First century ride / race tips for pacing and fueling

hillrunner

Cycling newbie but glutton for punishment here...I've only been riding outdoors for the last 6 weeks or so but signed up for a century race / ride in about a month with about 8,000 ft of climbing. I was coming from solid base fitness from being a runner and doing 1 hour of indoor cycling 4x per week for the last 6 months so from a fitness standpoint probably better than the avg newer rider. However I'm woefully lacking in experience for longer rides / large group rides.

My main goals for the century in this order is 1) not crash or take anybody else out 2) finish 3) ride at a steady pace to maximize finish time

Right now I can comfortably do a solo 30 miles at about 20mph with rolling hills riding on the hoods (probably 70% to 75% of max heart rate). This isn't easy but isn't super hard, I can do this 3 or 4 days in a row with no issue. I'm planning to do a 60 or 70 mile ride next weekend to help build up more endurance.

Any suggestion for what heart rate should I target for the century as % of max, and also how much I should push my heart rate up on the climbs (there are a few long climbs in the ride)? I don't have a good sense for what is "normal" for a ride of that length.

Secondly, any ideas on how the optimal way to fuel for the ride? They have stops every 20 miles or so and I imagine I'll need to get water / fluids. I have no aspirations about winning or finishing anywhere near the leaders so does it make sense for me just to stop for a few mins, grab food, fill up the bottle at the stops? Or should I try to carry everything with me and eat / drink on the go?

Thanks in advance

milemuncher1

If your that into it, get yourself a Wattbike, or go somewhere with a Wattbike, and do a Functional Threshold Power Test ( FTP). This basically involves riding a stationary bike as hard as you can for an hour ( or 20 minutes extrapolated, which isn’t as accurate, but takes less time). This will give you a number to work with, and if you’ve got a heart rate monitor, another number to work with. You’ll then be able to work out your HR / Power ‘zones’. pertaining to your riding. If you’re doing a maiden 100 mile event, try and keep your HR / Power, in your Zone 2, for as much of the ride as possible. As far as eating and drinking goes, eat some food with plenty of slow release carbs in it, a few hours before the ride ( porridge / oats / pasta ) in order to max out the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver, and some quick release energy foods ( honey / jelly babies / fig rolls / belvita bars with sugary stuff in them ) just before the off. I find bananas are a good thing to eat as well, as I find the magnesium they contain, help to mitigate any cramps that may develop during the ride. Drink enough fluids before the off to not feel thirsty. During the ride, top up your quick release carbs, using sweets / gels / whatever you fancy, and drink little and often, to prevent getting to the point where you feel thirsty. If you keep the drink ‘isotonic’ you’ll prevent any large fluctuations in electrolyte levels, which can be a hindrance / dangerous, depending on the severity. When you’ve finished the event, have a protein rich meal, and get some carbs into you, to replenish your glycogen stores.

webboo

If it’s a century ride I.e. a sportive. There will be no wining or leaders as it’s not a race although there will be folk who do think it’s a race.

hillrunner

Webboo wrote:

If it’s a century ride I.e. a sportive. There will be no wining or leaders as it’s not a race although there will be folk who do think it’s a race.

I don't know what to technically call it but it is a real race in that they have prizes, etc and it is chip timed, they have age group winners, etc. However there are thousands of people, mass start, and many are just casual riders aiming to finish.

fenix

I think you need to work on your endurance rather than blasting 30 milers now.

Add 10 miles each week and you'll be up to 70 or 80 by race day.

Do you have a timer on your watch or computer ? Set it to beep every 20 mins and make sure you have a drink or a bite of something each time.

Make sure you have gears low enough if the climbs are long. Err on the side of caution. Nobody ever complained they had too low a gear. Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Good luck - sounds a challenge. What is the ride ?

hillrunner

Fenix wrote:

I think you need to work on your endurance rather than blasting 30 milers now.

