Question for century riders....
 

How hard is the jump from a 50miler to 100miles? I have done a couple 50+ milers with relative ease, just curious as to how much more difficult that second 50 miles is. I have heard it said that for runners, if you can run 1 mile, you can run 2, if you can run 2 miles you can run 4, etc.

Normally, I get in 20-25miles/day, with varying terrain including a lot of inclines/hills. I'm sure that the terrain would come into play on a century just as it would for any other ride, but all things being equal, how much more challenging is the 100 miler over 50?

Is it more a mental thing than a physical one? It seems that for me that's my biggest block. I haven't had the time to set aside for one yet, and haven't planned or trained for one specifically, but would really like to do one. It would most likely be solo, just how I do most of my riding.

Definitely work up to the 100 by doing at least one each of a 60, 75, 85 mile ride. It's a lot harder than you think because of the problems of comfort on the bike and fueling issues that just don't crop up till after 75 miles or so.

Certainly best to work up to it as don has suggested but it is not necessary...

If you completed a couple of 50+ milers 'with ease' you could probably complete the century...

Find a relatively flat course with a few bail out options as a first effort...

It can be a psychological barrier but think of it as four 25 mile rides...That is pretty easy...

It is not a race...rest and refuel often...and the butt may be sore at the end...

The feeling of accomplishment outweighs everything and in no time you will be itching for your next one...

It's more mental and systems management. You can make many "mistakes" and still do 50 miles.

You have to train your body and mind to consume the right for you amounts of water, carbs, protein, fat(?), electrolytes... as well as stretch muscles and move your butt around to survive the next 50.

if it's a supported century, i say go for it!

You know I've seen articles that say you should prepare for a century by doing a couple of rides at 95 miles first... it's kind of silly.

The difference is in gaging your effort, and managing fuel and fluids and pain.

If you can do 50 comfortably you can certainly complete 100miles and you'll learn more by doing it than by preparing to do it, so just do it. Once you've done a couple of them you'll know what I mean.

Here's a training program published by a club I used to ride with. It's pretty sensible.
http://www.diablocyclists.com/RiderT...ingProgram.htm

That plan looks OK. I would just change a couple of things. the first is very minor - If the century will be ridden on a Sunday, I'd do the long rides on a Sunday. It just makes sense to getting your body used to the long effort on the day that you will ride your century.

Second, and more important is that the last long ride on that plan is only 8 days before the century. I'd submit that one does not get the full physiologic benefit or fully recover from the fatigue of any given workout for at least 10 days. So, I'd move those long rides up and complete the last 65 miler 14 days before the century. Then ride an easy 40-50 the Sunday before.

Do an 80 miler this week and see how you feel/recover. If you're good do your century the following week. Do make sure that you plan to eat while riding.

my humble advice would be to fuel up at least every 10 miles after the 50 mile mark - you dont have to stop, just eat something, a gu or bar or raisins - whatever. drink lots of gatorade or similar and i mix it up with plain water cause i get tired of sweet stuff. expect saddle and some back or shoulder discomfort around 75-80 miles that will come and go occasionally - at least as far as i've noticed. just ride through that. i think you should be ok if you follow everyone else's advice and stay moderately paced. go for it and good luck!

If you can work up to it great.....I jumped straight from a 50 to a 100 in a month. You can do it if you do not mind a little pain.

The biggest change will be nutrition and hydration....50 miles you can fudge it.....100 miles you can't....

So I would say most people are not ready for it in that respect....riding wise if you can do 50 you can do 100 in my opinion...

If you can do 50 comfortably, you can jump up to 100, particularly if you hold down your pace, and eat and drink well. However, it's likely to be unconfortable the last 15 miles or so.

The preferred method definitely would be to bump up in increments, but if you don't have the time, it's definitely doable.

If you're riding 20-25 miles a day, then I feel pretty safe in assuming that you're in good enough shape to do a century with little problem. I doubt you'll have to worry about not being able to finish due to lack of cardio/strength conditioning. Rather, the issue you'll face is comfort (e.g. hands, back, feet and rear) simply because you'll be on the bike at least twice as long as you've ever been before. So, plan a couple of stops along the way, preferably at places where you can grab some food and fluid, and take some time when you stop to stretch.

A flat course will definitely be easier but personally, I find flat centuries to be a bit dull. On the other hand, I wouldn't start on something with monster climbs either. I'd go for something with gentle rolling terrain.

And remember to pace yourself. You're going to be on the bike for a long time, so don't fly out of the gate like you're in a TT. If anything, I'd recommend doing the first 20-30 miles a little slower than normal.

Finally, I'd highly recommend starting with an organized ride. Having pre-arranged rest stops, food, fluid and SAG support is priceless. Also, I always found that the "festival" type nature of organized centuries gives me a bit of an adrenaline boost.

100 miles was more a mental barrier than a physical one. Obviously to complete 100 miles in an efficient time takes physical stamina and correct hydration and nutrition, but once the mental barrier of "Can I do this?" is knocked down, they don't seem like such a huge deal.

I'm not a huge training miles person (I'm right at 1,500 miles for the year), but I've knocked down 5 100+ milers this year alone, ranging from an insane into-the-wind 100 in the flatland of Illinois in early May, 107 miles of the Horribly Hilly in Wisconsin, a solo 100 with only stops to buy liquids, and then 160 miles of RAIN last Saturday.

