# Training for 100 miles



## Over The Hill (25 Apr 2008)

I have entered a 100 mile ride on 8th June (Norwich so fairly flat) and am not sure what sort of miles I should do leading up to the day.

I am 47, 12 and a half stone and not too unfit. I am managing a 12-15 mile ride one or twice in the week and at weekends am up to a 40 mile run one week and a 16 plus a 34 mile the following. 

Most I have done is 54miles (L2B) last year so in uncharted terratory for me.

I had in mind building up week by week to a 60 mile run the weekend before. Then on the day I would be pushed along with the event a bit to get through. I am looking at 8 hours or thereabouts as my time for the 100 but not over concerned at time just really want to finish it without to much drama.

Is this a reasonable plan? If not what would you suggest? 

It is only 6 weeks away and suddenly I am a bit worried!


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## Joe (26 Apr 2008)

The basic idea is to build up gradually, they say no more than 10% a week, to avoid injury. I don't think you'd have too much of a problem going from 60 to 100 as a one off, especially if it's an organised ride with others though. Maybe try for a slightly longer ride beforehand? I did my first century solo, having only done a 70 miler and survived. Don't ride for the last couple of days before the ride, so you're feeling nice and fresh

The only problem might be getting your fueling right as it gets alot more important on 4+ hour rides in my experience. Eating and drinking little and often is the key. Maybe try out a few energy bars/drinks before hand to find ones you can stomach (they can be pretty grim!). Or go for the natural option....I find things like dried fruit (dates, raisins etc) are useful for filling the jersey pockets, fig rolls, malt loaf, bannana etc are good too.
I tend to go for a mixture of the two, moving towards the technical stuff later in the ride. I'm sure someone will come along with some contradictary advice in a second, you do just have to find what works for you!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine

I know how you feel though, I'm starting to get slightly worried about a really hilly 140 miler I signed up for...it's coming around awfuly quickly!


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## Fab Foodie (26 Apr 2008)

I'd go with Joe's advice as well. Gently build-up the miles, if you can do 70 solo then 100 in a group will be well within your capabilities.
Joe's right about fuelling, over about 40 miles, fueling is everything.. Trick is to eat and drink little and often from the start and ride at a comfortable pace. Mostly I prefer to eat real food rather than energy stuff, though I do use energy drinks...carry 1 bottle energy juice and 1 bottle water and sup from both as I go along. Jelly babies in the back pocket are a nice nibble!
Also take something salty, I favour peanuts as energy dense. Don't eat while pedaling as easy to choke on.
Then there is the question of stops. I'm not a big distance ridser but have managed 80 miles without a stop except for a pee. Just ate on the move. However, usually I would plan for 100 miles to have a proper lunch stop, have a burger and a few pints of coke and a rest. befor and after lunch I would have short 5 minute ""Cake stops", no more. Probably every 25 miles (probably a hang-over from my smoking days!). Short stops are good just for a stretch, rest the brain, take-on fuel. Longer than 5 mins then you start to sieze-up and getting going becomes harder. Hence having a longer lunch stop about 60% of the distance...it's gonna be hard getting going again, but at least you've had a decent feed and rest.
Sure you'll be fine!


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## Over The Hill (26 Apr 2008)

Thanks Joe and Fab Foodie.

I have sorted out an ovenight stop in a self catering place so I can get a good breakfast before the 7.20 start. 

There is a mandatory 30 minute stop at about 50 miles which I think I will need. I will try to keep moving a bit and put on some long'n's if it is not baking hot. 

I can live on malt loaf so tend to take that with me. 

Thought about a Red Bull for the last 10 if I start struggling!


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## Speicher (26 Apr 2008)

Fab Foodie, am I reading your reply correctly? You describe a proper lunch as a "Burger and a couple of pints of coke". Is that a proper cafe you are stopping at? is that what you like to eat on a long ride, or is that the only thing available? Is that because it is easy to eat, or the only thing that you would feel like eating? There must be a good reason for your suggestion. Please note, I am not being sarcastic or critical, just surprised. 

I have not intention currently, whatsover, of doing that sort of mileage, but am surprised at your suggestion.

I was on a winter walking holiday once, and the "guide" was mortally offended when I chose to have the Austrian Speciality of Pancakes with raisins and stewed fruit. I thought that the carbs were needed at times like that. It also tastes lovely, and they did not do pizzas.


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## bof (1 May 2008)

As a one-off 100 miles, I wouldnt worry about it too much, you do enough cycling you can make the jump on the day. You'll probably be a bit sore and stiff for a few days after but that's all.