Add 10 miles each week and you'll be up to 70 or 80 by race day.

Do you have a timer on your watch or computer ? Set it to beep every 20 mins and make sure you have a drink or a bite of something each time.

Make sure you have gears low enough if the climbs are long. Err on the side of caution. Nobody ever complained they had too low a gear. Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Good luck - sounds a challenge. What is the ride ?

Thanks, I'm going to aim for 60 to 70 mile ride over the next week, my bike only has a mount for one water bottle so I guess I will stop and refill every hour or so. Good advice on the gearing

The ride is this https://gfny.com/about/. I signed up on a whim because it looked like fun and gave me a goal to shoot for...but have no idea what to expect / don't know anyone else who has done it

Matthewfalle

hillrunner wrote:

Webboo wrote:

If it’s a century ride I.e. a sportive. There will be no wining or leaders as it’s not a race although there will be folk who do think it’s a race.

I don't know what to technically call it but it is a real race in that they have prizes, etc and it is chip timed, they have age group winners, etc. However there are thousands of people, mass start, and many are just casual riders aiming to finish.

It's a sportive - i.e. A fun ride.

Just go and enjoy

milemuncher1

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

webboo

It’s one those super serious sportives, which ex pros ride and every now and then the winner gets busted for doping.
However with your limited experience it about finishing and trying to avoid all the choppers who are racing for 600th place.

webboo

Milemuncher1 wrote:

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

Yes don’t be trying to follow the likes of Frome and co’s example, listen to some bloke who has a cadence of 30 and avoids hills if he can.

StillGoing

hillrunner wrote:

Webboo wrote:

If it’s a century ride I.e. a sportive. There will be no wining or leaders as it’s not a race although there will be folk who do think it’s a race.

I don't know what to technically call it but it is a real race in that they have prizes, etc and it is chip timed, they have age group winners, etc. However there are thousands of people, mass start, and many are just casual riders aiming to finish.

Sounds just like a sportive, so isn't a race. Plenty of sportives use chip timing for a more accurate method of recording time and ensuring they get all finishers. It also helps spot people who haven't returned. Most give a prize to everyone that finishes and "medals" to gold, silver and bronze standard finishers.

You'll get people that are happy to plod around on anything from expensive exotica to mountainbikes and Bromptons. Then you'll get the people that want to completely smash it for the best time possible and groups happy to ride at a comfortable, but working for it pace, just like their normal rides.

Enjoy it for what it is and forget all thoughts of it being a race.

hillrunner

Webboo wrote:

It’s one those super serious sportives, which ex pros ride and every now and then the winner gets busted for doping.
However with your limited experience it about finishing and trying to avoid all the choppers who are racing for 600th place.

made me chuckle

fenix

Milemuncher1 wrote:

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

Remind me again what your average speed for rides is ?

I'm not saying flapping - but grinding uphill is crap for your knees and crap for you. Lower gears are the key.

milemuncher1

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

Fenix wrote:

Remind me again what your average speed for rides is ?

Depends on the ride, a 100 mile closed road Sportive will be about 17mph, with sections of 20 mph averages for the odd hour ( typically) a solo open road endurance ride, more like 14-15mph typically.

Fenix wrote:

I'm not saying flapping - but grinding uphill is crap for your knees and crap for you. Lower gears are the key.

I’d agree, “Grinding up hill” is not the best idea, so that’s why I don’t. I have a ( relatively) low gear available for any nasty kickers, but on the flats, and downhills, I keep my Cadence much lower than most people I know, on a long endurance distance ride, just push a lot harder on the pedals, for longer duration of the crank rotations, you have to develop the technique that minimises the strain on the knees, whilst maintaining this relatively high torque bias, but it’s easy enough, when it becomes second nature. It’s basically about pushing down, with the heels below the toes, and extending the legs more than typically seen on short ‘sprint’ distance ride. You need to set the bike ( particularly your shoes / cleats / pedals and saddle position) up, to get it to work effectively, and the resultant position does feel odd to start with, because it tends to destabilise a ‘normal’ bike relative to the way you’d ride a bike if you weren’t trying to maximise your ‘fuel efficiency’ but still keep your pace half decent. But once you’re used to it, I find it works very well.

