JasonCarp

I just completed my first century on Sunday. Avg. 16.1 mph. I felt pretty good, overall. A little foggy after and the next day. rode 3 miles to the gym today and noticed some fatigue. When I ran my first marathon a few years ago, I couldn't imagine running another one for quite a while.

With this, I feel that I could be ready to go in another month. Would like to do a double metric next. 30 mile race this saturday, plan on 50 miles the week after then watch the weather patterns for another good weekend day to hit it with the 120+ after a week or so of taper. too soon?

I think I can average 17 mph plus if the wind stays down.

StephenH

I've been riding a 200k or longer ride pretty much every Saturday, and ride 20-35 miles three or four days a week as well. That gets me around 1,000 miles a month.

I don't race at all, and on the weekend rides, there's no special rush to them, so I'm not necessarily wearing myself down doing them.

Some of the people I ride with doing rando rides every Saturday AND Sunday.

unterhausen

I really haven't talked myself into doing a lot of back to back rides. The closest I've gotten is coming back from a 1200k 2 weeks ago and doing a 200k the next Saturday. I felt a little lazy, and my legs never really got going, so I just rode it slowly. OTOH, I know someone that has done a 200k, a 1000k and 2 1200k's in the last 30 days.

BenHud

I try to ride one or two 200Ks a month - sometimes bumping one of those up to 300k. I used to be a runner until repeated injury caused me to switch to riding. The three marathons I did were far more difficult than any ride I've done (600k being the longest), and required much more recovery time. I'd say that if you felt decent after the 100 miler, you will make it through a 200k just fine.

skiffrun

If you are racing HARD, you may find combining that with doing one rando 200k a month, a bit fatiguing.

My friend, JohnA, was doing triathlons pretty hard, training for and doing rides such as the Assault on Mt. Mitchell, doing one rando 200k a month, training rides and runs for the triathlons, mountain training excursions, and some camaraderie club and / or rando 100k rides to be able to do the triathlons and "big rides".

He thought his R-11 ride, which was only a few weeks after AoMM, was a ride through purgatory, and almost into hell. Only event he seriously considered DNF'ing. He commented, "next year, White Lake Half or AoMM, but not both." He/we got through the ride; then he did his R-12 with a midnight start to avoid the heat.

John had decided somewhere around R-9/10 that he would hang up his rando shoes for a few years -- not because he couldn't learn to handle the multiple disciplines -- which he never got used to -- but because with a 6-year-old son, he decided he needed to spend more time "at home" on the weekends.


I have not done, nor attempted, anything longer than 600k, but in late 2010 and last year I did back-to-back 200's on several occasions (and a triple-double on one). In October-2010, I did back-to-backs twice; in July-2011, I did the triple-double and a double-double (i.e., back-to-back). I am not fast -- I definitely understand the comment by one MikeD regarding 200's: "it's not the distance; it's the time". My speed on-the-bike does slow slightly the second and/or third days, but my time at controls usually gets shorter when the speed decreases. I often do three or four 200's a month, with maybe one other ride each weekend. I seldom get three rides a week. Unless I have a "lucky day" (i.e., "unlucky day"), I feel no effect from the previous week's 200.

In 2010 & 2011, the Raleigh brevet series was every-other-week. I liked that. I did non-trivial rides on the "off weeks" (e.g., 100-milers, mountain rides). Not a problem with fitness or energy or mental aspects (in 2010, I had a problem with shorts-interface on the 600).

This year, the series was every-third-week, thus allowing the RBA some weekends off during the series, and also the series was carefully scheduled from Mar-31 through Jun-02.

I don't ride as heavy a rando schedule as StephenH, and I'm likely slower, but I think and believe that if one "trains up to it", riding multiple 200's a month is not a problem physically or mentally. Doing that might be a problem for your significant-other or for your children or for other life-commitments.

BTW, in my book, "training up to it" does not mean doing intervals and speed-work and all that razzmatazz, it means getting on the bike and riding. Increasing the distances and possibly frequency. Riding LONGER.


