I have set a goal to complete my FIRST 100 mile ride this spring. This will give me something to look forward to over winter. Background about me: I'm 40, fit/healthy, no chronic pains. In addition to typical 30 mile rides I enjoy jogging, calisthenics, and light weight training. I'd say I'm a fitness enthusiast, but not a fanatic. I've been researching century topics like training plans, nutrition, hydration, route planning, etc. I have potential routes planned on Komoot. I'll be riding a combo of roads and cycling paths on relatively flat ground.
I'd love to hear from the community. Any tips or advice? How did your first century go? Do you recommend ramping up to 75 mile plus rides prior to my scheduled 100 miler? If I can do 50 miles with ease, can I do 100? Please share your thoughts. Also - I'm an open book. Fire away with any questions you might have.
Justin Schultz
2020 Scott Scale 970
2021 Felt Breed 30
Great advice Jesper. Thank you sir.
Justin Schultz
2020 Scott Scale 970
2021 Felt Breed 30
I'm not going to describe any amazing technical training plan that will get you over the 100 mile mark in a day, but I will share a little success that I still apply today when doing century rides.
I completed my first century when I was 15 years old. The mindset then is the same mindset that will help you finish a Century. As a 15-year-old we rode bikes everywhere, every day, but we had no clue what it meant to train. We rode our bikes ten or 15 miles at a clip and knew if we multiplied that effort by ten we would be at a century mark. The morning of the Century ride we showed up being dropped off by my friend's Mom, as we didn't have cars or a drivers licenses yet! The even organizers sized us up and asked if we had trained for the ride. We said not really, we just ride a lot. So, then he asked if we had a plan and we promptly told him we planned on riding ten miles per hour for ten hours. We bought money to buy candy bars and Yuhoo Chocolate Soda Pop. He shook his head and said have at it. We actually finished that ride in less than ten hours with no sag support. But we enjoyed every minute of the ride at our own pace doing our own thing.
Moral of this story is to make a plan, break it into manageable chunks and enjoy the ride!
I would advise you to pick as flat a course as possible! Hopefully you have a posse of other riders to draft with as that makes a big difference. We rode 2 consecutive century courses on back to back days. It was tough but we had a good pack both days. Be sure to preplan rest stops - it helps to break up the ride and give you a series of goals. Of course hydration and fueling all the time is critical.
To be frank, there is nothing that will prepare you for sitting in the saddle for 6-10 hours other than sitting in the saddle for 6-10 hours.
What that means is to do what Eddy recommended decades ago. Ride a lot. I like the idea of building up to the distance you desire. The first almost 100 miler I did was by accident and without training for it. On a tour down south my buddy and I took several wrong turns and got lost. By the end of the day we had 90 miles in. Previous to that, 50 miles was our top mileage day. That day was 12 hours in the saddle. OUCH!
Working your way up to 100 miles by including a longer distance ride each week up to the event is the way to go. If you can do 80 in one day, then you can do 100. Not sure I am being clear, but if you look at the spreadsheet JR Namida provided a link to, and look at the Saturday/Sunday miles, you will see each weekend they are increased by10 miles. Eventually an 80 miler will be in the schedule, then after that the 100 miler can be achieved.
Food and water along the route will be needed so plan the route accordingly.
Buy very good shorts, then ride till you puke and keep going!
The real estate between 50 and 100 is huge so like this whole business you should work into it a few miles at a time.
Thanks for the replies and advice. At this point I'm more concerned about my butt than I am my fitness level. LOL.
Justin Schultz
2020 Scott Scale 970
2021 Felt Breed 30
The century ride is intriguing.
I can't really say there's huge opportunity for it.
I would be satisfied with 100km instead—62 miles.
The most I've done in one day is 38 miles, and it was done on a black/blue Mongoose Spectra with Bell Roundabout tires.
Or may have actually been Kenda Kross tires.
(03-28-2022, 04:52 PM)Papa Dom Wrote: @J_R_Schultz how is your spring going? have you already made an attempt?
Sorry late reply. Spring in Wisconsin has been interesting. 60 degrees one day, followed by rain/snow the next day. I have decided to accomplish a metric century (100 Km) instead of 100 miles. Two reasons - 1) Time. 2) Enjoyment. I think I'll enjoy 62 miles much more than 100!
Justin Schultz
2020 Scott Scale 970
2021 Felt Breed 30
Looking forward to hear this report.
100 miles is going to be a crucible.
If you haven't yet, I can't stress enough the importance of carbs, omegas, EAA aminos, b-vitamins, and electrolytes.
You'll want to top off every 20m at least. Any endurance supplements (like for bodybuilding) will help also. Just be mindful of the caffeine content. You don't want to be consuming more than 300g of that.
A lot of good advice from the community here. I have done many hundred plus mile days while touring. For me the main impetus was to reach a certain destination (or civilization) before nightfall. I still rode at night, but it is dangerous in the day or night even with all the safety precautions being taken (which I did none of; no lights, reflectors, or helmet). I never competed in anything over 100 miles so I cannot comment on the training required to that end, but putting in the miles on a daily basis and having adequate time in the saddle (>4hrs regularly) is what worked for me. Even just solid twenty five mile days will get you there without you even realizing it, still if you do not know what you will feel like after 4 hours or more in the saddle it can make a ride seem interminable even if your leg strength is good. A comfortable saddle, as well as properly configuring your bike set-up will make any ride more enjoyable, but especially on any longer rides over a couple hours.
(05-12-2022, 05:21 PM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote: If you haven't yet, I can't stress enough the importance of carbs, omegas, EAA aminos, b-vitamins, and electrolytes. You'll want to top off every 20m at least. Any endurance supplements (like for bodybuilding) will help also. Just be mindful of the caffeine content. You don't want to be consuming more than 300g of that.
I do not know if you are a dietician or nutritionist, but if you are you should state it openly. Conversely, it you are not a specialist you should give a disclaimer stating as such. I do work in the health industry, and deal with many patients who have sensitivities and allergies to foods and supplements (nothing to do with age or physical condition). Many supplements (or food items) should not be taken without consulting your doctor or a specialist. It is best just to stick to the advice of keeping oneself hydrated since that can affect you much quicker than not having a proper meal. I have gone days without eating and still performed at a high athletic level, but never got very far without adequate consumption of water.
I would presume that most people know what their diet needs to be to in order to conduct their lives as required, and if they did not they would probably not be in a proper health condition to the point of even considering an hour on a bike nevermind half a day.
Ride Fast, Be Safe!
Howard
Location: Parañaque, Philippines
a basic bike fit or saddle analysis will go a long way for this, more often than not its the saddle comfort that keeps us from riding longer rather than the actual fitness level, saddle sores are a pain in the butt literally
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