Training for my first century (sportive)

[Chonker]

I recently bought a new roadbike and am trying to get more serious about my cycling performance, a couple of years ago I rode the london to southend charity ride, and a bit further to about 70miles so I have an idea that I can probably manage 100.

I have booked myself on the York 100 sportive on the 18th August as it was around the date I wanted and less hilly than the alternatives and also the 64 mile stratford tempest on the 27th July to get a taster for how sportives are run.

This gives me 10 weeks (including this one) to work up to it , I have had a very lazy (and long) winter but have done around 400miles since starting up cycling again this year. I've just bought a garmin heatrate monitor and am startin to appreciate that my usualy cycling habits are to go hell for leather all the time, mainly to keep up with stronger friends, so I'm trying to use zones to train smarter.

I've put together this plan, what I'd like is a critique, as I'm pretty new to this and although I've been reading a lot about heartrate training, there's a lot of conflicting information on the subject.

Does this look about right?

I have messed up so far in that I used a forumla which gave me a maxHR of 189, so did my zones accordingly but yesterdays hard ride I hit 203, so after re-calculating my zones it turns out my zone 2 rides were actually zone 1

 

[Chonker]

I should mention, the square brackets are my intended mileage for the long rides, the rest of the rides will likely be around my usualy 23mile local loop

 

[BSRU]

I would have thought a heart rate monitor was not needed, just get out and start building up the long rides.

 

[HLaB]

What Plan ? (It may be work are blocking it for me)
Anyway just ride how you feel and enjoy. Mix it up relaxed rides, high tempo rides, hilly rides, etc sometimes one ride has lots of elements rather than riding to a specific HR or Cadence. Whilst that data is useful to know look at after, don't let it dominate/ limit your ride.

 

[Herzog]

You've three rest days in there per week, I would suggest reducing this to one per week.

Also, in the week before the event the taper is very steep (some argue a taper is not even needed).

 

[LeeOsborne]

I'm doing coast to coast this weekend, St. Bees, Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorks. I only started riding back in January and thought at the time that I needed to stick to a training schedule, similar to what you've put together. I stuck to it for about a week then decided it wasn't for me. I've just been out as and when I feel like it plus commuting 10 - 15 miles round trip most days. Some days I feel good and extend my ride, some days I didn't have time so went for a short, fast blast. The one thing I've done is take in as many hills as I can and I'm actually quite enjoying some of them now. I've done a few 85+ mile rides, the last one on Saturday at an average 15mph with 6700+ ft of climbing, and I felt good at the end.
We're doing St. Bees to Tanhill on Friday, 83 miles, let's hope I feel as good then.

Good luck with the training and the event

 

[Rob3rt]

See all that Z4 stuff? Get rid!

See 2 of those 3 rests days in your week? Get rid!

See the gaps left from the Z4 and 2 rest days being removed? Go ride your bike!

 

[Upstream]

Hi,
I'm sure you'll be fine... I have done four sportives now with my most recent being a 63 miler last Saturday. At the end I thought I'd just try to see if I could get to 80 (the maximum I had ever ridden before was 75 miles). Quite surprisingly I managed to do 80 and when I got to that point I started wondering whether it may be possible to do 100 so I just rode on - telling myself to just "keep turning the pedals". I ended up doing just over the 100.

You can do it - Just keep telling yourself that, pace yourself and you'll already be most of the way there!

 

[Ningishzidda]

Well that's easy, ain't it.

Ride ten milers this week, twenty milers next week, thirty milers the week after and so on.

When you get to the forty miler stage, pick some towns twenty miles away and try their chip shop.

 

[Chonker]

Okay fewer rest days, less high intensity stuff (I gotta leave some in, that's the part I enjoy the most!). The stuff I've read so far really seemed to focus on not overdoing it and recovering plenty, I guess that coupled with my natural tendency to overdo things has made me overly cautious.

V2 looks like this

I think a plan is good, it'll motivate me on days like today where the weather is crap.

 

[doog]

Its a mental thing (mind over matter). It amazes me how bearded blokes on heavy steel framed Dawes Galaxies with 25 kg of kit, a tent and zero training, can knock out 80-100 miles with no issue other than a sore arse. Yet some people need 10 weeks to build up to this torture ...on a road bike of all things.

(However I will concede they probably dont have a time constraint like you - best of luck - just saw you night shifts as well.- oohh man they used to knock me for six)

 

[Garz]

Yet some people need 10 weeks to build up to this torture ...on a road bike of all things.

It's not that people can't do it.. it is being able to complete the task comfortably. On some sportives either due to lack of training or bike setup, it is not uncommon to start flagging or experience the odd ache from just being in the saddle for ages over unknown terrain. The other factor is many people treat sportives as a race and ride dangerously or get carried away with the occasion.

If everyone rode with the 'bearded blokes on heavy steel frames' attitude there would be less of the training and more of the participating spirit!

 

[Ningishzidda]

Its a mental thing (mind over matter). It amazes me how bearded blokes on heavy steel framed Dawes Galaxies with 25 kg of kit, a tent and zero training, can knock out 80-100 miles with no issue other than a sore arse. Yet some people need 10 weeks to build up to this torture ...on a road bike of all things.

(However I will concede they probably dont have a time constraint like you - best of luck - just saw you night shifts as well.- oohh man they used to knock me for six)

The ( beardy ? ) Audaxers have been riding bikes for forty years, and most of them were club timetrialists twenty years ago and haven't lost much cus they love cycling and go out every Sunday.
The younger Audaxers DO TRAIN. They go out riding and riding and riding.

 

[Ningishzidda]

I would have thought a heart rate monitor was not needed, just get out and start building up the long rides.

This is one of those times where a HRM would be a good idea.
On the event, it is very easy to go off faster than one should. Keeping the HR down to a known aerobic level would be advisable. An inexpensive HRM is more cost effective than SRM cranks or a PowerTap hub.

 

[doog]

[quote="Ningishzidda, post: 2500361, member: 28251"]The ( beardy ? ) Audaxers have been riding bikes for forty years, and most of them were club timetrialists twenty years ago and haven't lost much cus they love cycling and go out every Sunday.
The younger Audaxers DO TRAIN. They go out riding and riding and riding.[/quote]

Not in my experience. Try reading this forum http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

If you flew the OP to Spain and told him to cycle home or he would miss the ferry, he would be notching 100 mile days with 96 hours....guaranteed