Fifty Plus (50+) - Riding a Century Using Experience Verses Actual Fitness

In other words, at what point in one's riding career can experience help in completing a full century ride when not in good shape? I'm about to find out I believe. I'll be meeting NealH up in Waynesboro,Va for the Tour de Valley Century this Sunday. My last century ride, or ride of any length longer than 42 miles was back at the end of May. Fortunately as century rides go, this one is relatively flat with somewhere around 5500' of climbing, mostly in the form of gentle rollers.

So in the past several months I have probably logged a total of perhaps 300 miles. My weight is up, my aerobic capacity is down. But, I have the knowledge of having done this before and surviving. So as long as I stay within the zones I can handle, don't get caught up in riding for time or trying to hang with faster riders, I think I can get through it ok. Not pretty, but ok.

So how important is experience? Is it the ace in the hole for someone that is out of shape but has years of riding under the belt?

I'll be curious as to your answer to your own question after the event. I think being in some kind of shape may trump experience, but who knows?

I'll be curious as to your answer to your own question after the event. I think being in some kind of shape may trump experience, but who knows?

Well, no doubt the more fitness the better. But, I don't have that luxury right now, so can I fake it? That is the question and to what degree can I fake it? I do have a load of experience with the distance under some extreme exertion and course difficulty so I wonder can I manage my effort to finish this ride and not be completely crushed. We'll see I guess.

Well, no doubt the more fitness the better. But, I don't have that luxury right now, so can I fake it? That is the question and to what degree can I fake it? I do have a load of experience with the distance under some extreme exertion and course difficulty so I wonder can I manage my effort to finish this ride and not be completely crushed. We'll see I guess.

Well, I guess if you're not clock bound you have a shot at it.

Well, I guess if you're not clock bound you have a shot at it.

Not clock bound but I would hope to finish with 6 hours actual ride time plus stops. That might be optimistic given my fitness level. But I can draft efficiently!

I think you will surprise yourself. It may be brutal, but you will come in. As I recall, you do an awful lot of BRP rides requiring a lot of strength and endurance.

You are going to be OK.

I don't see how the experience will do much good unless your experience includes riding centuries while not being fit. If you've ridden your other longer rides while you were reasonably fit then you might have a certain expectation for a pace that you're not capable of.

Find some moderately paced groups and just hang in the back would be my advice. Don't do any work on the front.

I think you will suprise yourself with a good event. Even during an off year, a good cyclist can complete a century. Try to keep a slower pace than prior years for the first 70 miles.

Many decades ago I had a difficult to diagnose (at that time) knee problem. It resulted in my being absolutely sedentary for around seven months. I finally decided that if someone was going to cut me open to have a look around, I might as well give them plenty to look at, so I went on a twenty mile ride. Just before my left leg cramped up, a small "mouse" slid out of the knee joint. My knee pain was gone. Two days later I rode fifty miles with 5000 feet of climbing and one week later I rode a double century (fairly flat). It took sixteen hours to do the double and I did fall asleep on the road halfway through (I still feel grateful to whoever tossed the banana next to my prone body), but I did finish the ride.

Does any of that translate to someone in the fifty-plus age range? I don't know. I do know that I have always tried to stay active so that I won't ever go through that kind of suffering again. Good luck.

I would think that years of cycling endurance would hang around albeit at z1/z2. Top end fitness will not be there. Cognitive knowledge of going easy and etc is of little value other than you know this is going to hurt. My concerns would be the support points and posture. Your ass, hands, neck and back are going to scream. This will be amplified by lower power and not getting much unweighting of your ass by each pedal stroke. I think you need to do this century on a rbent.:D

Average speed would be between 16-17 mph to finish in 6 hours. That's sounds like quite a challenge for someone not in shape, unless the OP has mad cycling talent. Stubborness should count for a lot. Maybe run a mixture of Cytomax and Ibuprofin. Rember ice.

Maybe run a mixture of Cytomax and Ibuprofin. Rember ice.

:lol:Toss in a dose or two of Vicodin and you should be set.:50:

LOL, a bent? Yeah, I expect to be sore in the neck, hands and butt. The ride I did this past weekend the climb was 21 miles and 4000' of gain. It took me 10 mins longer than usual. But, I needed to take a nap when I got back home! Thing is I climbed with my HR in the 140s which is really comfortable. It's true I have absolutely no top end or sustained tempo effort in me at this time. I'll really have to watch my power output and stay in zone 2. What that will equate to in speed IDK. I'll be drafting for sure.

Back in Dec. I had been off the bike for 6 weeks and rode a century with 1800' of climbing in 5:25. I led a bit on that one but will have to reign that in this Sunday.

I do think experience will help. Knowing that you have done the distance many times is a big plus. The extent to which your experience helps you to recognize your limits and to stay within them whether or not you meet your performance goals will play a big part in determining how much you suffer. You know you can do it.

