Cycling Century Training

Training to ride a century on a bicycle should not be taken lightly. The big stumbling block many people encounter is not knowing where to start. Cycling for 100 miles can seem a long way off and it can seem like you have embarked on an impossible journey.

The very first thing you should do before you even go near your bike (if you have one at this stage) is to get hold of a century training schedule. As with other endurance sporting events such as marathon training a proper training schedule will help give your century training direction and ensure your training stays on target to reach your century ride goals.

Use micro goals to realise your bigger cycling targets

Virtually all professional athletes use a series of small, short term targets to help them reach their longer term goals. A decent training schedule will break down your century training program into a series of smaller goals that seem much more attainable than simply going out and riding 100 miles.

Using the technique mentioned above a good training schedule should give you clear objectives for every single ride you do. Just as professional athletes plan and prepare each training session with a different and specific purpose, every time you get on your bike you should know exactly what you want to achieve (e.g. increase your fat burning efficiency, develop hill climbing technique or recovery session to allow muscles to repair themselves.

Incorporate ample recovery into your cycling schedule

Again a common mistake amongst amateur cyclists is not understanding the importance of recovery. It can be very tempting to simply think that the more you get out and ride fast the better your cycling will become. Wrong.

When we exercise we actually cause tiny tears in our muscles. It is when we rest after the exercise that the muscles begin to knit together again, bigger than they were before. Without the rest and recovery we would simply destroy our muscles over a sustained period of time.

A decent training century schedule should factor in ample rest and recovery time. This simply does not mean days off the bike but easy recovery rides (which can help loosen tired muscles without causing further damage) but also easy days and weeks that allow you to recovery both physically and mentally while still riding.

Just follow this link to get a Century Training Schedule

Essential to any century ride is the equipment you will use during training and on race day. In reality a century can be done on almost any kind of bike from a fold up to a top of the range carbon framed road bike. The exact bike you choose will depend a lot on both your budget and the goals of your century ride. Below are a few tips to choosing the right century bike:

Get a bike that fits

I am still amazed that people buy bikes over the internet without trying them out first. At the very least go to your local bike shop, try out and then consider buying the exact make, model and size on-line if you can find it cheaper. We all come in an almost unlimited number of shapes and sizes and so do bikes, making it essential to get a ride that you will be comfortable on.

When trying a bike out you need to ride it for longer than just a quick spin round the block. Remember that what feels comfortable for 500 meters may not feel quite as good after 6 hours in the saddle! Any decent bike shop will let you take decent length test rides before pushing you to decide. If they don't then walk away.

Fitting a century bike to your body is also crucial. Again a good bike shop will help you with this an should spend more than a couple of minutes adjusting both the saddle and handlebars to best fit you.

Record what works for you

Use you training rides to experiment with slightly different set ups - you will be mazed how much difference a half a centimetre here and there can make. Another great tip is to write down somewhere the optimum set up once you are happy so if you need to disassemble your bike you can quickly and easily set it up to 'your' position without any need to retest.

Avoid being a weight weenie

Too many budding century riders get cught up in the obsession of weight. It can be all too easy to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars trying to get a bike that weighs a few grams less than the next riders. In reality as long as you have a decent reliable bike you are better off investing your money and time in training yourself to be a better rider. Only at a very elite level will those extra grams really cost you in cycling terms.

Below are a few random tips i have learnt along the way that have helped me on my century rides, hopefully they can do the same for you:

Start out slow
Force yourself to ride the first 20 miles of your century at an easy pace that makes you feel guilty that you are going so slowly. 100 miles is a long way to ride and you will go through many different stages of feeling great right through to dreadful. Best to keep some gas in the tank and wind up the pace near the end than go out oo hard to early.

Practise your eating
Riding a century burns thousands of calories. Be sure to use you training rides to practise what you will eat and drink while riding and do not change your routine on race day. Everyone has different tastes ranging from specifically formulated cycling energy bars to the good old jam and peanut butter sandwich. Work out what works for you and your stomach and stick to it.

Be an easy rider
Aim to spend large proportions of your training riding at an easy pace (one that you can maintain a conversation at). This encourages the body to become more efficient at burning fat as opposed to carbohydrates which will mean you can ride faster for longer.

Be regular
Aim to drink something every 15 minutes and eat something every 30 minutes. Little and often is the aim of the game. If you wait until you are hungry/thirty it will be too late and you will already be either dehydrated or in a calorie deficit.