OldsCOOL

I thought I'd take a presumed different approch to a popular summer subject, the century ride. This summer I will be training for a group Century. I will train as I did for the last century that was solo in 2011.

Feel free to document or share advice as you wish.

Tomorrow is the first 50 I've done in 2yrs. Most training has been centered on speed and hills the last two seasons. Each Saturday will be distance day, increasing mileage incrementally. Weather permitting I will have a hills ride earlier in the week and taper weekly training to a fast 18mi ride just for fun.....then back to the open road on Saturday.

The event will be the Welcome to the Black Bear Bicycle Tour Website Sunday July 27.

Miami Biker

Hi OS.

Having done a century almost solo and recently joined a group find major differences. Group goes faster and yo yo's are killers--slowing for turns, lights etc then speeding up to resume pace. These yo yo's take a huge amount of energy and experience to know how and when to catch up.

So advice is to train with those you will ride with or look for some who will go closest to your pace. First hour should be slow anyways, but having a group with similar speed can make or break your ride. Can also work out pulling protocols and learn who rides safely in the line and know the rules of engagement.

Most say to ride in middle of group. And when you take a pull, only do as long as you can to not wipe yourself out.

Ed

Jim from Boston

The high point of my cycling year, during the nice weather is my 10 Week Century Training Program as published years ago in Bicycling Magazine. Even if I don't ride a century, the program motivates me to get out on the Road much more than I would otherwise by just commuting.

My key rule for riding a long distance is to ride at my own pace so not to burn out. On an organized ride, I like to start as soon as a possible so I can get swept up by various groups, and stay with them as long as possible (or permitted).

OldsCOOL

Good advice. Anything above 40mi and I pace myself. The group ride has excellent support and is very well planned. Some of the planners I've known for ages so this is a ride highly recommended. At the start they send out bikers by the ten with faster groups first. They mount a transponder on each bike so you can have a time certificate at the end if you wish. Who knows where I will fit in but for now I'm keeping my speed no faster than 17mph unless downhill. Best part of the group ride is the west to east direction so the wind is at your back and mostly flat.

OldsCOOL

I recall accessing your program during training for my first century. Good stuff!

Zinger

Yeah I have nothing in the way of any new useful advice for the OP but my only message to anybody reading is don't start out too fast (as in too fast a group for instance), be sure you have something to eat and don't run out of water. At least a couple of 60 milers plus beforehand are advisable.

DoubleTap

This is especially good advice. Once I figured out the nutrition for long rides, they got much easier. Biggest help for me was a light breakfast (in my case, a smoothie is preferred) at least 2 hours before start, and then start eating as soon as I get on the bike. Consistent calories each hour of the ride and I am good to ride. On a century, I usually get in my head about mile 80, regardless of my fitness level, but I'm always glad I did it once I'm finished.

Good luck and keep updating. I'm looking forward to reading about your training.

OldsCOOL

Eating is pleasure for some along the ride but for me it is a priority and complication being insulin dependant diabetic. If I eat too much, things grind to a halt. If I eat too little, things go haywire real quick.

I will be carrying sugared mix of hydration drink in the water bottle and maybe a second bottle of straight water. Lots of practice rides the next 6 saturdays.

OldsCOOL

Climbing the ladder....rode a hilly, hot (2 of the 3 debilitating "H" factors). Not pleasant at all. When at the 35mi mark things started slowing down. This was our first hot day, 87deg. You could smell the pavement. I do not do well on endurance rides when temps go above 85. Anyway, with all the hills I feel good to have completed it.

Dudelsack 

I just pulled up the ride on Strava. If it's the right one, it's flat. You could try the time crunched cyclist new century plan, or you could just ride a lot.

The hardest part on a flatish century is toughening up the butt and accessory muscles. The legs should be fine.

CommuteCommando

Some one mentioned eating. I agree with the light breakfast thing. One oz. Peanut butter on a slice of wheat bread about an hour before mounting up works for me.

Zinger

As regards heat:

I know nothing about the considerations of diabetes but having worked on paving crews in Texas, Colorado, San Diego and Phoenix, the 4 people I saw pass out from heat exhaustion were: Blonde, had no hat (cooling from riding should more than neutralize that though) and had gone without breakfast.

That's why I always ate a breakfast with plenty of salt on it, especially when raking hotmix. And in Phoenix we did take advantage of salt tablets.

Just sayin'

OldsCOOL

You are right about the accessory muscles. That is what drags me down. Triceps, trapezius are the buzz killers. Saddle time is the only thing that makes it go away. I memory serves me, 3yrs ago that type of pain finally subsided above the metric mark. I'm flirting with doing a metric (minimal hills and heat) this Saturday for kicks and grins. Excedrin and Ibuprophen wont make it go away so it's good old conditioning that makes it disappear. Also, I lifted the stem about 1.5cm to ease the angle.

