Back to my Century Training Plan
 

My training for a May 4 century was interrupted when I had the opportunity to cut up and bring home 1-2 years worth of home heating (free):

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So, after about two weeks of work, and no riding, I got all the wood:

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but now I have to catch up on my modest century training plan:

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I don't have a Century training plan. I just ride. When weather improves I will do a few 30 to 40 milers a week and get in the odd Metric as they come up so that can get me a couple of fast or extra hilly rides on the 30 to 40's and around 50 to 60 at the weekends. Mind you I will "Train" to get that mileage in a week and will start with flat 30 milers twice a week and 40 at the weekends. These miles will increase rapidly if the weather is right so looks like April before I start getting in over 100 a week.

As it is right now-I am only doing a hilly 30 miler a week but 3 gym sessions are just keeping me in trim. Last year I did an organised 60 miler that I extended to 100 by extra riding and that was from a very base level. It hurt but I doubt I had done more than 50 miles a week up till then.

Lost a week, 6 days, of cycling due to a very bad cold that knocked me flat. On Saturday and Sunday, due to weather, I did 45 minutes and 75 minutes, respectively, on the trainer. Monday was the very first day back on the bike outdoors--did 33 miles and really felt it. Took Tuesday as a rest day and did 55 miles today, feeling that as well. I have a century coming up on April 20 and my plan is to do 25 to 33 miles 4 days a week and one day do a long ride--increasing the distances each week before the ride, 60, 60, 70, 70, 80, 80, 90. I will take a rest day before the century ride. I then have another century 3 weeks later--will likely do a 70 miler and 80 miler 2 weeks before the second century.

I've got until mid-May to get ready for a somewhat hilly century ride. I will confess that I'm a bit of a fair weather cyclist, so the winter is mostly training indoors. Lots of cardio, so the heart and lungs are fine, but the legs are really going to feel it once I get outdoors. Oh Well.

Al,

If you stick to your plan the remainder of the time leading up to your century, I believe you will be fine. You may want to increase your goal of the longest ride during the week of April 14th to 75 miles instead of 65. Then, lighten up a little the week before the century and go pretty easy the 3 or 4 days immediately before the ride. If you are honestly doing the miles shown on your posted plan, you should be in pretty good shape for the century. Good luck!

I admit, I'm fair-weather too. I might get out once or twice in March, a handful in April, and not really get significant mileage until mid-May. If there's an argument in favor of me getting a velomobile, it's the 5 months off the bike every year; which makes for lots of work every spring!

It's more of a mind game than body. I did my first century back in early feb and I hadn't really trained well at all. In fact I didn't touch a bike for the two weeks leading up to the ride. It went fine.

hurt from mile 75 on, but just kept plugging and it was over....even walked to dinner that night lol.

Al, Who is that teenager doing all the work? ;-)

I just signed up for a 200K Dairyland Dare and I'm in the lottery for L'Erocia. As John Boehner would say, I need to get off my a$$.

I also need to put in a 100 miles a week for 12 weeks to build my base.

Think of the heating fuel acquisition as cross training, you were working on your upper body and core strengths. Pctures of the final stack would help confirm the actual amount of said training. :)

I do a ten week training program that I saw published in BICYCLING MAGAZINE years ago. There are two variations, called "Easy Century Training," or "With Strength to Spare." I do the latter one, and it is about the most time I can spare to train. Fortunately I cycle commute, so that's when I train by lengthening my usual 14 mile distance. I find that the schedule motivates me to do keep up, and it's very satisfying to plug the data into my Excel spreadsheet and watch the charts expand. My modification of the plan is to make Sunday my rest day, and Saturday is my long ride / Century day

Focal points of my year-round riding calendar are two centuries that I plan on around early July and late September; the latter is a local charity ride. The July ride is variable, but for two of the last three years, it has been the Annual Fifty Plus Ride of this Forum. I have traveled up to 800 miles one way to participate. So I have suggested a Fifth Annual Ride for Boston this year on the weekend of July 27-28, to encompass a local “Summer Century and Family This Ride” sponsored by the local cycling advocacy group called Mass Bike. The basic details are:

So far, about 10 subscribers have expressed an interest in the Ride, and two have already made hotel reservations. So if you're looking for a July Century...

I need to get on my double-century training program since my wife just signed us both up for the Joshua Tree Double Century on March 16th. We'll probably both do the 4:30AM start, ride together until daylight, then I'll take off at a bit higher speed. Neither of us have done this double before, so riding into the unknown here.

Here's a link with the details: http://www.mtnhighcycling.com/Joshua_Tree_Double.aspx

So far I have three training centuries on my legs this year, Palm Springs plus two we've done on our own. Not a huge amount of climbing on this one, so my climbing should be okay.

Have a fun time on your century TromboneAl!

Rick / OCRR

Pretty much a normal century :D

to heck with the century! do you have a splitter or use a wedge???

I be the splitter. Luckily I have all summer to split it, an hour or two at a time. I see it as great exercise, but I won't get serious about it until after the century.

I can personally attest to the awesome fitness gain that comes from this.
You're core strength and flexibility will improve a lot (unless you're already in great shape).
Fitting a couple splitting sessions a week into your training plan should improve your
comfort on the bike on long rides.

The last Century I did was about 25 yrs. ago. It was one of those large organized rides but I ended up riding alone most of the way when my bro-in-law had a mechanical malfunction and had to hop on the sag wagon. Averaged a bit over 15 mph and felt good at the end. My gf is hot to do one this season. She's never done one and is turning 60 just after I turn 67 so we're just hoping to finish. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Any activity that gets you working- takes effort and you know you have done it afterwards will keep you in trim. Try digging the vegetable patch in spring when it is clay and heavy.

I used to do a hard 100 miler off road each year and I trained all year for that one. Build up to it started in January and by June I was fit enough for it. Bike training for it was to be out on the bike for a couple of hard 30 milers in the week and a 60 miler at the weekend. After the event we used to have fun with the 50 mile Offroad enduros and a few Metric and 100 milers on the road. That was besides the fun 30 milers up on the hills.

I don't think you have to do a 100 mile ride to train for 100 mile ride and 60 miles at a time is good enough providing you do it often enough. Don't really have to put maximum effort into the training all the time either providing you do put in effort and do it often enough.

Good luck on your double training, Rick. I really want to ride the spring Solvan, Hemet, and Grand Tour lowland doubles all this year.

Thanks az_cyclist.

I had a good training ride on Saturday: http://app.strava.com/activities/42893873

Though it was not quite a century, the climbing made up for it. I finished the ride with the woman who is actually organizing the Joshua Tree Century, so she gave me some good advice while we were climbing up East Fork / Little GMR.

I ended up doing more climbing in 89.5 miles than I'll have to do one the double. Just have to remember to eat and drink, plus not get lost since this is a new double for me.

May see you at Spring Solvang and Hemet, but on the Grand Tour I always ride the Highland. Less traffic, less wind, much better scenery. You should at least consider it and ask other Bull Shifters for more opinions.

Rick / OCRR