Think of it as the difference between how a LMP1 race car engine develops its power ( and why it does it that way ) versus a typical race car engine.

LWLondon

Milemuncher1 wrote:

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

Fenix wrote:

Remind me again what your average speed for rides is ?

Depends on the ride, a 100 mile closed road Sportive will be about 17mph, with sections of 20 mph averages for the odd hour ( typically) a solo open road endurance ride, more like 14-15mph typically.

Fenix wrote:

I'm not saying flapping - but grinding uphill is crap for your knees and crap for you. Lower gears are the key.

I’d agree, “Grinding up hill” is not the best idea, so that’s why I don’t. I have a ( relatively) low gear available for any nasty kickers, but on the flats, and downhills, I keep my Cadence much lower than most people I know, on a long endurance distance ride, just push a lot harder on the pedals, for longer duration of the crank rotations, you have to develop the technique that minimises the strain on the knees, whilst maintaining this relatively high torque bias, but it’s easy enough, when it becomes second nature. It’s basically about pushing down, with the heels below the toes, and extending the legs more than typically seen on short ‘sprint’ distance ride. You need to set the bike ( particularly your shoes / cleats / pedals and saddle position) up, to get it to work effectively, and the resultant position does feel odd to start with, because it tends to destabilise a ‘normal’ bike relative to the way you’d ride a bike if you weren’t trying to maximise your ‘fuel efficiency’ but still keep your pace half decent. But once you’re used to it, I find it works very well.

Think of it as the difference between how a LMP1 race car engine develops its power ( and why it does it that way ) versus a typical race car engine.

So given it's a highly specialised position, that takes a while to get used to (ignoring the fact the significant majority of the cycling world disagrees with you), you think that advice is relevant to a "newbie" training for a long ride in the next couple of months? Your advice is dangerous, at best. Sounds like someone trying to adopt your approach, while significantly increasing mileage, is at danger of injuring themselves. Why don't you start a thread advocating how to adopt your "approach" and leave it on there, instead of deliberately trying to start a debate on multiple threads, as soon as someone mentions cadence?

lettingthedaysgoby

Eat a decent breakfast
Make sure you're hydrated
Don't go off too fast
Eat something every hour or so
Make sure you're hydrated
Don't go off too fast
Enjoy it, it isn't a race
Don't go off too fast

surfercyclist

Milemuncher1 wrote:

Fenix wrote:

Make sure your cadence is more spin than grind.

Not on an endurance type ride, if you want to keep your heart rate in the low zones, you won’t want to be flapping your legs about.

I'm intrigued as to how you decided to adopt the low cadence riding style, was it something you heard of and tried or just did it yourself? As you may have noticd, it divides opinion. You on the low cadence side and pretty much everyone else on the medium to high side.

bondurant

OP, while the MM crazee-slow thing may turn out to be great for you down the line, cadence is normally something that just feels right. People don't normally try to hit a particular number. Just do what is comfortable and don't go nuts out of the gate, ride within yourself until you've broken the back of the route.

bigmitch41

Just enjoy it, its your first century ride and will give you something to aim for on your second century ride, if you come back for more.

As already said you need to start building some endurance into your fitness, longer rides 2 to 3 hours and learn to hydrate and feed along the way. Everyone's different and you will get to know what works and what doesn't.

Good luck!

imposter2.0

Once again, another thread becomes all about milemincer...

savethemamil

OP I have ridden in this area although not this event and the main feature of the course is that the hills look to be loaded into the second half. The run up to Bear Mountain is pretty flat and I expect there will be a lot of groups really gunning it. Be careful not to get carried away here as you will need a lot more energy for the second half!

