BikeWNC

In other words, at what point in one's riding career can experience help in completing a full century ride when not in good shape? I'm about to find out I believe. I'll be meeting NealH up in Waynesboro,Va for the Tour de Valley Century this Sunday. My last century ride, or ride of any length longer than 42 miles was back at the end of May. Fortunately as century rides go, this one is relatively flat with somewhere around 5500' of climbing, mostly in the form of gentle rollers.

So in the past several months I have probably logged a total of perhaps 300 miles. My weight is up, my aerobic capacity is down. But, I have the knowledge of having done this before and surviving. So as long as I stay within the zones I can handle, don't get caught up in riding for time or trying to hang with faster riders, I think I can get through it ok. Not pretty, but ok.

So how important is experience? Is it the ace in the hole for someone that is out of shape but has years of riding under the belt?

NOS88

I'll be curious as to your answer to your own question after the event. I think being in some kind of shape may trump experience, but who knows?

BikeWNC

Well, no doubt the more fitness the better. But, I don't have that luxury right now, so can I fake it? That is the question and to what degree can I fake it? I do have a load of experience with the distance under some extreme exertion and course difficulty so I wonder can I manage my effort to finish this ride and not be completely crushed. We'll see I guess.

NOS88

Well, I guess if you're not clock bound you have a shot at it.

BikeWNC

Not clock bound but I would hope to finish with 6 hours actual ride time plus stops. That might be optimistic given my fitness level. But I can draft efficiently!

DnvrFox

I think you will surprise yourself. It may be brutal, but you will come in. As I recall, you do an awful lot of BRP rides requiring a lot of strength and endurance.

You are going to be OK.

gregf83 

I don't see how the experience will do much good unless your experience includes riding centuries while not being fit. If you've ridden your other longer rides while you were reasonably fit then you might have a certain expectation for a pace that you're not capable of.

Find some moderately paced groups and just hang in the back would be my advice. Don't do any work on the front.

Barrettscv 

I think you will suprise yourself with a good event. Even during an off year, a good cyclist can complete a century. Try to keep a slower pace than prior years for the first 70 miles.

B. Carfree

Many decades ago I had a difficult to diagnose (at that time) knee problem. It resulted in my being absolutely sedentary for around seven months. I finally decided that if someone was going to cut me open to have a look around, I might as well give them plenty to look at, so I went on a twenty mile ride. Just before my left leg cramped up, a small "mouse" slid out of the knee joint. My knee pain was gone. Two days later I rode fifty miles with 5000 feet of climbing and one week later I rode a double century (fairly flat). It took sixteen hours to do the double and I did fall asleep on the road halfway through (I still feel grateful to whoever tossed the banana next to my prone body), but I did finish the ride.

Does any of that translate to someone in the fifty-plus age range? I don't know. I do know that I have always tried to stay active so that I won't ever go through that kind of suffering again. Good luck.

Hermes

I would think that years of cycling endurance would hang around albeit at z1/z2. Top end fitness will not be there. Cognitive knowledge of going easy and etc is of little value other than you know this is going to hurt. My concerns would be the support points and posture. Your ass, hands, neck and back are going to scream. This will be amplified by lower power and not getting much unweighting of your ass by each pedal stroke. I think you need to do this century on a rbent.

JazNine

Average speed would be between 16-17 mph to finish in 6 hours. That's sounds like quite a challenge for someone not in shape, unless the OP has mad cycling talent. Stubborness should count for a lot. Maybe run a mixture of Cytomax and Ibuprofin. Rember ice.

Hillbasher

Toss in a dose or two of Vicodin and you should be set.

BikeWNC

LOL, a bent? Yeah, I expect to be sore in the neck, hands and butt. The ride I did this past weekend the climb was 21 miles and 4000' of gain. It took me 10 mins longer than usual. But, I needed to take a nap when I got back home! Thing is I climbed with my HR in the 140s which is really comfortable. It's true I have absolutely no top end or sustained tempo effort in me at this time. I'll really have to watch my power output and stay in zone 2. What that will equate to in speed IDK. I'll be drafting for sure.

Back in Dec. I had been off the bike for 6 weeks and rode a century with 1800' of climbing in 5:25. I led a bit on that one but will have to reign that in this Sunday.

