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Couch to Metric Century (c2100k)

mfpchris

Hello,

I started back on MFP to lose weight using tracking food and increasing my activity. I need to lose 100 and am down about 25 at the moment (yeah). I slowly trained for six months and last weekend slogged my way through a marathon. (yeah, again).

After sitting very still for this last week since the race, recovering, I'm thinking I want something else to sort of keep me on track and help with motivation. I have a nice bicycle and in 8 weeks there is a metric century near my home. Is there some kind of 8 week training plan, like the famous c25k running plan, to help a cyclist prepare for a 100K bike ride?

Replies

mfpchris

Someone sent this....
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/article/izn20130429-Seven-week-panic-plan-0

mfpchris

mfpchris wrote: »

Someone sent this....
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/article/izn20130429-Seven-week-panic-plan-0

Here is another one, it is ten weeks long. This site has ten-week 'beginner,' 'intermediate,' and 'advanced' plans.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/training-zone/cycling-training-zone/cycling-training-schedule

Interestingly they are both British sites? Go U.K.!

Just_Ceci

Those look good. I'd ride 3 or 4 days a week with an increasingly longer ride one of those days. If you can ride 50- 55 miles without issues, 100k won't be too difficult.

Have fun!

NorthCascades

Garmin has free training plans on Connect, including one for a century (100 miles not kg).

Most of these are for people who don't have the aerobic fitness to ride so long. If you run marathons that's not going to be an issue. You may need saddle time to build up your tolerance for bike posture. What's your longest ride so far?

mfpchris

A rode a 100K about ten years ago. I rode daily commutes for a very long time and stopped cold about two years ago. So I know how to ride, but my butt has lost all familiarity with my saddle. Palms too. Thanks for the GC tip.

peggyd73

Thanks so much for asking this - training for a 50 miler but thinking aiming for metric century is good way to ensure I will enjoy the 50 miles :-)

mfpchris

When is your 50mile ride?

peggyd73

mfpchris wrote: »

When is your 50mile ride?

Aug 5 - so I have some time! I did 23 miles this morning, so hoping with some focused training, I can increase both speed and distance before the big ride.

I downloaded the seven week 'panic' plan from your British cycling link above and planning to start it next week.

TheBigYin

I think that the main reason why there's not a real prescriptive "do this and all will be well" for "century rides" is quite simple really. Riding 100km isn't really all that difficult for a reasonably healthy person with a half-decent bike. Unlike running, where you've lots of "getting acclimated to the impacts" for your knees, ankles, hips etc - which is what the whole C25k program is based on, gradually upping the distance first by walking, then walk/jog, then jog walk, then jog/run - riding a bike is quite simple. If you're fit enough to do a normal manual job for 8 hours a day, and certainly if you're fit enough to run (or run/walk/stumble) a marathon, then the only real issue you're going to have in completing a 4-5 hour bike ride is "contact point issues".

Get a good bike fit - have your bike setup properly, and buy a couple of good pairs of cycling shorts - spend some money on these, believe me it'll be worth it - Go for good Brands, Castelli, Assos, Sportful - remember it's the quality of that padding that'll get you through the 3rd to 5th hour in the saddle.

But yeah - the linked sportive plans WILL work - they're mainly focussed on people doing specific "Challenge Centuries" or Sportives. Which in turn tend to be hillier than a typical "just riding along" ride unless you happen to live in a mountainous area.

Personally, I'd take it quite simply

Monday - rest day
Tuesday - 1 hour after work, Focus on pedalling technique and keeping a fast cadence on flatish roads.
Wednesday - 1 hour after Work, Find some hills and ride up and down them. Try and keep cadence high
Thursday - as tuesday
Friday - Rest Day
Saturday - 1.5-2 hours, just riding, nothing silly, just enjoying yourself.
Sunday - 2-3 hours, again, leisure riding, maybe a cafe stop mid ride.

repeat this for 6 weeks, adding 10 minutes to every hour quoted. That'll mean that on sunday, you'll be doing between 4 and 6 hours in the saddle, which MAY even mean that you've already hit a metric century in training. But even at 4 hours, you'll be doing at least 80km, and you'll realise that its not much of a stretch to hit the 100km.

take the 7th week off (or just ride the distances from week 1 - it's called tapering

), and ride the century on the 8th week.

simples

mfpchris

Thanks. my first few short rides have been sans padded bike shorts...I gotta get some of those quick.

mfpchris

I was thinking about what your wrote TheBigYin,

TheBigYin wrote: »

I think that the main reason why there's not a real prescriptive "do this and all will be well" for "century rides" is quite simple really. Riding 100km isn't really all that difficult for a reasonably healthy person with a half-decent bike.

