On my tandem metric century yesterday, after a 3 week layoff, my legs felt weak going up a tiny incline about 100 yards from the start. We just kept riding. But years of endurance riding came through for us and we finished exhausted and crampy, but still going strong. I had to lay the bike down and step over the top tube to get off. But then we were pulling at 20-24 the last few miles. We drank about 3 bottles between us and ate about 700 calories each. We were a little dehydrated and hungry. Couldn't have kept the fueling that sparse for much longer, but were OK for that fairly short ride.
So yes, the deal is miles or hours depending on how you want to measure it. Starting tomorrow, put in some miles every day, except take a day off before your long weekend endurance ride. You might want to ride your bike instead of going to the gym, or ride your bike and go to the gym, even better. Be careful not to overdo it, and take a day off if you don't feel like getting on the bike again.
Last edited by Carbonfiberboy; 06-28-10 at 12:21 PM.