride today, there's always tomorrow or the following weekend... That said, it's not a bad idea to have a bike shop check your wheels out a week or two before you plan to do the century. Also not a bad idea to use a tire that's known to have more puncture resistance (e.g. Gatorskin).

I would, however carry 2 tubes and a patch kit and a pump.


5) Plan for rest stops along the way. Don't know about you, but I couldn't imagine being on the bike for 6- or 8-hours straight. When I'm doing longer rides, I like to hop off the bike for 5 minutes every hour. Every 2 or 3 hours, I'll take a 10- or 15-minute break. I stretch, walk around, maybe sit down for a couple of minutes and eat, refill water bottles, etc. For me, breaks work better if there's a decent place to stop; standing by the side of the road with cars whizzing by isn't as restful as being able to stop at a convenience store, gas station, or a park.

Something that works for me on solo rides is to take along a watch with a count down function. I have an Iron Man that allow multiple count downs and it set to a 1 hour, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 15 minutes sequence. A short break after 1 hours isn't bad and then I take a longer break after 2 hours. I eat something at both breaks. Going solo usually makes me push harder and longer than I would if I were riding with someone. I tend to forget to eat and then bonk. Not a good thing:innocent:


6) Consider drinking something other than water. On longer rides, I'm a big fan of CarboRocket (http://www.carborocket.com/). I'm an insulin-dependent diabetic and CarboRocket doesn't make my blood sugar yo-yo up and down like Gatorade any many other sports drinks. It also isn't sickly sweet; even when it's warm it still tastes good, which means that I drink more consistently. I always eat and drink the same things when riding, so there are no unexpected stomach problems when it comes time to do a longer ride.

I'd also suggest a sports drink. That's what you carry in your bottles. I find that while something like Gatorade tastes watered down in the first few miles, it taste impossibly syrupy after a couple of hours. Experiment during your training cycle and don't make any major changes on ride day.

I'll certainly be doing some experimentation along the suggested lines. Usually carry one bottle of water and one of Gatorade. The new Gatorades are much diluted from what I remember of my running days. Calling for a pickup sounds good, but ain't no cell phone service in them thar hills. Don't want my DW driving 40 miles up some windy road looking for me - could really kill what would otherwise be a pretty good evening. Best deal would be finding someone to ride with - split tool and tire load and such. I'll definitely be ready for new tires before this ride and intend to look at Gatorskins.

I would lean towards taking two spare tubes and leave the spare tyre at home. I'm not sure I'd take spokes either but that's because they would be of no use to me, I ride not fix. by the sounds of the miles you log a century should be no issue. Even if your longest ride to that time is 75 miles you should be fine. I like many others found the 60-65 mile mark the toughest, after that the miles don't seem as bad.

Consider taking some pickle juice perhaps mixed 50/50 with water. It helps eliminate cramps on long rides esp. during hot weather. I tend to get them when I push beyond my usual time on the bike.

If you don't have spoke holders on your bike and you don't want to zip tie spokes to your frame tubes, then get a fiber-fix spoke. If you're running a 32h rim, the loss of tension from one popped spoke shouldn't put the wheel so far out of whack that a fiber spoke can't get you to the finish line.
I'd keep the tire, though. Solo, unsupported, long isolated stretches of road... If you get an unbootable sidewall issue, a folding tire will be nice to have.

I don't know if you need to drive the route but breaking the route into 10 mile segments helps. Ten miles is easy to do and if you know...from maps...where each 10 mile segment ends, the task looks less daunting.

I agree with the idea of using 10-mile segments, but driving or riding really helps me especially when climbing hills. I hate grinding up a hill thinking I'm just about to the top, then finding that it's actually a false peak and there's still a long way to go. Knowing the route really makes it easier for me to pace myself.


I would, however carry 2 tubes and a patch kit and a pump.

Agree with this completely! These days, I carried pre-glued patches; they make patching a tube really easy! I'd also suggest practicing tire/tube changes before the century. And I'll advise that if you do get a flat, you take your time with the patch. I was out riding in the rain a couple of weeks ago and ended up getting a flat. I was eager to get moving again, checked the tire, checked the rim, and threw on a new tube as quickly as possible. Of course, I got a second flat a couple of miles later in the exact same spot because I hadn't checked the tire thoroughly enough :(



I'd also suggest a sports drink. That's what you carry in your bottles. I find that while something like Gatorade tastes watered down in the first few miles, it taste impossibly syrupy after a couple of hours. Experiment during your training cycle and don't make any major changes on ride day.

Agree with this, too. I normally like the taste of Gatorade, but on long rides I quickly get to the point where I can't stand the stuff even if it's ice cold!

