Bowhunter

I have a few idea but would like maybe tips or suggestions as well. I am still in high school and play football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and golf in the spring. I want to attempt a 100 mile gravel bike race sometime in the spring. I was just wanting some advice on how I can still be riding around all of my activities. The thought I had was since I'm doing sports, and also be taking a weights and conditioning class, that I would just do one long ride every weekend through the fall and winter. Once golf rolls around I would have some time for short/medium rides so that won't be a problem. Another thought I had was commuting to school some days, but I'm not sure if that's practical. School is 13 miles from me, and I would be taking gravel the whole way.

Thanks

chasm54

Commuting sounds a great idea, to me, especially since being gravel it would be specific to the race you want to enter. If time is a problem you don't have to do it every day, try three days a week going hard in one direction and easier in the other, and see how you go.

Bowhunter

The reason why commuting might not be practical is because it gets dark early, plus it would be after practice. I'd have to convince my mom (the worrywart). Would this amount of cycling be enough with the long rides on weekends to get me through the winter. Its not like I won't be in shape, it's just I wouldn't have too much of saddle time as I would think I would?

FBinNY 

As a general rule one ride per week is a difficult way to train. Most knowledgeable people would agree that you should try for at least one mid week ride, preferably two. Maybe you can make the weekend ride about distance and endurance, and the mid week rides more about speed and power or hill climbing, and incorporate some hard efforts and/or intervals training.

Commuting may double as those mid week rides, but you won't get all that much unless you make them hard, fast rides, maybe on the way home.

Garfield Cat

Those other sports: football, basketball, golf. They aren't really aerobic like swimming or cross country. No amount of conditioning class will substitute for aerobics.

Sounds like you have your plate full already. Throw in a few Advanced Placement classes and you should be time crunched. Advice? Reexamine your priorities.