For me, it's more a matter of just getting on the bike and doing it, rather than agonizing over details. Having folks to ride with helps tremendously, especially when conditions are not favorable. Getting through the low spots of a ride is much easier when someone is there to pull for a while and vice versa.

So knock down that 100 mile mental barrier, even if it takes 10 hours with stops. You'll get a great idea of how your body responds and how best to plan for the next one.

I definitely agree. When I did my first century, it was with lots of plannning and preperation, and some angst.

Years later, I can go out and do 100 miles by myself at the start of base phase, even if I haven't been riding for a while (admittedly slowly).

In addition to knowing how to eat, drink, and pace, it's really about knowing you can do it (or at least believing).

You might want to read over several recent threads in the Long Distance forum which deal with this topic. :)

And this article might help you too: http://www.machka.net/century.htm


I'm of the opinion that any fit, healthy person who eats and drinks regularly throughout the century, has a bicycle he/she feels comfortable on for shorter distances, and takes it easy out there (relaxed pace, breaks now and then) can finish a century.

I find it harder to build the fitness level required to ride 50 miles comfortably then it is to add the necessary fitness to ride another 50 miles.

A lot of getting through the second 50 mile stretch is more comfort-related then it is fitness related. The most minor things turn into major aggravations as the ride drags on. Helmet a little tight after 50 miles? Wait until you find what it feels like after 100. A little pedalling hot-spot at mile 50 will have you ready to amputate your foot by mile 80. Sunglasses digging into your ears a bit?

Also, as the ride drags on, you'll start discovering any nutritional / riding mistakes you made during the first part of the ride. i.e., didn't drink / eat enough for the first 50? Sprinted up that steep little rise early on? These things come back to haunt you.

I you're comfortable doing 50 miles you can do a century. My longest ride prior to my first century was 55 miles. I had a bit of trouble at about mile 60, I kept thinking to myself that I couldn't possibly ride another 40 miles but when I hit mile 70 I felt better and stronger and had no trouble doing the rest of the ride. Just make sure you eat and drink throughout the ride.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not sure when I'll do this, but it won't be too far off. Most likely one day next week during my 5 days off. I think I'll attempt it solo, just so that I don't have to worry with finding someone who can do the miles, I don't like "baggage". Finding the distance will be another challenge. I need to find roads suitable for riding that distance. We have a rails-to-trails, the Longleaf Trace in Hattiesburg, it's 42miles one way, so I may do that in the next day or so giving me an 80+ miler.

Anyways, I'll come back here and post up and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again all.

Me too. No one's mentioned the benefits of riding a century with a group. My first century was at an MS 150, as part of a rotating paceline of about 9 or 10 people. Everyone would take a one-mile pull, and it not only decreased the effort of going against the wind solo, but it kept you busy concentrating on the wheel in front of you, and there were people around to chat with. Big benefits to doing this with a group.

I've done two centuries this year with no prior ride longer than 50 miles; I only have about 1,200 total for the year. My last previous century was over 10 years ago.

- just go a bit slower
- stay hydrated
- consume 300 calories or so per hour
- don't skip any rest stops
- use chamois cream

You'll be fine.

Prior to my first century the longest ride I'd done was only 80 miles or so. The century was a sportive, so I would have liked to have done at least one practice century beforehand, but I simply didn't have the time.

Strangely enough, the ride was actually pretty pleasant. I hit a bad patch at around 40 miles because I didn't eat properly, but my riding partner and I had kept a good pace sub-LT so that by the last 20 miles we were still had plenty of energy left and breezed by a lot of people who'd burned themselves out early on.

In answer to the OP's question, I think comfort will be the one thing that you'll notice first. No matter how good your fit on the bike and saddle, make sure to move around and keep the blood flowing. There's little worst than trying to make a climb seated while having numbnuts!:o

I understand what everyone's saying but I've known people who had major problems by jumping up in miles too soon (e.g. from 50 to 100). And on here I remember this question was asked a while back and one BF member said it wouldn't be a problem to go from 50 to 100 (or something around that) and that they did it for their first century...and oh, by the way, they also mentioned that in doing so they got a horrible neck problem that required surgery. not saying it'll happen to you but it's always better to build up to it.

Note: Going slower will take care of wearing out your legs/lungs/heart/glycogen but makes it worse for things like your back, butt and neck.

+++1

If you can do 50, you can do 100... IF you eat and drink enough. The bonks tend to come after mile 75.... Mega bonks if you built a false sense of comfort on 50 milers.

On a hard 50 miles, you're using between 1500 and 2000 calories (depending on pace). Your body stores 1200 to 1500. If you eat oatmeal before (250 cal), drink two bottles of gatorade (300 cal) and one clif bar (250 cal) you end up with a deficit of 600 to 1200... You feel like you have it under control.

Then on century day, you follow the same plan... but when you extrapolate those curves (depletion vs replenishment)... they cross around mile 75 or 80 (or wherever in your particular case). Result... mega bonk. Why mega bonk? Because you probably felt you had it made at mile 60, probably stopped eating due to feeling full and not thinking you needed it, and ran into it with full head of steam.

On the upside, after a good crushing bonk you can stop, eat something, drink a lot, rest some, and recover... Then limp on in to the finish at a slower pace.

Agreed. My first was a supported ride with 4 rest stops including lunch. I highly recommend doing a supported century for your first time.