Whats a good thing for a diabetic to do so as not to bonk on a long ride ? like whats ok to drink ?????besides water

Whats a good thing for a diabetic to do so as not to bonk on a long ride ? like whats ok to drink ?????besides water

Like I said, I'm an insulin-dependent (Type I) diabetic. CarboRocket works well for me. I drink about 24oz/hr and my blood sugar stays pretty constant. For me, the rate at which the carbs in CarboRocket get absorbed almost precisely matches the rate at which I burn them at my normal riding pace. If I'm working harder than normal, say riding at a faster pace or climbing more, I'll supplement this with Clif Bars as necessary.

FYI, I check my blood sugar every time I stop (about once an hour) and if I start feeling like I'm not performing well I'll stop right away, do a check, and make any necessary corrections.

Edit: You might also want to look into ExCarbs (http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_control_tips/excarbs.php) as a way for predicting how many carbs you might need to consume per hour of exercise.

Pickle juice?

After Paicines, there is water available at the Pinnacles Park. it is a good place to relax. At that time of year there will be a fair amount of park attendance, so there might even be a taco truck or other vendor there to get food. It is usually quite windy but since you are traveling south you should have a tail wind.

try to eat about 150-200 calories every hour and a half

Wow! Never would have thought I'd get so much response. I'm sticking with the tire the for time being. Spare spokes I think are a must since I've only got 24 in the rear, 20 in the front. Wheels have been fine for 1300 miles, but time will tell. I'm going to try the Camelback, but I am concerned about hot weather. The Pinnacles are 28 miles into the ride so it might be worth a small detour if I can fill up my water bottles. I'm working on a local hill which rises about 3000 ft. in 13 miles. Eventually, I'm going to see the view from the top of that thing; will post pictures, but don't hold your respective breaths! I figure if I can get up that thing I can easily make the longer climb.

Consider a SAG van....

Never hurts to have backup, and if you complete the ride solo, it's still a solo Century. ;)

Slim-again - Picklejuice! Absolutely...If for whatever reason you don't/won't/can't drink sports drinks whether, it's THE fastest way to get electrolytes back into your system. a "shot" of picklejuice will almost nearly "cure" dehydration cramps "instantly".

Personally, I think it's a disgusting taste. However, I'm an event manager for a 2-day 150ish mile ride & the nearly 2,000 cyclists that participate each year would lynch me if I didn't offer it. I have done it in a pinch when I over-hydrated with water & nothing else (no sports drink or salt tabs, etc) on a solo ride. It's dirt cheap compared to some Hammer products with faster recovery & no stomach issues like changing sports drinks, etc.

I could go on & on, but if you google it, you'll find lots of support for this.

Sure a banana & some peanut butter & some sports drink will give you the same results but they take time to take affect (digest) and if you're behind the curve, it's the best/fastest way to get back to a safe place.

Now to the OP - if you've ridden 3k miles already (you didn't give time frame, but I'm guessing that's your '08 mileage), you likely have the legs/butt to do a solo century. I'd recommend a patch kit, quick-inflate system (CO2 cartridges) and a couple tubes. I'd leave the spokes & tires at home (but then I wouldn't have to walk more than a mile on my route to have cell service - an incovenience, yes, but better IMHO than carrying the extras - your call, no pun intended).

Regarding water & driving the route: Yes, drive the route & ride what you can of the hills. False flats suck when you're tired & mentally down at that 60ish miles point. Know the route, your mileage & your elevation if you can. When i was training for my running long distances (training for 1/2 marathon, "long" is a relative term) I'd stash water along my route the night before. My hint/tip for you is to "seal" it in some way - tape with your name (or something you KNOW is your handi-work), so you know if it's been tampered with or is safe & untampered, etc. Maybe that's not an issue for your route but for me it was a concern...

I don't ride with a camelback, but would if you don't own one, think about something like a deuter superbike backpack - hold tools, water, & other items...hot as hell on a longer ride though.

On your rest breaks...don't linger too long! Even in the hot heat, your body cooling down & then warming back up a few times is very difficult & makes the lactic acid buildup less tolerable.

Please post pics & let us know how it goes...I'm jealous of the scenery you get to ride through & wish you the best of luck. Sorry for the long rambling post.

Here’s my 2 cents. I do quit a few doubles every year and find a CamelBak no problem. I use the M.U.L.E. model when I wear one, comfortable for me, has room if I need to carry extra stuff, 3L of water (4 bottles) and it doesn’t seem to me to be any hotter (breathes well) in fact keeps the sun from beating on my back. As mentioned above freezing part of the water the night before will help keep the water cooler during your ride. I tried the bottles on the back of the seat and didn’t like how it made my bike feel when I was out of the saddle climbing with the extra weight swinging on the saddle, that’s just me. You should try to drink at least 24 ozs. Of water per hour, more if it’s hot and in that area it can be hot.