Bear Mountain itself is a long climb but only about 6% gradient and pretty constant so you can get a good rhythm going. I would get in a low gear and just spin up it relying on your aerobic capacity you have from running.

On the descent you will really need to watch out for kamikaze folk flying past you.

The really tough section will be the third quarter where there is a lot of further climbing but it is undulating terrain and hard to get a good rhythm. Save yourself some energy for this and you will be able to go past a lot of other guys who went off too fast.

The last quarter from Haverstraw home is pretty flat so aim to just empty the tank here.

hillrunner

BigMitch41 wrote:

Just enjoy it, its your first century ride and will give you something to aim for on your second century ride, if you come back for more.

As already said you need to start building some endurance into your fitness, longer rides 2 to 3 hours and learn to hydrate and feed along the way. Everyone's different and you will get to know what works and what doesn't.

Good luck!

Thanks for all of the advice.

I did a 60 miler yesterday with a little bit of hills and a lot of wind, heart rate averaging 70% and never let it go above 80% of max. It was fatiguing but I had energy left at the end and feeling pretty good today.

The only issue that came up that I'm worried about for next weekend was my toes on both feet got really numb. I've had this issue before but not this bad but its also about 25 miles further than I've gone before. They still hurt a little bit today. Part of it was probably the cold and part of it was circulation getting cut off. Any idea on what the problem might be? They are look pedal clips and the shoes seem to be the right size.

lettingthedaysgoby

Size could be correct but maybe you had them done up a bit too tight?

hillrunner

savethemamil wrote:

OP I have ridden in this area although not this event and the main feature of the course is that the hills look to be loaded into the second half. The run up to Bear Mountain is pretty flat and I expect there will be a lot of groups really gunning it. Be careful not to get carried away here as you will need a lot more energy for the second half!

Bear Mountain itself is a long climb but only about 6% gradient and pretty constant so you can get a good rhythm going. I would get in a low gear and just spin up it relying on your aerobic capacity you have from running.

On the descent you will really need to watch out for kamikaze folk flying past you.

The really tough section will be the third quarter where there is a lot of further climbing but it is undulating terrain and hard to get a good rhythm. Save yourself some energy for this and you will be able to go past a lot of other guys who went off too fast.

The last quarter from Haverstraw home is pretty flat so aim to just empty the tank here.

Good advice on the course, especially on the descending Bear mountain. I'll probably be the guy scrubbing speed if I get up much past 30 mph so will try to stay in the slow lane

burnthesheep

hillrunner wrote:

Cycling newbie but glutton for punishment here...I've only been riding outdoors for the last 6 weeks or so but signed up for a century race / ride in about a month with about 8,000 ft of climbing. I was coming from solid base fitness from being a runner and doing 1 hour of indoor cycling 4x per week for the last 6 months so from a fitness standpoint probably better than the avg newer rider. However I'm woefully lacking in experience for longer rides / large group rides.

I'm going to say keep your expectations low. I would say just set yourself a "schedule" per what time you should get to each aid station to meet the maximum cutoff time.

1 hour isn't really long enough to really build your aerobic base. So my concern here is that you haven't had enough intensity in those 1 hour rides to makeup for the other riding.

I just did a 100mi 11k feet fondo on Monday. There were US Marines as a group that had gone past me earlier that I passed back later walking their bikes up part of the climb, and almost in tears.

8k feet isn't a joke for a century at all. You'll probably finish, but definitely seek out a slow group to share work with in the flatter parts.

Also, not sure what you weigh, but I'm 150lbs and barely managed at the pace I chose with a 34t - 28. That's probably why I saw a LOT of people that were in the 170lbs and higher range walking.

Something to consider: if you flat or have a mechanical and lose a group you can share work with when it is flat, you're going to suffer on the climbs. I flatted after 30ish miles and had to work alone for the next 40 miles. Meaning that the 6200ft of mountain climbing really sucked.

