Training & Nutrition - century-2 days off ea.week?

Hi... just wondering if I'll still be able to nail my first century if I only ride 5 out of 7 days a week. I also weight lift 2 and sometimes 3 days a week. Just seems between weather and business trips, that I'll have a hard time getting on the bike every day or even 6 days a week. (one day off which I heard is needed to recoup).
I am buying a used trainer and should get it this weekend so weather won't be so much a factor. But I do have some business trips between now and June 2nd. What do you think?
Sarah in chilly, snowy Wisconsin.:dance:

Yes, you will be fine. You need to include rest in your training. 2 days is perfect.

Man, five days a week is plenty to get ready for a century.

A century isn't as bad as you might think.

You'll be OK, Sarah.

Velocipedio's Law of Centuries: Any reasonably fit cyclist can ride a century with relatively little preparation. If you can ride 50 miles, you can ride 100 miles.

Just keep training, take you breaks twice a week [it's usually best to take one day at a time rather than two days in a block]; try riding 40, then 50, then 60 miles. You will be able to do a century.

It's just a question of being able to spend time in the saddle. The amount of effort, in terms of heart rate, is relatively low unless you do a lot of climbs, or you do it at a high speed, or you do it with attacks and breaks.

whew! :p
After looking at all the training regimens... I worried that I wouldn't make it. I'm a bit relieved... I was beginning to think training was going to compete with all areas of my life and I just don't have the time every day. If I were independently wealthy, perhaps I could get into tiptop shape...but gotta work etc..
Sarah

Is the century you are doing going to be in one day? That may sound like a silly question, but the Leukemia and Lymphoma rides are often broken into two days.

Anyway, let's say you are going to do a true century; 100 miles in one day.

If you can maintain 12.5 mph (that's not hard to do), you can do the whole thing in 10 hours giving yourself two hours for lunch and rests (20% of your ride).

So, if you start at 8:00 AM, you should finish at 6:00 PM and have two hours of rest time tucked in between.

I do suggest, however, that you don't plan to drive home after the ride.

Hi Mike...why does your ID read Fred? too?
Anyhow...yes, it's one day-100 miles. I would LOVE to do it in about 6 hours...that way I'll still be able to walk afterwards. 2 hours of rests makes it sound like a piece of cake! :)
Not doing anything after the ride...just eating, relaxing and looking forward to chatting with other riders about the ordeals of the day. 10 hours will be the hardest on my butt... like sitting on one of those chairs for little kids in school for a day... everything gets stifff and numb.
Sarah

I did my first century on a blazing hot day in December '99 and didn't really find the distance to be much of a problem. The key to it is to gradually build the distance up and do the ride itself at a comfortable pace. And yes, it can be done riding five days/week.

Well Sarah, I tend to ride every day per week. But riding everyday is not necessary. In facts, many people advocate one day off of the bike per week for recuperation. If I need to recuperate, I just noodle along.

The distance you per week is as important as how often you ride. To do a century, it is good to be able to do a metric (63 miles) comfortably. It also depends on how fast you want to do a century. Centuries are mostly pacing. In Michigan, we had an event that entailed centuries on four consecutive days. Some of the people rode their bikes only on the event during the year! Now they rode really slooooowly and they did not pass a store without getting ice cream and they gained weight, but they did it.

You are doing the right thing with weight lifting. Bicycling does virtually nothing for the upper body or abs. It is great for the legs though.

If you feel really antsy about not cycling each and every day, you can indulge in other forms of activity. For example, brisk walking is a good cross training for cycling. It isn't as intense, but it does give some work out on off days.

Centuries really are not that tough. The main thing is pace yourself, drink lots of water and eat a bit.