It all makes sense. My original request popped up though, I'm overweight, my idea is to meld two things that will work together. Daily food tracking in MFP for food intake accountability, and having an activity and plan to accomplish it, keeping track on Garmin Connect.

The reason the British Bicycling plan, or the panic plan, is valuable is not to help me complete a 100K bike ride. It is to have a transparency and accountability in preparing for the ride.

I think 'the event' is icing on the cake, superfluous, fun, exciting, etc. Being accountable to a training plan, being transparent to others, being 'coachable.' These are the regular day in day out parts of me staying motivated, losing the last 75 lbs., and being accountable.

...and the rides are fun.

peggyd73

mfpchris wrote: »

I was thinking about what your wrote TheBigYin,

TheBigYin wrote: »

I think that the main reason why there's not a real prescriptive "do this and all will be well" for "century rides" is quite simple really. Riding 100km isn't really all that difficult for a reasonably healthy person with a half-decent bike.

It all makes sense. My original request popped up though, I'm overweight, my idea is to meld two things that will work together. Daily food tracking in MFP for food intake accountability, and having an activity and plan to accomplish it, keeping track on Garmin Connect.

The reason the British Bicycling plan, or the panic plan, is valuable is not to help me complete a 100K bike ride. It is to have a transparency and accountability in preparing for the ride.

I think 'the event' is icing on the cake, superfluous, fun, exciting, etc. Being accountable to a training plan, being transparent to others, being 'coachable.' These are the regular day in day out parts of me staying motivated, losing the last 75 lbs., and being accountable.

...and the rides are fun.

I love this!! So true about being accountable! I also like how the plans give guidance on different things to do each ride (intervals, cadence, etc).

I also have to lose ~70 pounds (down 92 from start weight) and hoping that biking will be an activity for both fitness and fun. In order for the latter to happen, I HAVE to get faster since I'm too competitive to stick with something that has me at the back of the pack on group rides!

mfpchris

Awesome. 92 down.....I know it is a process but still, 8 lbs. away from "amazing" I just did today's 2 hour ride. All three contact points hurt: hands, feet, and butt.

peggyd73

mfpchris wrote: »

Awesome. 92 down.....I know it is a process but still, 8 lbs. away from "amazing" I just did today's 2 hour ride. All three contact points hurt: hands, feet, and butt.

Thanks! I did 11 today - first time I rode two days in a row and my backside was none too pleased when I first sat on the saddle! I thought my legs were 'fine' but my average speed was much slower today, so I guess my legs were a little tired! Bike actually sounded strange when I was finishing up so I took it to my LBS and they found that the front brake was rubbing...which might also explain the slower pace but did give me some more resistance work :-)

I hope you have great gloves and padded shorts - those are a must for any kind of distance riding. I'm also planning on having a bike fitting done at our university's sports medicine clinic (they sponsor the charity ride I'm doing and offer registered riders a discount) -- hoping that will help me get more efficient!

columbus2015

I don't think a bike fit is going to make you much more efficient, but it should make you much more comfortable! and that's pretty important. Also, a poor fit can result in stress injuries, body part numbness, etc.

The big thing with a 100km... manage yourself... drink regularly, eat regularly... don't wait until you're thirsty or hungry, it'll be too late. There is no more helpless feeling than running out of energy (bonking (runners say hitting the wall))... most everyone that rides seriously has done it, and it is completely avoidable. Try to consume 250 calories an hour while you're riding (Clif bars work for this quite well). I can go 50 or 60km without food without a problem, but when I'm doing 100km, I have to start eating by 30km or else I WILL run out of juice (did it twice last year, NEVER again... )

mfpchris

NorthCascades wrote: »

Garmin has free training plans on Connect, including one for a century (100 miles not kg).

It is funny Garmin Connect has a bunch for Tri's and Running, but only one for biking. I'm guessing training for biking is primarily....."put on your helmet and begin pedaling." And not much more than that.

I did seven 3:00 min hill repeats yesterday (according to the above plan) it was in the 90s...HOT!

faugsu

Everyone here has good plans. A few simple truths: train fast to ride fast. Ride long to ride long. Experiment in training with clothes, nutrition etc. (no changes on event day). It's exciting when you finally get started in your event but make it a point not to go out too fast. A lot of people (me) get up early to drive to an event and tend to forget water bottles, helmet, shoes, garmin, phone, even bike or front wheel....a checklist or post it might help.

mtb000mtb

mfpchris wrote: »

A rode a 100K about ten years ago. I rode daily commutes for a very long time and stopped cold about two years ago. So I know how to ride, but my butt has lost all familiarity with my saddle. Palms too. Thanks for the GC tip.

Time in the saddle is the best antidote for soft butt syndrome (ditto for soft palms). Start with something you know you can handle and ramp it up by 10% each week until you are hitting your targets.