Training For a Century Ride

Riding a bicycle for 100 miles is a big deal. Maybe not for Lance, but for all the non-elite cyclists out there, riding a bicycle for 100 miles is a really big deal. Very doable, but BIG.

Here is why. A cyclist averaging 15 mph spends roughly seven hours of time in the saddle to complete the journey. According to Steve Born and the research crew at Hammer Nutrition, any endurance activity that takes longer than two hours is considered “deficit spending.” Add to that internal issue all those external forces that can make a 100-mile bike ride even more challenging: hills, wind, heat, rain or cold. Some cyclists experience all of these challenges within one ride, while others face only one or two challenging factors.

Whether you are taking on the 100-mile century or the metric century (100 kilometers, or 62 miles) you need to prepare your mind and body for the challenges ahead. Here are five simple steps to follow on the road to a successful century:

Pick your distance: When planning the ride, select a distance that you can train for and complete without taking on too much risk. If you plan to ride the metric century, you’ll need to ride 75 to 100 miles each week for at least eight weeks, preferably 12. If you plan to ride the 100-mile century, you’ll need 125 to 175 miles each week for eight to 12 weeks. Will your schedule allow for that much training? If you are already participating in 50- to 65-mile rides, building up to a 100-mile distance is a reasonable goal. If you are riding shorter distances now, better to try for the metric century.

Build your base: 60 percent of your time in the saddle should be base miles at a moderate aerobic level. Base miles are neither easy nor hard, but within the ability level that allows your body to work “within the margins” and without “push-ing the edge”. This is where most cyclists miss the mark. They ride hard most of the time, thinking speed is the issue, and get burned out in the process. Avoid that trap and make sure you build a good base for launching your century attempt. Think of your base miles as the entrée. They should be the biggest part of the meal.

Build your power: 20 percent of your time in the saddle should be high-intensity interval training. Interval training is a blended workout that takes short sections of maximum effort sandwiched between rest intervals that allow recovery. This method of training helps your muscles develop more strength and power, which makes your average speed increase. Intervals can be done indoors or outdoors, but are usually short sessions that last between 45 minutes and 1½ hours. Think of the intervals as the “spice” for the entrée. Too little makes for a bland meal, while too much overpowers the flavor and ruins the meal.

Ride the distance you TRAINED for, not the distance you PLANNED for: Plans are perfect but life is not. Work, family, health, travel and other items can interfere with your training calendar that looked so perfect months ago. Just before the event, look at the training log you built over the past weeks and take inventory of what you have actually completed. This review will give you a clear indicator of what you are ready to ride. Pick the right distance and you’ll have a good ride. Try to bite off too much and you can find yourself limping home at best, and injured at worst.

Ride out SLOW and finish STRONG: This is the biggest challenge for many riders. Can you avoid the energy of what I call the “frisky pony syndrome” – that urge to race out from the start? You have the best conditions early in the ride, including the time to build principle and earn interest – as opposed to depleting the principle and spending the interest. As the day goes by, the conditions will get worse (usually), so roll out gently. Watch that heart rate and keep yourself riding in that “base miles” mode. Then, when you get near the end of the ride, you can crank it up a notch if you still have the legs for it.

You want to finish the ride standing, smiling and still able to walk. If you do that, you just completed a successful century. Just remember, to complete your recovery, get those fluids, electrolytes and calories that your body is craving. Then, let’s do it again tomorrow!

Please note: there are lots of other items required to ride a successful century, like nutrition, hydration, apparel and more. We simply cannot cover everything here, but we do encourage you to search for and find the information you need to ride a century safely.

Bikin’ Mike Keel has been a fitness educator since 1974 and a cycling coach since 1987. He is a featured speaker at the Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred Consumer Expo, an event he has attended for 22 years. He annually trains hundreds of clients in clinics and workshops, as well as a group of clients who train together each year for the HHH. You can get more info on Bikin’ Mike and his programs at www.BikinMike.com.