Training for 100 miles

[Over The Hill]

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!

 

[Joe]

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!

 

[Fab Foodie]

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!

 

[Over The Hill]

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!

 

[Speicher]

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.

 

[bof]

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.

 

[CopperBrompton]

""Cake stops"

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

Ben

 

[Fab Foodie]

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]

Hi sorry, I didn't see this earlier!

No I'll often stop a burger and coke on a long ride! In fact on the L2B I have a McBrekky at the start and a Burger from the Scouts at Ardingly just over half way!

F'rinstance riding from Oxford to Exeter over 2 days (90 miles/day) in the heat of last summer with a fully loaded saddle-bag I burned a lot of calories... it's pretty lumpy route-wise. So after 60 miles, 1 hours stop, 2 pints coke, 1 large burger (no fries) in a country pub helps keep some fire in the belly! Back on the bike, keep the first 10 miles easy then hurtle along with abandon. Unless trying to keep an average of 20mph, real food once in a while works best for me... and a burger is real food IMO. Too much "energy food" leaves an empty stomach and indigestion.

 

[Chuffy]

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.

 

[dodgy]

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.

 

[Fab Foodie]

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!

 

[dodgy]

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.

 

[dodgy]

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.

 

[Fab Foodie]

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.

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!

 

[dodgy]

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.