AND ... have FUN ... ALL the time ... except possibly on "lucky days".

drmweaver2

At 56yo/~230-240lbs, I may or may not be crazy, but I admit to being strange while tending to be more sedentary than Lance Armstrong traditional (cycling) fitness-wise. That being said, after a 500 mile month this past January, I was basically off the bike (minus a 20 miler here and there) Feb thru late April.

Then I got a wild hair and rode more than 40 Imperial centuries/200k-plus in a period of about 50 days. My goal was not speed/time, but completing the distance and doing it again the next day.

My point in posting this isn't to brag. Rather it's that one might be surprised at what he/she can accomplish given the right mindset. Doing a 600k or a 1200k just boggles my mind. 200ks, otoh, well, I now know I can knock out repeatedly over an extended period of time.

Fwiw, I ride a LWB recumbent, not a DF, and most of my rides are in dead flat terrain.

unterhausen

drmweaver2, so you haven't done anything much longer than 100-130 miles? I think you would find that 250 miles isn't much different than 100 miles for someone in your condition. The way I look at a 600k is 400k the first day and 200k the next. It's not a hard ride.

Since most of us are somewhat time constrained, particularly during the week, faster, more focused training rides really make sense to me. When I was racing I would rarely do anything much longer than 60 miles, but my occasional long distance rides were considerably easier for me than they are now. Longer rides are good for the experience of riding longer distances, not sure how good they are for training. Rest is also important.

Machka 

Back in Manitoba, when I was doing the most randonneuring, our season started early-April, and then it was long distance rides just about every weekend, or every other weekend till the beginning of June. That was a very intense 2 months. Then we eased off a little bit (2 or 3 weeks) before building up again for a 1200K in late July or late August. And usually by early September, it all ended.

When I moved to Alberta, they tried to keep it going with 200K and 300K rides during the "ease off" period.

And when I moved to Australia, they've got a year round list of randonnees. We usually limited ourselves to about one a month, and since I've moved to Australia, we haven't attempted anything longer than 400K.


I'm not sure if the once-a-month thing is easier than trying to knock off a SR series in about 6 weeks time or not. The jury is still out on that. There are advantages and disadvantage to both ways of doing things.

drmweaver2

Nope. Longest ride ever (as far as my feeble mind can remember) has been 147... 125 for a brevet and the remainder was riding to the brevet and then back home.

And I had to laugh when you mentioned "my condition". Am I preggers and just don't know it or are you referring to another "condition" and I'm being dense about it. I'm pudgy, soft/non-muscled and relatively unathletic. So, I really am curious about what you think my condition is. :wink

unterhausen

anyone that can do a century a day for a month is in relatively good condition. Considering the shape I've been in when successfully completing a 600k, you are almost surely as fit as that.

drmweaver2

To be absolutely honest, I'm increasingly of the belief that ANYONE can do a century with little to no preparation providing they don't have debilitating physical problems or a show-stopper equipment failure. It may not be the fastest (poss even 14 hour plus) nor the prettiest century ever done and the rider may be sore afterwards, but I really do think anyone can do it. Riding back-to-back centuries might require a bit more conditioning but success is likely more related to pain-tolerance and mental strength/determination than actual fitness, imho. I base that feeling as much as my own OCD/manic-depressive cycling "schedule" past as experiences others have posted concerning their longer-distances-than-I've-ever-attempted performances. Obviously, I could be wrong, um, full of hot air (yeah, that's better, right?) here. But, I really do believe that, especially if recumbents and flat terrain are involved.

An ugly finish is still a finish.

Homeyba

Exactly!!!! I agree completely. I've mentioned this before but I know a guy who did PBP in 1999 without even getting on a bike in the prior year except to do the qualifiers. It wasn't fast or pretty but he did it. A century is a piece of cake.

mander

THe schedules around here have you going out (on a series or whatever) about every three weeks. This works well for me... you have room for brevet, rest, training, rest, then another brevet with lots of added room for normal life stuff. A big ride every two weeks is nice but makes hard training in between a bit more difficult. Once a week is quite doable if you aren't riding a lot otherwise. So yeah, a month is a very nice time frame for training and rest. Keep an eye out for symptoms of overtraining and all should be well.