BluesDawg

I do think experience will help. Knowing that you have done the distance many times is a big plus. The extent to which your experience helps you to recognize your limits and to stay within them whether or not you meet your performance goals will play a big part in determining how much you suffer. You know you can do it.

doctor j

Having ridden some hills in northwest Arkansas with you, I believe you will make it OK.

jppe

I have asked myself the very same question lately as well. I wonder how long base miles or historical miles are actually good for. The mind is somewhat there but the body and buns lag sufficiently behind. I found myself in a similar situation with the Blue Ridge Breakaway except I did have Colorado under me-although it was 2 months ago. Very few miles afterwards and zero miles of climbing for training. It might be smart to go easier than you think you might need to for the first 50-60 miles-even if you're feeling stronger than expected. Take longer breaks than normal. You know at some point you're going to feel like crap so that shouldn't be a surprise. Hills will feel like you're dragging a parachute behind you. Just go slower, take longer and the muscle memory will be there. In fact you'll probably actually get a little stronger somewhere in the ride. There's always that doubt if you can actually do it but I do believe experience will rule. It will be just like taking some of those rapids you've done before---experience from knowing the right line to take!!

I had thought about doing that ride as well but it appears I've been summoned to help my daughter move into her house.

Rowan

Both Machka and I have been playing at the end of the rope for a while now. It's taken us a while to get our distance riding enthusiasm back, but that hasn't prevented us from riding centuries every month for all but the past 12 months. Our monthly distance average (in kilometres and inclusive of centuries) since January reads 693, 615, 1026, 515, 340, 511, 348 and 600. Not huge distances by any stretch. In the previous year, we did 200 and 300km randonnees with virtually no prep at all.

Experience has played a big role. That experiences includes:

1. Riding as a pace that will get us through. In other words, riding our own ride, not at someone else's pace. If you normally use a HRM, then use it to gauge your output on hills and such (as you've already done).

2. Maintaining a regular and adequate refuelling and rehydration regimen that also includes adequate electrolyte replacement.

3. Be leisurely about breaks.

I am not sure why people think they have to go out and hammer on centuries. To me, time to finish is irrelevant because the conditions in which you and I ride centuries can be so totally different. The thing that would worry me straight off the bat is that you already are aiming for a six-hour finish time, and that means you'll be rocketing off the line and that's a recipe for hitting the wall later in the event.

We ride bcecause we enjoy seeing what we see and riding together, rather than racing some other "guy" (whether that guy is real or time).

Perhaps you might adopt that philosophy on this ride as well.

david58

The six hour time is what perks my ears up. That's a pretty decent pace, at least in my mind. I've been riding pretty hard all summer, and although a newbie, I'd be thrilled to pull a six hour century off on my last one of the season in October.

Hermes

21 miles of climbing with 4000 vertical is a great endurance builder at a 140 HR and will serve you well in the century. The key will be to manage the touch points with the bike.

digibud

I'm 60 and easily 30lb overweight (but losing weight slowly). I recently did 130 miles and I did a couple of key things that may be of some note for others. First, I didn't go down on the drops except when wind absolutely forced me to do so. If I spend too much time on the drops my back will really hurt after 50mi or so. Secondly I kept my heart rate in a reasonable zone except when I had big hills and had to push hard. Lastly I snacked regularly and drank Heed to keep my electrolyte balance good and keep my carbs replenished. No way I could have ridden it like it was one long training run. Best of luck.

BikeWNC

6 hours is just a round number I threw out there. It's sort of the time where I know I'll be very uncomfortable just being on the bike so it becomes a balancing act between hurting from riding harder and spending less time vs. riding easier and hurting more from just sitting on the bike. Good advice in this thread. I think experience is very important. It can keep my mind in the game because no matter how hard the ride seems I've been there before. That doesn't make the ride any easier though. But if the mind can lead the body will follow, to a point.

Barrettscv 

This needs to be remembered and practiced by more century riders.

BikeWNC

Here is NealH's garmin file from last year. Getting him to slow down and ride my pace might be tough. He tends to be a little ADD at times and not stay on task. lol

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/47716889

JimF22003

I may do that ride also (haven't done it before.) Luckily although I'm fatter than I want to be, my legs are still in pretty good shape.

I think you can do ONE good hard ride on "fumes" and muscle memory. Probably the hardest thing will be getting out of bed the next morning

big john

Muscle memory is a real thing and "miles in the bank" as we say is real, too. As a total slacker who is always overweight I have been through this exact scenario more than once.
The thing I worry about is leg cramps, they show up when I am way out of shape. Other than that, I know I can do it and I'm going to be tired afterward regardless.