For you, I'd really recommend having a 32 cog in the back. Just from being newer.

The DNF rate of the event I did was about 30% failing to finish. One guy I was on the bus back with had done it 3 times and it was his first time ever finishing.

singleton

Train with long rides and low intensity.
While you train, get used to eating as part of your training.
Eat little and often - ideally find some way of reminding yourself every 30 minutes or so. I have a Garmin computer that you can set to give you an alert every so often - I set mine to 15k / 10 miles and use that as a reminder to eat something.
Enjoy it and don't go off too hard.

hillrunner

burnthesheep wrote:

hillrunner wrote:

Cycling newbie but glutton for punishment here...I've only been riding outdoors for the last 6 weeks or so but signed up for a century race / ride in about a month with about 8,000 ft of climbing. I was coming from solid base fitness from being a runner and doing 1 hour of indoor cycling 4x per week for the last 6 months so from a fitness standpoint probably better than the avg newer rider. However I'm woefully lacking in experience for longer rides / large group rides.

I'm going to say keep your expectations low. I would say just set yourself a "schedule" per what time you should get to each aid station to meet the maximum cutoff time.

1 hour isn't really long enough to really build your aerobic base. So my concern here is that you haven't had enough intensity in those 1 hour rides to makeup for the other riding.

I just did a 100mi 11k feet fondo on Monday. There were US Marines as a group that had gone past me earlier that I passed back later walking their bikes up part of the climb, and almost in tears.

8k feet isn't a joke for a century at all. You'll probably finish, but definitely seek out a slow group to share work with in the flatter parts.

Also, not sure what you weigh, but I'm 150lbs and barely managed at the pace I chose with a 34t - 28. That's probably why I saw a LOT of people that were in the 170lbs and higher range walking.

Something to consider: if you flat or have a mechanical and lose a group you can share work with when it is flat, you're going to suffer on the climbs. I flatted after 30ish miles and had to work alone for the next 40 miles. Meaning that the 6200ft of mountain climbing really sucked.

For you, I'd really recommend having a 32 cog in the back. Just from being newer.

The DNF rate of the event I did was about 30% failing to finish. One guy I was on the bus back with had done it 3 times and it was his first time ever finishing.

That sounds like a hard ride! My goal is to not crash or have a mechanical, especially because it looks like it is going to rain, and then to finish.

I'm 165 lbs / 75ish kg, prob need to lose some weight.

I'm not going to change anything on my bike, too late for that given event this wkend.

I've got a proper bike computer / power meter set-up and based on the advice from this board and others am planning to just go out super easy and just keep my heart rate in the 120 to 140 range on flats or downhill which is the pace where it basically feels like i can go all day.

On the real climbs I'm going to aim to keep a steady power in the high 200's which is pushing closer up to or close to my threshold level, unless it feels like the bike is going to tip over then I'll ramp it up for a bit. I actually don't know offhand the exact gearing -- I don't think this course is as steep as yours and with my current gearing this should be enough power.

Let's hope I don't get a mechanical. I know how to change a flat but haven't had to do it yet on the road. The bike is only a couple months old so the odds of something else breaking seem pretty slim.

LWLondon

hillrunner wrote:

I've got a proper bike computer / power meter set-up and based on the advice from this board and others am planning to just go out super easy and just keep my heart rate in the 120 to 140 range on flats or downhill which is the pace where it basically feels like i can go all day.

On the real climbs I'm going to aim to keep a steady power in the high 200's which is pushing closer up to or close to my threshold level, unless it feels like the bike is going to tip over then I'll ramp it up for a bit. I actually don't know offhand the exact gearing -- I don't think this course is as steep as yours and with my current gearing this should be enough power.

Let's hope I don't get a mechanical. I know how to change a flat but haven't had to do it yet on the road. The bike is only a couple months old so the odds of something else breaking seem pretty slim.

