I've decided that I need a goal like a century ride to get in shape. I haven't been in any kind of shape for 20 years, and I was never that good at endurance even when a kid. I successfully took some of the excess weight off a couple years ago just with diet, but half of it has crept back on with all the travel and work I do. So here I am, trying to set a high (but not ridiculous) goal.

I can make two weekdays and one weekend day, most weeks, available to work on this goal, but even that is stretching the limits of what my work schedule will allow. I also travel internationally 8+ times a year for a week at a time, so there'll be a few interruptions.

I successfully rode 4 miles today on my old bike, and feel like I could have done a bit more. And my new (road) bike will be ready later this week.

So... what's a reasonable training schedule to get to a century ride with only 3 days a week? Am I crazy thinking I might be able to do a century ride by the end of September (only 50 or so training days away, best case)? I live at the top of a very tall hill... should I be driving down to the flats and riding there to get the miles up (and to be pedaling constantly instead of coasting on the downhills), or taking advantage of the hills to get better at climbing (but probably not building up the miles as fast)?

The best references I've found say "here's a 10-week schedule to get ready for a century, but you need to already be in pretty good shape and ride 6 days a week" or "do 6 miles a day, add 2 miles every week, hope you eventually get to 100". Neither seems like a perfect fit to my situation.