Good Day Mate! Wow.. Chris, you're from Australia?? Pretty neat we can chat with folks all over the world on this forum. I guess that would explain the 'blazing' hot December day, with the seasons reversed from here.
The sitting in the saddle for hours is the hard part...
Sarah

Can I jump in on this question....I'm also trying to train for my first century, but mine involves lots of climbing...and I'm going to do it on a mountain bike. I've been riding about 16-20 hard climbing miles 3 days a week(I also run about 4 miles 1-2 days a week & box 1-2 days a week) I'm doing my first fifty mile ride this weekend. What & how much food should I bring? Or shouldn't I eat during the ride.

Plus, do you really take a two hour break during the century? Does it kill the pace?

What century are you doing in Wisconsin? I'm looking to do one with some friends in the Midwest. I'm formally from Chicago.

Hi Betta:

I don't know about 2 hours breaks.. but I would suppose with food and bathroom breaks, at least 45 mins. would be lost.
I'm riding for the Leukemia Society at Lake Tahoe June 2. From what I've been told, you need to eat so you don't 'bonk' and run out of energy in long rides. Carbohydrates! Bananas, breakfast bars etc... are great. I think we're supposed to snack on something for every 1 1/2 out??? SOMEONE CLARIFY.

And drink lots of water too.
sarah

Originally posted by Bbmoozer
Good Day Mate! Wow.. Chris, you're from Australia?? Pretty neat we can chat with folks all over the world on this forum. I guess that would explain the 'blazing' hot December day, with the seasons reversed from here.

Yep. The other thing is, I live in Queensland, where there is literally no such thing as winter (forget about snow, we don't even get frost!). The trouble is, that means Summer goes for about six months :( . Funnily enough, I tend to enjoy riding in the rain a lot more than most of the others on this forum :D

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pat
[If I need to recuperate, I just noodle along.

The distance you per week is as important as how often you ride. To do a century, it is good to be able to do a metric (63 miles) comfortably. It also depends on how fast you want to do a century. Centuries are mostly pacing.

Hi Pat... what is NOODLING?! :)
When you say do a metric comfortably, do you mean cardio/strength wise? Or comfort wise?
Physically 30 miles does not tax me at this point. It's the sitting on the saddle that gets me. My butt aches !! I don't know if I'll ever get used to that.
Do you guys get used to sitting that long???? I just feel like dead weight all on my bum - I'll shift my weight, stand and stretch but it's only a momentary bit of relief.
Sarah

Originally posted by Bbmoozer
[BWhen you say do a metric comfortably, do you mean cardio/strength wise? Or comfort wise?
Physically 30 miles does not tax me at this point. It's the sitting on the saddle that gets me. My butt aches !! I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. [/B]

This is something you'll get used to eventually (it took me a while too). It might also be time to ask what sort of saddle you have?

Sarah... Im my experience with long rides [including centuries], I have found lengthy rest brteaks to be unnecessary. They also have a nasty habit of breaking up the rhythm of a ride. Better to take some food that you can eat while in the saddle -- fig newtons, energy bars, that kind of thing -- and only stop for one or, at the most, two short [15-minutes, max] breaks, excluding watering stops, of course.

It sounds like a lot, but the truth is that, if you find yourself at a comfortable pace or lever of exertion, you can probably maintain it well-nigh forever. That might mean 24 km/h at 135 bpm heart rate; it might mean 30 km/h at 145 bpm. Whatever, there IS a comfort zone of physical exertion that most reasonably fit people can maintain indefinitely. Your training should help you find that point.

As for the butt pain... this will either go away as your tender parts get accustomed to the saddle, or you might have to adjust or replace the saddle. My bikes are so dialed-in now that I don't even notice the saddle anymore. Of course, it might just be that I don't have any nerve endings in my butt anymore, but who knows?

hi Chris... 6 mos. of summer as apposed to 6 mos. of winter... mmmm...each has its merits.
Anyhow... i just bought a new seat too. It's narrow, but has some gel in it for padding and its got a cut out in the seat area... a woman's saddle.
I think it will suffice... but if not, maybe my next bike will be a recumbant for added butt comfort
:p
sarah