Training for my first century - advice help
brettjmcc
Posts: 1,361
So, I am training for my first century a week Sunday, which is also the Essex 100.
I am slowly ramping my training as I have read the advice for other OPs. Yesterday I did 72 miles in 4hrs 4 mins, it only had 1550ft of climbing. In the last 10 or so miles I felt spent.
By my heart rate monitor It reckoned I burnt over 3200 calories. I had a bowl of Oats-so-Simple washed with a half bottle of Lucozade prior to going out. Along the way I had 2 Powerbar Natural Energy bars along with a big bottle of SIS Electrolyte and a big bottle of water.
I normally do 50 miles up until now, so breaking into the 70 was also a mental challenge. Do I need to eat more prior to the ride and during it? Or is it also my legs getting used to spinning for that long, and now I am a bit late in the day?
I am slowly ramping my training as I have read the advice for other OPs. Yesterday I did 72 miles in 4hrs 4 mins, it only had 1550ft of climbing. In the last 10 or so miles I felt spent.
By my heart rate monitor It reckoned I burnt over 3200 calories. I had a bowl of Oats-so-Simple washed with a half bottle of Lucozade prior to going out. Along the way I had 2 Powerbar Natural Energy bars along with a big bottle of SIS Electrolyte and a big bottle of water.
I normally do 50 miles up until now, so breaking into the 70 was also a mental challenge. Do I need to eat more prior to the ride and during it? Or is it also my legs getting used to spinning for that long, and now I am a bit late in the day?
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Comments
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The good news is that if you can ride 74 miles you can be sure you'll make it round 100. If you did OK for the first bit of the ride but were spent for the last 10 miles this just shows you didn't keep topped up with enough energy.
If you're doing it as a 1 off event it's best to err on the side of too much rather than too little - don't get carried away and fill yourself with energy bars and make yourself sick though, just make use of the the feed stops along the way to make sure you are topped up with energy drink and make sure you pick up some food to nibble on between stops. I try to make sure I take a swig of drink every 10mins and eat half a flapjack or similar every half and hour or so.0 -
That's just shy of 18mph average - maybe you just need to pace it a bit better (ie riding just a bit slower)?brettjmcc wrote:Yesterday I did 72 miles in 4hrs 4 mins, it only had 1550ft of climbing.0 -
Bronzie wrote:
That's just shy of 18mph average - maybe you just need to pace it a bit better (ie riding just a bit slower)?brettjmcc wrote:Yesterday I did 72 miles in 4hrs 4 mins, it only had 1550ft of climbing.
+1
I'd aim for 15-16 mph average over that distance for your first try.The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome0
