Century Ride - Tips/Tricks

I think you can do it! I'm only a weekend rider but I'm consistent in the gym which for me I know translates to my performance on my bike. I was thinking about last minute doing a Century on Saturday just because someone asked me a couple days ago. Also for me my nutrition and hydration need to be on point, Stop at the SAG stops. I always like to so pickle juice even if I don't feel like I need it. I'm not the fastest on hills but my Mantra is just keep peddling. And worse case scenario if you've signed up for the Century and you are not feeling it midway just shorten it to one of the lesser route options. Good luck!

runnermom419 wrote: »

Alright, give it to me straight and tell me if I'm pathetic for wanting to try this or if I have a shot.

A goal of mine this year is to ride a century ride - 100 miles. However, I'm only currently on the bike 1 hour a few times a week at spin class. The ride I'd like to shoot for is a little over 2 months away. Farthest I've ever gone is 65 miles, but that was almost 2 years ago. Am I setting myself up for failure? Can I do it? Any tips for training (besides getting on the dang bike?)

Failure? Probably not. But I think you're likely to not have very much fun with only 8 weeks. You're fit with your running, but you're not bike fit. I'm bike fit, but there's no way I could train and go run a marathon in 8 weeks, granted running is higher impact. My wife is run fit and could probably run all day...she had a rough go of it on our last 25 mile ride despite being very fit.

I'd recommend first and foremost that you get off the spin bike and drop your running and start spending time in the saddle out on the road. If you want to do this, you really need your training focus to be on this and not other things. I'd recommend at least 100 miles per week with long rides during the week. If you're going to do a century you can expect to be in the saddle anywhere from 5-7 hours depending on how fast you are, terrain, etc. Your butt needs to be ready for that. Another issue with long rides that aren't supported by good training is you lose your form as you tired and start slouching or shrugging in the shoulders which can leave your back pretty bad for days and weeks afterwards. Also think about your hands.

I'm riding about 40-50 miles per week at the moment, and while I could probably do a full century in a couple of months, I don't think it would be particularly pleasant. I think if I were in your position, I'd opt for a half this go around and then keep training and do a full century a couple months later...I think it would be more enjoyable. But either way, I think you need to focus your training.

runnermom419 wrote: »

Alright, give it to me straight and tell me if I'm pathetic for wanting to try this or if I have a shot.

A goal of mine this year is to ride a century ride - 100 miles. However, I'm only currently on the bike 1 hour a few times a week at spin class. The ride I'd like to shoot for is a little over 2 months away. Farthest I've ever gone is 65 miles, but that was almost 2 years ago. Am I setting myself up for failure? Can I do it? Any tips for training (besides getting on the dang bike?)

How's it going? Have you been for a ride outside yet?

VegasFit wrote: »

This thread got me thinking about doing a century. There was one about 2 hours away from me today so I did it. There were quite a few people I talked to who hadn't ridden in awhile or much recently including myself.

How did it go?

VegasFit wrote: »

@Machka9 there was a lot of climbing, about 5500, but the weather was perfect! My longest road ride this year before yesterday was only 40 so I was a little nervous.

Nice, well done!

@runnermom419 Being honest with yourself is admirable. Since you are a runner you likely know what it's like to run a race when you are prepared vs. unprepared (we've all done it). Some folks might prepare for a marathon in 8 weeks, for others it is not enough time. Cycling is the same. You can definitely be ready by summer - and you'll enjoy both the training and the event.

Good luck and keep us posted. There are a lot of folks here that enjoy talking about cycling.

Runnermom, you've got this. Here's what I would recommend:

Get your bike fitted for two water bottles, and have a bike fitting done if you haven't already. The little tweaks can help a lot.

Drink a bottle of water per hour. Assuming this is a supported century, you'll be able to refill at just the right times. Avoid overeating at the rest stops.

Look at 4 rides per week minimum, with one of them being long, around 50 miles or so. This is when you figure out the finer points of being on the bike for a long time, like how many hand positions can you switch between frequently, what flavor gel packs you like and what other nutrition you like on the bike (PBJs, fig newtons, etc.?), how often to stand up to prevent sore butt, etc. Lots of little details come up that you want ironed out before century day. If you're considering energy drinks or additives, try them during these rides. They don't all agree with everyone's system.

Spin class: Absolutely! I disagree w/ all the nay-sayers. One spin class a week, and ride it damn hard, just kill it. Ride it so hard you stumble out of class with drool coming down your chin. This will push your aerobic threshold up a lot over 8 weeks, which is the true super power of cycling and will have a big payoff on century day.

There's this idea out there that I and a lot of people believe, that once you have that ride-every-day type fitness, you can go forever as long as you do two things: eat on the bike every half hour, and stay under your anaerobic threshold. If you don't know your threshold, think keep a strong but not overly strong pace, and don't do too many really hard efforts. With your running base you'll have a good cycling base in 8 weeks, but ride almost, if not every, day.

Wear a quality kit. Good shorts and jersey really pay off, and look better on Facebook when you're bragging about what you just did.

Draft whenever you can, it's free speed.

On century day, stuff your jersey pockets full of gels, check your tire pressures, and damn the torpedos! We'll be looking for the "after" photo.