palookabutt

I'm looking for some opinions on improving times for longer-distance events like centuries. I've averaged about 2-3 centuries per year for the last 3 years, plus ~80-milers most spring/summer weekends, so now I'd like to start working a bit more on speed. My normal century time is around 5:40, but I've done 70 miles in just over 3:30 (on a good day), so a 5-hour century may be within my grasp.

I'm thinking of doing some workouts later this spring where I use a normal pace for the first ~3 hours, then do some intervals and/or hill repeats of increasing intensity for the last hour or two.

Would there be any benefit to doing this? Or am I better off sticking to intervals on my shorter, interval days (maybe increasing the duration of TT intervals) and staying mainly aerobic on my distance days?

ks1g

My best century times are a lot slower than yours (hilly routes though, it's those hills, yeah that's it) so take this with a grain of salt. A couple of years ago, I saw a "fast century" training plan on (don't laugh) Bicycling Magazine's site. The plan used different types of high intensity intervals on shorter rides during the week; long rides on weekends were done "at pace" (aerobic), with a few intervals spaced within. I thought the program was consistent with what I've read from Friel, such as his century training plans in "Cycling Past 50".

Hope this helps.

palookabutt

I've got Friel's Training Bible, but I might see about getting the 50+ book, too. From what you've said, though, I gather more than one source recommends adding intervals to longer rides.