I use Acellerade in my water bottles as fuel and electrolytes. I also put Elete water, http://www.eletewater.com/ (http://www.eletewater.com/) , in my bottles for extra electrolytes. It’s tasteless and easy to carry if you need to make up bottles on a ride. Also, I try to consume 300-350 calories per hour between my drink mix and solid food. You will want to take some solid food to eat, Clif Bars, Shot Blocks, Fig Newtons, PB&J, etc. If you use a CamelBak you can refill your bottles with fresh water, from the CamelBak, and add drink mix to refill your bottles with an electrolyte drink (carry your drink mix premeasured in snack baggies).

When you’re doing your recon of the area see if there are any farm houses or other places where you can stop and get water, if there is you don’t need to carry as many bottles. I’ve found most people will help you if you ask first. Since your route is in a remote area, Hollister to Coalinga-I know the area, check for cell phone service in the area just in case you have a major problem and need help. If you’re going to be out of cell service for much of the day, you might want to have your wife drive the route leaving the start at a time that would have both of you at the finish at the same time.

I carry 2 tubes, tire levers and a patch kit with me on my rides. If you feel more comfortable carrying a tire ok, I’ve never had to use one on the road. I wouldn’t take spokes unless you have a problem breaking spokes on your rides. I, being a clyde, ride 32 hole wheels so I don’t have problems with broken spokes. If that’s the problem you need to have your wheels rebuilt before the ride, you shouldn’t be breaking spokes on every ride. Also, I carry a very small fold-up tool with a few allens and screw drivers on it, never used it on my bike other peoples bikes, that’s another story. Again, your bike should be in good shape before you leave so you don’t have breakdowns on the road. When I first started doing LD rides I used to carry everything, found out I only used 5% of the stuff.

You might, NO you should pack a small tube of sunscreen, lip balm, 4-5 Tylenol, 4-5 Tums and any emergency medicines that you need (asthma, bee strings, etc.). You’ll be in a remote area and the emergency meds are the only thing that will save your life. All of this stuff should be able to fit into a lunch size baggie, easily carried in the CamelBak. If I can help you with any more info feel free to PM me.

Pickle juice. Ask Andy Reid, it works!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/09/03/eagles_cowboys_ap/

"The game kicked off in 109-degree heat -- 171 on the artificial turf -- which would've seemed to favor the Cowboys. Reid, however, even had an answer for that: a combination of water and pickle juice, a cocktail suggested by an Iowa State trainer during training camp.

"We loaded them up last night, before the game and during the game," Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder said. "We don't know why it works, but we only had one cramp."

Wow! Never would have thought I'd get so much response. I'm sticking with the tire the for time being. Spare spokes I think are a must since I've only got 24 in the rear, 20 in the front. Wheels have been fine for 1300 miles, but time will tell.

One question: how many spokes have you broken to date?

If the answer is "zero", I'd second the recommendation to pack a fiber spoke replacement (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=2282&category=778) at the most... Granted, spokes don't weigh much, but it's surprising how quickly the little stuff adds up!

If the answer is "more than one" it might be time to think about new wheels!

try to eat about 150-200 calories every hour and a half

The figure I've always heard is that between drinks and food you should consume 250 calories an hour. On long rides, I find that 300 calories/hr works better for me. Then again, I'm still 20lbs north of where I want to be, so what do I know? :D

The figure I've always heard is that between drinks and food you should consume 250 calories an hour. On long rides, I find that 300 calories/hr works better for me. Then again, I'm still 20lbs north of where I want to be, so what do I know? :D

For most people, the body will not process more than 300-350 calories per hour.

OK - if I don't break and spokes between now and then I'll nix the spokes, but will have my wheels checked and tweaked by my LBS before the ride. Will get a new set of Gatorskins prior to the ride. Loose 15 lbs. before the ride, but I'll still be above 200 to retain my Clydeness. I think my gearing at 29 gear inches (lowest gear) is probably ok, but we'll see how my hill climbing goes over the next few months.

I'd make any changes to the bike at least a week or two prior to your ride. That way you've got some time for any problems to surface before you do the big ride. You might also want to do some research on puncture-resistant tires. I mentioned the Gatorskins because that's what I have experience with, but there are lots of other possibilities (e.g. Specialized Armadillo, Bontrager Hardcase, etc).

I think my gearing at 29 gear inches (lowest gear) is probably ok, but we'll see how my hill climbing goes over the next few months.

I use a 34/32 (28.4 inches) for my lowest gear, and I've done a 200k with nearly 8000' of climbing. You should be fine with a 29 inch low gear.

I'd make any changes to the bike at least a week or two prior to your ride. That way you've got some time for any problems to surface before you do the big ride. You might also want to do some research on puncture-resistant tires. I mentioned the Gatorskins because that's what I have experience with, but there are lots of other possibilities (e.g. Specialized Armadillo, Bontrager Hardcase, etc).

