Training for a century, advice needed

beans

Hi,

I'm aiming to complete ~100 mile (160k) cycle within the next 12 weeks, and would like some advice from experienced riders on the best way to prepare.

I currently cycle ~15k daily commute and try to get another 15k evening spin in twice a week. Weekends maybe 1 other 15-20k spin, so I'd say I'm averaging around 120k per week at present. I'm fairly fit, weigh around 70kg, around 1.8metres (that's 11 stone @ 5 ft 10), no chronic pains or illness.

Some things I do intend to do are to buy a leather saddle and set about breaking it in, and replace my straight-bars and bar-ends with something more comfortable. I ride a Specialized Sirrus which is going in for a service soon. Also do a few ~4hour rides to see how they feel.

As for other things to make this more accomplishable, I'm unsure. Increase ride times & frequency? Optimise diet? Work on technique and cadence? There's so much info out there it's boggling to the mind. Personally I think once my bike is in full health, comfortable for many hours saddle time, and I have enough snacks and hydration for the trip I'll be fine.

Any advice?

daymobrew

Have a look at the Lap the Lough training plan. That is a 140k cycle at the end of August.

The weekday cycles sound reasonable. Maybe up the weekend ones toward 50k. I did a few long cycles before the Wicklow 100 (yeah the short version). I just headed out along quiet country roads - it was quite relaxing.
I did cycle up/down Howth a few times to prepare for the hills in Wicklow. It is a good test if your century cycle will have tough hills.

BTW, where/when is the cycle?

Morgan

It sounds like you'd be reasonably fit - the regular daily cycles will be a good base to build on.

I'd recommend just doing longer cycles at the weekend, gradually working up to 40, 60, 80km. Try doing 100km about 3 weeks before the big ride.

Also, get your saddle ASAP - you'll need to be well used to it in 12 weeks.

kincsem

Buy this book ..... The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling : Build the Strength, Skills, and Confidence to Ride as Far as You Want (Paperback)
by Edmund R. Burke, Ed Pavelka, Bicycling Magazine (Publisher)

I have a Specilaized Sirrus, but bought a Specialized Allez to use for the Wicklow 100. I rode the route once in training about a month before the event also.

You would need to build up to a 70 mile cycle each weekend, and a couple of rides during the week of about half that each time. Try to increase by about 10% each week.

My regular weekend ride was on a Saturday morning at 7 am. It helped greatly that I did it with my brother. We had a meeting point and a time. If you leave it later you will tend to put it off. If you leave it to Sunday you will not do it.

My cycles in the two weeks before the Wicklow 100 were (it is 100 km)
Mon 45km, Tue 50km, Thu 55km, Sat 60km (as fast as I could)
Mon 60km, Tue 40km, Wed 30km, Thu 20km. (tapering off). I rested on the Friday and Saturday. The Wicklow 100 was 7 am Sunday.

I would not buy a broad leather saddle. The reason for the narrow saddle on road bikes is to avoid chafing your legs on the saddle as they move up and down. You will regret using a broad saddle on a long trip. Do not buy it. Definately do not buy it and then use it for the first time on your 100 mile cycle.

Eat plenty of pasta. My routine was to eat a big feed of pasta at night, and next day a small feed of pasta an hour before my evening spin.

I think you can not do the ride comfortably on a Sirrus. The flat bars will give you hand pain, as you will not be able to move about on the bars, as you would on a road bike.

You do not appear to have done any trips over 20km (12 miles) but you expect to move up to 100 miles, which is EIGHT times your present maximum. You need to start doing longer spins.

I was doing 210km a week before my 100km cycle.
You do 70 miles a week before a 100 mile cycle.
My guess is you need to treble that weekly mileage.

beans

daymobrew wrote:

...where/when is the cycle?

It's essentially from Dublin to Waterford. This is just a personal-goal kind of thing, nothing organised. I have been meaning to improve my skill and stamina on the bike, but without something to motivate... it's tough. Hence the lofty goal

Nice linkage too!

Morgan wrote:

get your saddle ASAP

Aye, it's first on the list.

kincsem wrote:

You need to start doing longer spins....My guess is you need to treble that weekly mileage.

I agree that the mileage will have to increase. This will begin at the weekends starting from tomorrow. Am going to see how 40k sits with me. (Aside - I was going to type something to the effect that 160k might indeed be outside my range before the nights start to creep in, but this is as much an excercise in positivity and motivation as anything else, so I'll try and stay upbeat!)

On handlebars, I spend most time on my bar-ends but will be swapping out for either drops or moustache bars soon, depending on how fast I can source them. [Edit]Probably dops. Thanks for the book reference, I'll hunt it out.

How did your training 100 go before the Wicklow 100?

kincsem

beans wrote:

How did your training 100 go before the Wicklow 100?

It was an "accidental" 107km. My brother didn't turn up at 7am one Saturday so I set out to learn the route. We had done Stillorgan/Rathdrum before (~105km) but then came back by the motorway. On the way back I regretted it as it was a bit hilly.

If you do a few 35 mile runs in training you should be ok. I said earlier you should build up to 70 miles, but for a once off you can probably get away with less, if you take it easy.

Use the AA Roadwatch website to plan your route, and use motorways as much as possible, as the hills are flattened a bit, and the hard shoulder surface is good. Bring plenty of sandwiches (chicken / turkey / cheese), two full bottles of water/energy drinks, and try to do two hours at a time, take a break, and set off again. Start early. If you set off at 7 am you should have covered 50 miles by 12 pm.

The only thing that will stop you is setting too strong a pace.

daymobrew

kincsem wrote:

Use the AA Roadwatch website to plan your route, and use motorways as much as possible

Motorways? Cyclists are not permitted on motorways.

In my recent spins I've mostly taken 'R' roads. Many have been quite relaxing, peaceful and scenic. Wear bright clothing so cars, that won't be used to seeing bikes on those routes, will clearly see you. Actually, that applies on matter what route you take.

I brought fig rolls and some cereal bars with me on the Wicklow 100. I actually didn't eat much at all.