Having ridden some hills in northwest Arkansas with you, I believe you will make it OK.

I have asked myself the very same question lately as well. I wonder how long base miles or historical miles are actually good for. The mind is somewhat there but the body and buns lag sufficiently behind. I found myself in a similar situation with the Blue Ridge Breakaway except I did have Colorado under me-although it was 2 months ago. Very few miles afterwards and zero miles of climbing for training. It might be smart to go easier than you think you might need to for the first 50-60 miles-even if you're feeling stronger than expected. Take longer breaks than normal. You know at some point you're going to feel like crap so that shouldn't be a surprise. Hills will feel like you're dragging a parachute behind you. Just go slower, take longer and the muscle memory will be there. In fact you'll probably actually get a little stronger somewhere in the ride. There's always that doubt if you can actually do it but I do believe experience will rule. It will be just like taking some of those rapids you've done before---experience from knowing the right line to take!!

I had thought about doing that ride as well but it appears I've been summoned to help my daughter move into her house.

Both Machka and I have been playing at the end of the rope for a while now. It's taken us a while to get our distance riding enthusiasm back, but that hasn't prevented us from riding centuries every month for all but the past 12 months. Our monthly distance average (in kilometres and inclusive of centuries) since January reads 693, 615, 1026, 515, 340, 511, 348 and 600. Not huge distances by any stretch. In the previous year, we did 200 and 300km randonnees with virtually no prep at all.

Experience has played a big role. That experiences includes:

1. Riding as a pace that will get us through. In other words, riding our own ride, not at someone else's pace. If you normally use a HRM, then use it to gauge your output on hills and such (as you've already done).

2. Maintaining a regular and adequate refuelling and rehydration regimen that also includes adequate electrolyte replacement.

3. Be leisurely about breaks.

I am not sure why people think they have to go out and hammer on centuries. To me, time to finish is irrelevant because the conditions in which you and I ride centuries can be so totally different. The thing that would worry me straight off the bat is that you already are aiming for a six-hour finish time, and that means you'll be rocketing off the line and that's a recipe for hitting the wall later in the event.

We ride bcecause we enjoy seeing what we see and riding together, rather than racing some other "guy" (whether that guy is real or time).

Perhaps you might adopt that philosophy on this ride as well.

The six hour time is what perks my ears up. That's a pretty decent pace, at least in my mind. I've been riding pretty hard all summer, and although a newbie, I'd be thrilled to pull a six hour century off on my last one of the season in October.

LOL, a bent? Yeah, I expect to be sore in the neck, hands and butt. The ride I did this past weekend the climb was 21 miles and 4000' of gain. It took me 10 mins longer than usual. But, I needed to take a nap when I got back home! Thing is I climbed with my HR in the 140s which is really comfortable. It's true I have absolutely no top end or sustained tempo effort in me at this time. I'll really have to watch my power output and stay in zone 2. What that will equate to in speed IDK. I'll be drafting for sure.

Back in Dec. I had been off the bike for 6 weeks and rode a century with 1800' of climbing in 5:25. I led a bit on that one but will have to reign that in this Sunday.

21 miles of climbing with 4000 vertical is a great endurance builder at a 140 HR and will serve you well in the century. The key will be to manage the touch points with the bike.

I'm 60 and easily 30lb overweight (but losing weight slowly). I recently did 130 miles and I did a couple of key things that may be of some note for others. First, I didn't go down on the drops except when wind absolutely forced me to do so. If I spend too much time on the drops my back will really hurt after 50mi or so. Secondly I kept my heart rate in a reasonable zone except when I had big hills and had to push hard. Lastly I snacked regularly and drank Heed to keep my electrolyte balance good and keep my carbs replenished. No way I could have ridden it like it was one long training run. Best of luck.

6 hours is just a round number I threw out there. It's sort of the time where I know I'll be very uncomfortable just being on the bike so it becomes a balancing act between hurting from riding harder and spending less time vs. riding easier and hurting more from just sitting on the bike. Good advice in this thread. I think experience is very important. It can keep my mind in the game because no matter how hard the ride seems I've been there before. That doesn't make the ride any easier though. But if the mind can lead the body will follow, to a point.

I am not sure why people think they have to go out and hammer on centuries. To me, time to finish is irrelevant because the conditions in which you and I ride centuries can be so totally different.

We ride because we enjoy seeing what we see and riding together, rather than racing some other "guy" (whether that guy is real or time).

This needs to be remembered and practiced by more century riders.

Here is NealH's garmin file from last year. Getting him to slow down and ride my pace might be tough. He tends to be a little ADD at times and not stay on task. lol

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47716889

I may do that ride also (haven't done it before.) Luckily although I'm fatter than I want to be, my legs are still in pretty good shape.