I'd suggest making any changes to the bike more towards the middle or beginning of the training cycle. That way anything that might go wrong or need adjustment will show up during the training. One to two weeks before the event, don't mess with anything.

I'd make any changes to the bike at least a week or two prior to your ride. That way you've got some time for any problems to surface before you do the big ride.

Allow at least a month or more. When I bought a new bike six weeks before my century in 2007, I had all kinds of fit problem for a month before I got reasonably dialed in.

Lots of contributors, and lots of good advice. The main things that you keep hearing are to take enough repair equipment, don't forget to eat and drink, and train hard to prepare for it.

Distance and foothill/mountain riding are my favorites. Here are my preferences.


2 water bottles, and knowing where convenience stores and free water spigots are located along the way. The stores come in handy if I start to bonk or cramp, and need a sports drink or something. I only carry water, and stop to buy a sports drink if I feel like I need it. I hate camel backs. Others like them, but I don't. I usually just stop at a local park and refill my water bottles when I have to use the restroom.
I prefer real food to sports drinks and stuff. On longer hilly rides, I've found that portable salty and crunchy snack foods like wheat crackers (usually different flavors of triscuits or wheat thins), dried fruit (apricots, raisins, banana chips, etc.), and granola or energy bars work great. They give me energy quickly, don't upset my stomach, have enough salt to balance out my electrolytes, etc. I've also found that a pack of salted and roasted nuts can work wonders, if I'm close to bonking and need salt too.
The repair stuff that I carry all fits into my medium-sized seat bag, and includes: 2 spare tubes individually wrapped in plastic grocery bags (slippery bags make the tubes pack easier, and can be used for emergency rain head-gear, a saddle rain-cover, etc.), a patch kit, a 2-3 feet section of duct tape rolled into a flat-square (was VERY VERY handy on numerous occasions), small multi-tool and tire levers, a small first-aid kit (3-4 knuckle bandages, antiseptic wipes, and gauze), about 3-4 feet of toilet paper rolled flat in a ziplock bag, a couple of reflective velcro ankle bracelets (for dark conditions, and have used to strap/emergency-patch stuff on the bike), a cell phone, and about $40 in cash (strongly recommend some single dollar bills and a few quarters). Almost everything but the tools and tubes can be used for multiple purposes. If you do lots of long-distance riding alone, you will USE all of that stuff at one time or another EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Count on it. Especially if you stop to help other cyclists that lack something along the side of the road.
A frame pump (I LOVE the Topeak road morph).
On mountain or non-summer rides, I also carry a polyester shell jacket. It packs down very small, and will save you lots of discomfort if it gets cold, rainy, or windy all-of-a-sudden. Weather forecasters are often wrong in the mountains. Be prepared for it.
In the summer I also carry a small tube of sun-screen. I sun burn very easily and need it to prevent getting sun burn blisters on my neck and/or nose areas during longer and sunny rides.



That's about it, except for training. I think that you should have a training plan, like one of those you see above that are online, or that you find in a magazine. Be flexible, though. If you get hurt, slow down until you have healed a little bit, or you could end up hurt worse, potentially blowing a whole riding season.

With the route that you have picked, I would also throw in A LOT more hills than the standard century training plan incorporates. I usually replace some of the faster or high-tempo rides with steady-to-hard climbing routes instead. I would also include one HARD and sustained hill ride each week (at least 1 hour of steady, non-stop climbing), to help get you used to it. I try to avoid doing more than 3 hilly routes for any one week, though. I need recovery time between hill routes. If it is a "hill" week, then I just do longer and steeper hills on those 2-3 days.

Just follow one of those training plans for the rest, making sure that you can physically take 6-7+ hours in the saddle. Good luck! Have fun training.

You going to get a steak there at Harris Ranch when you're done? :)

Looks like a fun ride. Is ACTC the club you joined? I've gone on a couple of their rides - they're a friendly group.

Harris Ranch is the only way I could get my Wife to pick me up (although she's off beef). I'm going to give her a "drop dead" time by which time she should start driving the route in reverse to pick up my bones. We'll stay in scenic Coalinga overnight.

I think I've indicated in another post that I've started working on a local hill once a week (4000 ft. climbing, 3000 ft elevation gain in about 13.7 miles), but it's going to take me a few months to get to the top. I've got some other routes (40 mi. loop, 2000 ft. climbing for example) that I'll do. At some point I'm going to have to take a few 60-70 mile rides. Lots to think about.

Did a bunch of centuries and a 400 mi. (in 4 day) ride with my Wife and kids, but that was 20+ years ago. The spirit is willing, we'll see about the bod. Trick is to avoid injury.