"dirty" century training

[brianW]

I am thinking of either doing an endurance race (6 or 12 hrs) or doing a dirty century. Just want to ask what type of training should be in play. I do have limited time each week do to family and work.

Currently my rides are in the area of 10-20 miles when I am out, at least once a week, and manage to get to the YMCA 1-2 times a week for a Spinning class.

thanks, brianW

[dgaddis1]

I've done a half century, and a few 6hr races. Still got a lot to learn. Planning on doing a lot of racing in '09 (three 6hrs, three 34mile time trials in the mtns, a half century in the mtns, and a full century). So here's my advice (for what it's worth...):

Ride a lot more. Try and fit in a big ride on the weekends, 40+ miles is a good start. You need to get use to being on the bike for many, many, many hours at a time. Get some chamois but'r. You also need to get your nutrition figured out....that's something I'm still struggling with myself.

Check out the Dirty Spokes series for 6/12hr races. For centuries, look into the Cohutta 100 and Fools Gold 100. I'm planning on doing all of the Dirty Spokes races in '09 except the last one (too close to my wedding), and I'm going to do the Fools Gold 50mile again.

Also, keep an eye out for info on a century ride right here in the CSRA this spring.

[ted]

40+ miles is a good start, but if you want to do 100 miles or 6hrs or 12hrs...60+ miles is better.

Keep this in mind while training: The final 15-20 miles of a 100 mile ride is worse than the miles leading up to that point.
You've got to remember that the majority of adversity in any of these events is 85% mental and 15% physical give or take.

Remember that ride you wanted to do when it was cold and nasty?
What was the hardest part?
For me it's getting out the door, staying on the bike, and not fighting the urge to turn around and head home.
Even if you are prepared physically, the only way you can prepare mentally is by riding and facing those circumstances first hand.

Ride, ride, ride, ride....ride a trainer, ride, ride, ride...do road rides, ride ride ride.

I'll leave you with this. The best way to prepare for any ride is to train beyond what you will expect of yourself. This advice is just for finishing the event while you have everything intact not winning the event.

I've got friends that I've been riding with for 15+ years and while they may be faster, the last 100 mile event we did together I finished and they didn't. Not because they physically couldn't, they just couldn't handle it mentally anymore because of the night riding and 20 miles ahead.

[dgaddis1]

Agreed. Not quiting is the hardest part.

Here's what went thru my head at my last six hour, after the finishing the

1st hour: This is fun! I should probably take it a little easier though.
2nd hour: Easy as pie. I can do this all day.
3rd hour: Shouldn't have went so hard at the begining...
4th hour: This sucks. Why am I doing this again?
5th hour: ...don't...stop...pedaling....

But after it's over, and you've rested a bit, you're already thinking of ways to do better next time

[tabussiere]

You need to get a plan - make a schedule - pick an event and sign-up.
Train like your racing / Race like you trained: What you did in training - Do in the race.
Nutrition is the most difficult part. What works for some may not work for you. Use your long ride days to figure this out (Hot & cold conditions).
Keep a log of what went good and bad and the conditions.
Never give up - No matter what.
Get your family onboard to support you - It really helps.
This is about 5% of what you need to know.
As for me - I don't ride 100 miles, I run.
Good luck - You can do this.

[Virginia Bill (fka Jax Bill)]

What I did that really prepped me for any riding but primarily was to get in the best shape of my life prior to surgery last month was to ride road 30 miles a day M-F before work (4:50 AM to 6:30 AM) and 50 miles road on Sunday before church (5:30 AM to 8:30) AM and then add all the mountain biking I could on Saturdays and any other evening. By November, I could ride as long as I wanted any day of the week and never get tired and I am 40 years old.

This riding schedule did not disrupt work since I do not have to be there until 7:30 AM and did not disrupt family (I have a wife and 3 kids ages 11, 13 and 15) because not one of them was awake during my road rides. But I know everyone is not fortunate like me to have 25 miles of lighted 4' wide bike lanes (with another 25 miles currently under construction) available almost immediately outside their driveway to do this.....but anyway that is what I did. The other amazing thing about this is that all the doctors and nurses noted that when I came out of surgery my color looked the same as before the surgery as if nothing at all had just happened.

Unfortunately, I have not been on the bike since 12/19 at FATS but the doctor cleared me yesterday for road riding starting 1/5 but no mountain biking until 4 weeks after surgery (1/20/09) - an amazing recovery considering the type of surgery I had.

So my advice, get on the road bike as much as possible for training and add as much off-road as you can but if I were you I would stay off the roads up there (too dangerous given one cyclist killed on SC roads every 17.4 days) and stick to the rail trails or greenways.