I think you can do ONE good hard ride on "fumes" and muscle memory. Probably the hardest thing will be getting out of bed the next morning :)

Muscle memory is a real thing and "miles in the bank" as we say is real, too. As a total slacker who is always overweight I have been through this exact scenario more than once.
The thing I worry about is leg cramps, they show up when I am way out of shape. Other than that, I know I can do it and I'm going to be tired afterward regardless.

Neal is riding pretty darn well. Be sure and put some rope in your jersey pocket and hook up to his seat tub when he's not looking.

Neal is riding pretty darn well. Be sure and put some rope in your jersey pocket and hook up to his seat tub when he's not looking.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLeBHI3LYAo&feature=player_embedded

Here is NealH's garmin file from last year. Getting him to slow down and ride my pace might be tough. He tends to be a little ADD at times and not stay on task. lol

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/47716889

Seeing that profile, I would think that if you start easy and can make yourself behave during the climbs between 50 and 75 miles, you should be OK despite the lack of conditioning. This of course assumes adequate fueling and hydration etc., but these are also advantages of experience. You know to do that stuff. I wouldn't be too bound to the six hour goal, but it is worth noting that you said "6 hours actual ride time plus stops", not a 6 hour century. Very different animals, especially if you take plenty of time (but not excessive) to rest and refuel at the rest stops.

I wish I could get up there to join you.

I am curious as well. The 6hr time sounds rough, but I have no idea what your 'usual' time would be if you were in great shape. Good luck~!

Average speed would be between 16-17 mph to finish in 6 hours. That's sounds like quite a challenge for someone not in shape, unless the OP has mad cycling talent. Stubborness should count for a lot. Maybe run a mixture of Cytomax and Ibuprofin. Rember ice.If you divide 100 by 6 you are correct for the amount of speed but not in practical terms. He will need to ride at 16.66mph with rolling hills. To finish in 6hrs he cannot vary the speed unless he rides the descents hard enough to make up for the loss.

Not to discourage the OP here but there really needs to be some leeway on the hopeful 6hr completion of total "ride time only".

I've been riding hard this summer in training for a first century that I completed last week. My pace is 14.5mph and I stick to it unless the wind hits me hard and I have to ride in the drops much. Well, the wind did hit me hard and that 14.5 was totally out of reach. Man was I sore the next two days.....just because of the wind. My level of conditioning has been 3 ride days with a sprint/interval/TT day, a hills only day and finally a long distance day on the weekends. That came in somewhere around 125mi a week since mid-April this year. I could only hope of doing a 16.6avg....that is what a hilly 20mi ride looks like to me.

I sure hope experience helps!!!

I used to regularly do centuries, as many as seven a year, with my slowest being 16.7 mph and fastest 18.3.

But that was before a heart incident and my five bypasses now just over five years ago. I haven't ridden more than eighty miles sense, and this year only a couple of metrics. But my older brother wants to do his first century in three weeks, and I guess I will do it with him. (I'm now 67 and on a beta blocker which keeps my heart rate below 115.)

It is a relative flat ride, flatter than my usual rides. Our goal is a modest 13.5-14.5 mph. So I think we can make it.

When I lived in Michigan, there was the quad century on DALMAC (a large multiday ride from Lansing to Saint Ignace). The quad century consisted of consecutive centuries for 4 days. I heard that there were a fair number of people who did the quad every year with doing zero training. They relied exclusively on pacing. Of course, I think they rode slowly and never passed up an opportunity to stop and eat ice cream, a cookie, a sandwich or anything else their little stomachs desired. The point being that if you don't push yourself and take your time, you can go for quite some distance.

21 miles of climbing with 4000 vertical is a great endurance builder at a 140 HR and will serve you well in the century. The key will be to manage the touch points with the bike.

+1, Be sure to get off the bike and move around at the stops. During the ride make it a point to revisit your core muscles to force a better posture and stand on the pedals at times even though you don't have to. Yesterday I rode my 29'er while my wife rode her road bike on a 26 mile bike path ride at her pace. At the end my butt and palms were killing me.

So as long as I stay within the zones I can handle, don't get caught up in riding for time or trying to hang with faster riders, I think I can get through it ok. Not pretty, but ok.

So how important is experience? Is it the ace in the hole for someone that is out of shape but has years of riding under the belt?

Since your experience does not seem to include riding a hundred miles at your present level of cycling fitness it could be more problem than help. In your shoes I would find it hard not to ride at my familiar old pace. You might want to focus on being artificially slow for at least the first seventy or eighty miles. If you can restrain yourself to a zero-suffering level the ride might be great fun.

Edit: Just read about your six hour goal and experience with pushing it so grayed out my first response. Best wishes.