One thing I have learned riding long distance that you can forage along the route - Garages / Londis etc. what they offer is not great but you can down stuff like chocolate milk etc. and not resort to the dreaded Isotonic drinks.


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## CopperBrompton (24 May 2008)

Fab Foodie said:


> ""Cake stops"


I believe it is a legal requirement on a longer ride for cyclists to stop and eat cake.

Ben


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## Fab Foodie (24 May 2008)

Speicher said:


> Fab Foodie, am I reading your reply correctly? You describe a proper lunch as a "Burger and a couple of pints of coke". Is that a proper cafe you are stopping at? is that what you like to eat on a long ride, or is that the only thing available? Is that because it is easy to eat, or the only thing that you would feel like eating? There must be a good reason for your suggestion. Please note, I am not being sarcastic or critical, just surprised.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Chuffy (25 May 2008)

OtH - I'd second what you've been told already. But, slap a good globful of Vaseline on your crack and take plenty of energy drink and food with you. Oh and take it easy, aim to finish, not win. You'll be fine.


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## dodgy (25 May 2008)

Drinking coke with all its masses of sugar content is a pretty unorthodox choice, but if it works for Fab Foodie (great name for someone who enjoys burgers on a ride  ) then great. I would just warn less experienced riders about the dangers of large doses of sugar, particularly if you've still got a way to ride. Coke (especially with the fizz taken out of it) makes for a great perk-up on the last lap of a mountain bike race, or as a boost for the final 10 miles on a road ride. But if you take a lot of sugar on and still have hours to ride, you could be asking for trouble.
As I said, it works for FF, but he might have some weird assed metabolism 

Dave.


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## Fab Foodie (25 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> Drinking coke with all its masses of sugar content is a pretty unorthodox choice, but if it works for Fab Foodie (great name for someone who enjoys burgers on a ride  ) then great. I would just warn less experienced riders about the dangers of large doses of sugar, particularly if you've still got a way to ride. Coke (especially with the fizz taken out of it) makes for a great perk-up on the last lap of a mountain bike race, or as a boost for the final 10 miles on a road ride. But if you take a lot of sugar on and still have hours to ride, you could be asking for trouble.
> As I said, it works for FF, but he might have some weird assed metabolism
> 
> Dave.



Well Energy drinks are full of... guess what Sugar, as are... Gel bars. 

In fact the Maltodextrin in energy drinks and gel bars on a moderately empty stomach is assimilated into the blood far faster than the sugar in coke, (whose uptake would be further slowed by the burger). You might also be interested to know the "flat" coke is regularly used as the training drink of choice for cyclists and other atheletes.
Blimey, many people will drink a pint or more of coke, or beer for that matter, heavily caloried and sit on their arses or stagger home rather than ride another 50 Devon miles in searing heat. Easy to burn 4000+ Calories on such a day. Fuel is everything, and coke is just fine. 
No weird-arsed metabolism here!


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## dodgy (25 May 2008)

Wow, didn't think you'd take it personally. I was just having a little banter, no offence at the 'weird assed' jibe, honestly 

And I used the word 'dangers' in the wrong context above, I'm not saying there are health implications, just that a sugar rush when there are still many miles to go might not be the best choice for all riders.
It's been well documented that a sugar rush is usually followed by a crash, but this doesn't usually matter if you get the timing right.

Again, I wasn't having a go 

Dave.


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## dodgy (25 May 2008)

Just doing a bit of research now and it looks like there is some ambiguity over the sugar rush / crash cycle. Some say it exists, a few say it doesn't. Maybe FF has discovered the elixir of long distance cycling 

Dave.


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## Fab Foodie (25 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> Wow, didn't think you'd take it personally. I was just having a little banter, no offence at the 'weird assed' jibe, honestly
> 
> And I used the word 'dangers' in the wrong context above, I'm not saying there are health implications, just that a sugar rush when there are still many miles to go might not be the best choice for all riders.
> It's been well documented that a sugar rush is usually followed by a crash, but this doesn't usually matter if you get the timing right.
> ...



Apols, no offence was taken, honest! 

My point is that every day people will walk into a McD's for a Big Mac and fries and a pint of Coke and then... go shopping, work, drive home and sit in front of the telly with little ill effect. Doing the same during a 500 Cal burning per hour bike ride is unlikely to do much harm either. More harm would be done by being under-fuelled and bonking. 'Cos when the munchies hit you'll stuff anything sweet down your neck. Take a look at the sugar content of Coke and then that of an energy drink, or a Mars bar, or a pint of beer. I really don't think you need to fret on a long ride about over-eating.