OldsCOOL

For some reason it's the heat that takes the toll no matter what I do. And there is the acquisition factor, no doubt. Every season this happens when the temps spike 85F+ and it's the first time riding in it. I'm hoping to toughen up and get past it. Last weekend I had electro's in the first bottle of (24oz) and ended the ride with a 42-48oz total. There was a heavy salt coating on me after the ride. For glucose I had a bigger breakfast but time to digest, sugar in the first two bottles and straight water in the third.

No heat exhaustion effects the day after.

ETA: I spent a couple years in Phx working for Arizona Cable Tv '79-81. Hot, hot and real hot. People that tell me it's a dry heat I remind them, "so is hell".

Yankeetowner

I'm doing my second Century this Saturday, and like the first it is flat. The first was in February, and the weather was perfect. This one will be hot, although right now they are forecasting only the mid to upper 80's. There were a few things I learned from the first Century: 1) Take 3-4 gels for easy energy...I got with a fairly fast group 21-23 mph pace, and we only stopped 3 times for very short periods of time...I was not comfortable eating in a pace line, but I was able to tear open the gels and get some energy, then I gulped down some homemade energy bars when we did stop...I liked the people I was with, and I didn't want to stop and eat, and then ride by myself; 2) I drank energy drinks and not water as I normally do; 3) Leave 1/2 tire distance between my bike and the bike ahead of me, particularly towards the end when I'm a little tired; 4) Lift up from the seat every few miles, and move your shoulders occasionally; and 5) Most importantly, don't get so hung up on "am I gonna make it?" and instead assume I'll make it easily and enjoy the ride. As far as heat, when moving, even in a pace line, you're constantly making your own breeze.

Zinger

A couple of salt tablets or electrolyte pills tucked into the old patch box just in case wouldn't hurt. Yeah Phoenix is scorching hot alright. I was 22 yrs old when I worked for a parking lot outfit raking hotmix there one summer.We quit around 3:00 P.M. every day and took in lotsa salt.

FrenchFit 

At 58 I did a solo metric century while 116 degrees, hottest day on records for that date here. I 'learned' I can only process so much water, hydration takes some time. I solved the problem by napping in the shade for 45 minutes before resuming the ride. If you get dehydrated, think about taking a break. Once you get behind the curve it's really hard to catch up, especially if you are over-heated.

OldsCOOL

Some of this heat stuff is due to the many -20F days and nights this winter and just a few months ago. I'm hoping Saturday will be a stronger day. The 62mi ride is MUCH flatter, too.

Naps, that works. Being a solo rider allows that. One 80mi ride I pulled in to a nice shady roadside park, stuck my head in the spring creek and flopped out on the grass for 1/2hr. Man, that felt great. After that the remaining 10mi was much easier.

jppe

I think it is pretty hot in an oven as I recall!!!

Zinger

You won't be running around on the sidewalks in your bare feet very far I can tell you.

OldsCOOL

When we arrived in Phx area people were telling me my nice docksiders wouldnt work out there. Then summer hit and I needed those thick soled sandals they had. And my little spitfire temp gauge was already warm before hitting the key. When I got home for a shower, the cold water was luke warm. Never did use the hot faucet for 6mos. I wondered what planet we moved to.

Zinger

We bachelors had the air conditioner belt shred just about 30 minutes before Sears closed for the 4th of July holiday. We ran traffic lights and broke just about every traffic law existing to get there and get that air conditioner belt.....which we did.

Oddly of the 4 guys I knew of who passed out on paving crews I worked on, only one was in Phoenix. He sat down on the running board of a hotmix truck and then just slid right down onto the ground.

OldsCOOL

Turned in a 60mi ride. Learned my lesson last week and this week chose a predominantly flat route as opposed to the very hilly course. The difference in upper body pain (oops, I meant "discomfort") is profound. The sun still takes a toll. Dialed the speed down to 15.5-16.0mph and found a good compromise. Drank 3 24oz bottles with hydration packs mixed with sugar, ate 3 snackbars and 2 glucose tabs the last 5mi for blood sugar mgt. Pretty nice ride, really. Finally feeling at home on the lonely open highway.

Dudelsack 

Your metabolism is greater than mine. I just did a 40 mile ride with 3000' climbing fueled only by 3/4 of a bottle of A&W root beer. Of course, I don't ride so fast.

OldsCOOL

Oh man.