When I lived in Michigan, there was the quad century on DALMAC (a large multiday ride from Lansing to Saint Ignace). The quad century consisted of consecutive centuries for 4 days. I heard that there were a fair number of people who did the quad every year with doing zero training. They relied exclusively on pacing. Of course, I think they rode slowly and never passed up an opportunity to stop and eat ice cream, a cookie, a sandwich or anything else their little stomachs desired. The point being that if you don't push yourself and take your time, you can go for quite some distance.I've watched them ride through many many times over the years. What amazes me is the ages of some and the mountain bikes they ride.

I may do that ride also (haven't done it before.) Luckily although I'm fatter than I want to be, my legs are still in pretty good shape.

I think you can do ONE good hard ride on "fumes" and muscle memory. Probably the hardest thing will be getting out of bed the next morning :)
But we want to do the BRP James River to Peaks of Otter out and back the next day! :bike2:

+1, Be sure to get off the bike and move around at the stops. During the ride make it a point to revisit your core muscles to force a better posture and stand on the pedals at times even though you don't have to. Yesterday I rode my 29'er while my wife rode her road bike on a 26 mile bike path ride at her pace. At the end my butt and palms were killing me.My triceps are what usually hurt on me. Century rides can hurt.

I appreciate the support! It will be interesting to see how it all turns out. I'd really be worried if the forecast was for excessive heat. But right now it looks to be in the low 80s for the high. I've got a couple short rides over the next few days to help keep the legs loose. My experience in the past when fit has been that the first 60 miles go by very quickly, and when out of shape the first 40 miles seem to take forever. lol

Gee, do you think I can ride 100 miles? I figure it will take me about six hours...

Sandbagger!

Not done much distance riding this year- in fact haven't done much riding but I have been out with my neighbour for a few rides up to about 40 miles and I know I could do a metric tomorrow. What would get me through that distance would be the residual fitness I have and Experience of looking at the next hill and knowing it will hurt if I tackle it to hard. I would use that experience to get through a 100 miler if needs be so I don't think you will have to worry providing you wave Neal goodbye at the start and pick up another group following on and use your pace line experince to keep dropping off the front very quickly.

But go back to basics and eat and drink well- more than you have been recently and remember about that 70 mile Bonk- prepare for it.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra, "50% of a Century is all mental". You will do fine, enjoy.

I may do that ride also (haven't done it before.) Luckily although I'm fatter than I want to be, my legs are still in pretty good shape.



Hope we see you there Jim. Its a good route and the scenery through Rockbridge County into Goshen is really nice - classic Shenandoah country. We are going to try and ride three days, finishing with the James River to the Peaks recovery ride on Monday. The Valley route is a more scenic route than the Civil War Century imho, though the CWC is more historic - and a much bigger event of course. They're both good. I'm sorry we will miss Joe on this one but, there will always be next year.

Love that 4000' recovery ride climb! :rolleyes:

An interesting challenge. That much time off the bike will definitely reduce your ability, but I think we retain some of those leg muscles for quite some time. Looking at that profile, I think you're going to be fine until the big climbs between ~63 and ~77 miles. Those climbs are then going to HURT. But once you get over them, you'll be home free.

But we want to do the BRP James River to Peaks of Otter out and back the next day! :bike2:

Hah! Have fun on Thunder Ridge :)

Starts at 700 feet and goes to:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii159/JimF22003/Cervelo%20R5/106.jpg

Hope we see you there Jim. Its a good route and the scenery through Rockbridge County into Goshen is really nice - classic Shenandoah country. We are going to try and ride three days, finishing with the James River to the Peaks recovery ride on Monday. The Valley route is a more scenic route than the Civil War Century imho, though the CWC is more historic - and a much bigger event of course. They're both good. I'm sorry we will miss Joe on this one but, there will always be next year.

Well I signed up, so now I have to go :)

I also am planning to do the Bay Country Century on Saturday http://www.abrtcycling.com/events/annapolis-bay-country-century

That should be a nice flat warm-up I hope.

Maybe I'll stay over Monday and race you guys up Thunder Ridge? OK, maybe not :)

Is there online registration for the ride? I can't find that info.

You can race Neal up the mountain on Monday. I'll be limping my way along.

Good job Jim. That Annapolis event looks nice. Same some energy for Sunday and Monday.

Andy, I would recommend sending Harry Coleman (his email link is on the website) a message and tell him you plan on participating and put you down for T-Shirt (they are the nice wicking poly type like we got at the Issaqueena event). You should also save $10 since the fee goes up on the day of the event. Harry is very good about communicating and will acknowledge/respond.

Andy - Need me to tag along to do pulling duty? I can likely get Neal to keep it in his pocket...:D

Andy - Need me to tag along to do pulling duty? I can likely get Neal to keep it in his pocket...:D

LOL, if you come up then you and Neal will end up tag teaming me into the pavement. But of course you'd be welcome, but I'm serious when I say I'm in lousy shape and I'll be suffering.