what training for 100+ miles per day over several days

greeny67

Hi everyone, Planning on doing a unsupported ride over 11/12 days. Staying in b+b's but will be carrying panniers. So i think i wont be speeding along. ive never rode so long or over so many days before so am abit concerned.

What i want to know is what is the best way to train for such a ride. Im thinking of doing the ride next summer. i have 10 hours max a week to train. At the moment ive managed 70 miles as my longest ride, but thats on my road bike with no loads. Do i need to use the bike that i plan on riding more or can i just keep using my road bike.
Also what type of intensity do i need to maintain. i have the habit of going off at the same intensity for all my rides, which is steady to brisk pace. Not sure if this the right way to go about it.
,
Any suggestions welcome.

thanks

guinea

I'd suggest you need a few back to back rides so you can see the levels of fatigue you'll be under. 11 or 12 centuries would be hard even without panniers. I'd factor in a few rest or easy days if I was you.

I tried to do a week of centuries a while back. Started on Monday and but only managed 50 miles on friday, had a day off on saturday and then did another century on Sunday. The rest helped massively.

If you can't increase your hours then train smart. Look at the Time Crunched Cyclist book.

welton

Depending on your health and age your training should be gradual, building up distance each week. The older you are the longer it will probably take to achieve the required fitness. It would be a good idea to have a sheduled training programme some 12-15 weeks before your intended departure. All the normal recovery and dietary considerations apply.
I have learned this year not to 'go out too hard' as you imply you presently ride. Warm up is essential and try riding at lower intensity, building up fitness. For my current TdF ride, I have followed advice in this respect and used a heart rate monitor seriously for the first time. With improved higher cadence and a more gradual build up, I can firmly state - it works.

doyler78

And don't use the time crunched cyclist. It simply is not suitable for what you are planing. It is designed to build huge levels of training stress which are simply unsustainable for more than the length of the programme so going off and doing multiple century rides after it would just be a disaster.

mididoctors

welton wrote:

Depending on your health and age your training should be gradual, building up distance each week. The older you are the longer it will probably take to achieve the required fitness. It would be a good idea to have a sheduled training programme some 12-15 weeks before your intended departure. All the normal recovery and dietary considerations apply.
I have learned this year not to 'go out too hard' as you imply you presently ride. Warm up is essential and try riding at lower intensity, building up fitness. For my current TdF ride, I have followed advice in this respect and used a heart rate monitor seriously for the first time. With improved higher cadence and a more gradual build up, I can firmly state - it works.

25kmh avg for a complete tdf route is pretty bl00dy impressive for a 70 yr BTW

nferrar

Are your BB's pre-planned (i.e. you have to do a certain amount of miles each day) or can you just go at a pace you're comfortable with and stop when you've had enough? If you need to maintain a certain pace then you're going to have to train at or above that pace.

I would say your challenge is part just getting the base fitness and part getting used to being on the bike for 6+ hours a day and all the little niggles and aches that can go along with it. You can work on the fitness OK with 10 hours a few but you're going to struggle to replicate the time in the saddle experience. Same situation applies to your bikes, getting the fitness on the road bike is fine but you'll want time in the saddle on the bike you're riding the challenge on.