Where I would modify my eating habits is if I was expecting to ride at high speeds say 20mph for 100 miles non-stop, then something more digestible while riding might be better, but if cruising along, I'll always stop for a proper lunch sometime on the ride.

I forgot Ice-Cream... mid afternoon, or the top of Ditchling beacon!


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## dodgy (25 May 2008)

I used to stop for a pint on my rides years ago, stopped doing it for some reason, I used to enjoy that 

Yes people go for a Big Mac and have a pint of coke and go shopping, work etc, but they're not expending in the region of a 750 - 1000 calories per hour doing it. Also, I'm not sure if the sugars in a well thought out energy bar/drink is the same as the sugars in a coca cola, perhaps someone else can talk to that.

Anyway, my point is that it works for you, you've proved it. It doesn't work for me, but it might for others.

Dave.


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## ColinJ (25 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> ... I used the word 'dangers' in the wrong context above, I'm not saying there are health implications...


Real Coke and burgers might be okay, but there would definitely be health implications with *Diet Coke and Mentos!*


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## Fab Foodie (25 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> I used to stop for a pint on my rides years ago, stopped doing it for some reason, I used to enjoy that
> 
> Yes people go for a Big Mac and have a pint of coke and go shopping, work etc, *but they're not expending in the region of a 750 - 1000 calories per hour doing it. *Also, I'm not sure if the sugars in a well thought out energy bar/drink is the same as the sugars in a coca cola, perhaps someone else can talk to that.
> 
> ...



The point here in bold is important. The fact that cycling we're using high up to 1000 cals per hour is exactly why we can afford to have high calorie foods and drinks without harm or a sugar crash, our bodies desperately need that fuel to replenish glycogen reserves. Those that simply go back to the office will find themselves flooded with more sugar than their sedentary existance requires and thus they'll get a sugar high followed by a crash.
Energy drinks are designed to get sugar into the boddy as quickly as possible. Most are based on Glucose/Dextrose and maltodextrin (Glucose in chains). Compared to Sucrose and Fructose in Coke. The sugar mix in the energy drink will likely cause slightly more of a sugar-spike than that in the coke. Also the salts in the energy drink also facilitate sugar uptake from the gut, these salts do not exisit in coke. Furthermore, Maltodextrin has a good trick up its sleeve. The stomach recognises high sugar level vconcentrations and will reduce uptake at high levels. Maltodextrin doesn't 'look' like sugar to the guts detection system, but breaks down vey quickly and somehow the gut gets fooled into taking-up all the dextrose as it's released!

It's complex and I don't understand it all, thefact that there is a lot of research in theis are suggests that there is a lot left to learn!

For us amateurs, we need to find solutions that work for us,some will be universal, some maybe less conventional. Interesting readingm is that of the Audax Crew, you can't cycle 600km non-stop without eating real food and coping with whatever is available. The one thing you can't escape is that you need a lot of calories, and you can't get them all from energy products.

Oh, on the subject of beer  I simply can't drink a pint and then ride! For me best left to the end 

Cheers
FF


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## Fab Foodie (25 May 2008)

ColinJ said:


> Real Coke and burgers might be okay, but there would definitely be health implications with *Diet Coke and Mentos!*



I get that from Maltodextrin based energy products already


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## Steve Austin (25 May 2008)

I don't think any of us are using 1000 calories per hour btw

Back to the original Q
If you can ride 60miles in 4hours without stopping, you'll be fine for a 100 miler with little training. An energy bar or two mid ride would see you through. A bottle of PSP22 would be good too. A good breakfast before you ride is good. Malt loaf and jam works for me, anything else is too heavy. Porridge is good, but i generally see it again, so its not for me.


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## Blue (25 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> Just doing a bit of research now and it looks like there is some ambiguity over the sugar rush / crash cycle. Some say it exists, a few say it doesn't. Maybe FF has discovered the elixir of long distance cycling
> 
> Dave.



I can't quote the reference, but back in my running days I read a paper that suggested that taking refined sugar *during* *exercise* didn't produce the usual sugar crash. Many of my long distance fell running mates ate buns on the hoof.


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## ASC1951 (7 Jun 2008)

50-50 Coke and water works very well for me once I get to the ragged end after 75 miles or so. Up to that I prefer plain water.

There's no great magic to powders and potions on a 100 mile ride. Don't suddenly stuff yourself with food halfway round, but apart from that just nibble whatever you fancy whenever you want it. The main thing is to get on your bike and pedal. If you can regularly do 60 the extra 40 won't be a problem.


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