100 miles by July 4th?

bigpikle

I'm interested in the new Votwo Silverstone Sportive on July 4th and contemplating the 100 mile option. The trouble is my longest rides to date are 25-30 miles (averaging about 15-16mph) and I'm wondering how realistic it is to get up to 100 miles in time?

I am a triathlete, so need to squeeze in running and swimming each week as well, and have a half marathon mid March that I need to focus on for the next few weeks. I only have 3 triathlons scheduled in the summer but want to make sure I am ready for all those as well as any sportives I enter. I have been riding over the winter but only just enough to keep a base level of fitness going.

I have a reasonable amount of training time available each week (already train around 8 hours a week total) and have family permission to get some long rides in at weekends but what do people think about going for this? Is it better to reign in my enthusiasm for the long distance and build base fitness this year with a view to getting to these sorts of distances next year, or is this just fear talking

Advice appreciated - thanks

Wooliferkins

You'd sort it for an Ironman? Apart from the occaisional long weekend ride I got round the last Paris Roubaix Cyclotouriste using this and 17 miles each way commute. I'm a lardy tourist crack on lad.

bigpikle

thanks Neil....I think

These plans all suggest riding most days, and this is one of my concerns. I need to run 2x week and swim the same as well. That really leaves me 3 rides per week max, IF the weather allows.

I have a local club I'm going to join, and they do a long'ish ride every Saturday, of around 35 miles or so. That will give me some group riding experience and general tips from more experienced riders, but I'm not sure quite how I get used to ultimately 6+ hours in the saddle in the time available.

The good news is that I live very close to the route so can ride lots of it on my traiing rides each week and I guess the extra effort you can put in on the big day always counts for something, even if I havent got beyond 70 miles or so in training?

Pokerface

100 miles is easy. Even for a beginner.

Just depends how fast you want to do it.

oldwelshman

100 miles is not easy for anyone however slow you go so take no notice of that.
You do not have to ride every day to do 100 kmile ride.
You can do it easily with one midweek ride, preferably two, and two rides on weekend.
You just need to increase your mileage gradually in the next few weeks and from about April look to be doing about 2 midwek rides, 30 to 50 miles, one long ride on weekends, between 65 and 85 miles and if possible a second ride on weekends up to about 50 miles, this should see you through ok.
As the weather improves and nights get lighter the longer rides feel less of a chore
As yopu rides are currentl relatively short you will have to work out the best eating/drinking patterns for you on longer rides.
No need to do a 100 mile before the event, once you can do 75 miles you will manage a 100 miles ok.

chriskempton

+1

Do 3 or 4 70 mile rides beforehand and you'll be fine.

Pokerface

chriskempton wrote:

+1

Do 3 or 4 70 mile rides beforehand and you'll be fine.

Yes - and make sure you do them all the week before. (that's a joke)



When I said doing 100 miles i can be done by a beginner - I meant a beginner can work their way up to it. And for someone who is already riding regularly and doing tri training, it won't be hard to do - compared to a complete novice.

I did London-Paris a few years ago - and there were people on the ride who probably had never ridden more than 10 miles in a day before. On £99 Halford's Special mountain bikes.


And they still managed to ride 100 miles in a day. Just really, really, really slowly.

Wooliferkins

Bigpikle wrote:

thanks Neil....I think

These plans all suggest riding most days, and this is one of my concerns. I need to run 2x week and swim the same as well. That really leaves me 3 rides per week max, IF the weather allows.

I have a local club I'm going to join, and they do a long'ish ride every Saturday, of around 35 miles or so. That will give me some group riding experience and general tips from more experienced riders, but I'm not sure quite how I get used to ultimately 6+ hours in the saddle in the time available.

Break it down with your running and swimming you'll have to start doing 2 disciplines on one day at some point. Tri+ or 220 must have similar programmes for beginners and the charity dudes that you can adapt. 6 hours = 3x 2hour rides. Break it down into achievable blocks, next control, next town, next whatever I've had it become the next bend in the road when I'm hanging out of my hoop. If you can get up to 50-60 on club rides then the rest is just positive thinking and straight old canine intercourse. Keep yourself fed and watered. You can do it

bigpikle

thanks guys... pretty unanimous then - I'm a wimp for even thinking it cant be done :oops:

I'd forgotten the late evenings when its possible to ride much later. I actually have a pretty flexible schedule so usually have 2 days a week when I can train during the day, balanced with a couple of days a week away in hotels where its run/swim only, so there should be sufficient time to train for my goal of 'completion' in July.

Mr Postman should bring my new Adamo saddle today after successfully testing one for a few rides the other week, so hopefully I'll be out for the first ride later today before the monsoons arrive again.

ut_och_cykla

Training for triathlon/half marathons you'll be generally in good shape - as long as you dont have an ambitious time goal all you need to do 100 miles is experience of what I call saddle time - longer rides - practice pacing, feeding strategies , following others wheels. Perhasp a tough midweeksession mimicking hill climbs/headwinds and a steady long ride every other weekend increasing distance till you get to 80 miles or so? assuming you can fit around the other tri stuff?

bigpikle

I've signed up, so am committed now 8)

The route almost passes my front door so I know most of the roads and can easily ride most of it in training every week anyway. I reckon I should be able to get the saddle time in and be ready in time.

My biggest concern is actually the ability to ride for that long from a comfort point of view - I have my new saddle coming but also need to get more comfortable shorts and toughen up to be ready for 6 hours. Right now 2 hours leaves me tender enough :oops: A trip to the Assos shop me thinks...

addicted to Langbar

I have got 4 1/2 weeks to get up to 100 hilly miles from practically nothing, thanks to the lovely weather we have had for the last 3 months. I think that as long as you can manage 60-70 a forthnight before you should be okay, at least that is what I have been telling myself!

pollys_bott

A lot of this is psychological - up until three months ago the longest ride I'd ever done was 2 3/4 hours / approx 45 miles, but I signed up for the Metric Century Challenge and have done a 62 miler and a 66.5 miler so far this year. The backside's a bit tender and the legs are a little stiff the following day but I was still surprised at - relatively - how easy it was: I was expecting to really struggle but physically I was pretty much fine, the biggest obstacle was in my head. I'm biking once a week at the minute for a couple of hours each time, so it's not as if I'm cramming in the miles. If you can get to a point where you can pretty comfortably do 70-80 miles then 100 shouldn't be an issue, it's just learning to pace yourself and refuel regularly. I'm thinking about aiming for the Tour of Britain sportive at the end of Sept...

chrisw12

100 miles, easy or hard?

You know I think whatever standard and however much training you've done 100 miles is always a tough day. Even ridden slowly, it's a tough day.

But definitely achievable by most.

Lady Venom

Bigpikle wrote:

thanks Neil....I think

These plans all suggest riding most days, and this is one of my concerns. I need to run 2x week and swim the same as well. That really leaves me 3 rides per week max, IF the weather allows.

I have a local club I'm going to join, and they do a long'ish ride every Saturday, of around 35 miles or so. That will give me some group riding experience and general tips from more experienced riders, but I'm not sure quite how I get used to ultimately 6+ hours in the saddle in the time available.

The good news is that I live very close to the route so can ride lots of it on my traiing rides each week and I guess the extra effort you can put in on the big day always counts for something, even if I havent got beyond 70 miles or so in training?

Run or swim or bike in the morning and the other in the evening. Problem solved.