A cycling newbie with a power meter (impressive!), who has an FTP close to 300watts.

Man you guys make me feel bad, what is in the water where you live?! I've never come across a newbie that good, i'm not even that good after a couple of years!

hillrunner

LWLondon wrote:

hillrunner wrote:

I've got a proper bike computer / power meter set-up and based on the advice from this board and others am planning to just go out super easy and just keep my heart rate in the 120 to 140 range on flats or downhill which is the pace where it basically feels like i can go all day.

On the real climbs I'm going to aim to keep a steady power in the high 200's which is pushing closer up to or close to my threshold level, unless it feels like the bike is going to tip over then I'll ramp it up for a bit. I actually don't know offhand the exact gearing -- I don't think this course is as steep as yours and with my current gearing this should be enough power.

Let's hope I don't get a mechanical. I know how to change a flat but haven't had to do it yet on the road. The bike is only a couple months old so the odds of something else breaking seem pretty slim.

A cycling newbie with a power meter (impressive!), who has an FTP close to 300watts.

Man you guys make me feel bad, what is in the water where you live?! I've never come across a newbie that good, i'm not even that good after a couple of years!

My general cycling knowledge and group riding skills are very bad noob level vs. my fitness level, because I have an endurance base as an ok runner (ran a couple half marathons in the 85 to 90 min range).

Also my cycling strength is good because I did 1 hour indoor sessions (some of them very hard) on an indoor bike with a power meter a few times a week at my gym for close to 6 months before I decided to get an outdoor bike when the weather turned. I got the power meter because I'm a data junkie and that's how I am used to riding in the gym and gauging my effort

sloppyschleckonds

hillrunner wrote:

I've got a proper bike computer / power meter set-up and based on the advice from this board and others am planning to just go out super easy and just keep my heart rate in the 120 to 140 range on flats or downhill which is the pace where it basically feels like i can go all day.

So you have a powermeter but you are going to pace yourself on heart rate :?:

hillrunner

hillrunner wrote:

BigMitch41 wrote:

Just enjoy it, its your first century ride and will give you something to aim for on your second century ride, if you come back for more.

As already said you need to start building some endurance into your fitness, longer rides 2 to 3 hours and learn to hydrate and feed along the way. Everyone's different and you will get to know what works and what doesn't.

Good luck!

Thanks for all of the advice.

I did a 60 miler yesterday with a little bit of hills and a lot of wind, heart rate averaging 70% and never let it go above 80% of max. It was fatiguing but I had energy left at the end and feeling pretty good today.

The only issue that came up that I'm worried about for next weekend was my toes on both feet got really numb. I've had this issue before but not this bad but its also about 25 miles further than I've gone before. They still hurt a little bit today. Part of it was probably the cold and part of it was circulation getting cut off. Any idea on what the problem might be? They are look pedal clips and the shoes seem to be the right size.

OP following up, I finished the event yesterday and didn’t crash or have any close calls (unless you count when I was limping back home and the bag I hung on my handlebars got caught in my front spokes, causing me to go over the handlebars...fortunately low speed... other than the embarrassment I was ok ).

Had a lot of fun the first 55 miles. Got into a big group and we were cruising along with what seemed to be not much effort. The last 45 miles was a lot of suffering. I got bad leg cramps where my legs seized up a few times and had to get off the bike and stretch. Then I had to ride solo for good portions which was tough. Ended up finishing in a little under 6 hours total time with 15 minutes of stopping included. My normalized power says a little over 200 but my very rough guess is it was 10% higher for the first half and 10% lower in second half. My heart rate monitor was acting up unfortunately so I didn’t have a great way to gauge effort. My toes still got numb but I just kept trying to keep moving them and so I was able to manage — will need to figure this out though to keep riding.

Lessons learned (other the obvious, train / ride more)
1. Drink more, I only had one bottle the first 45 miles, I didn’t know exactly where the stops would be so I was trying to conserve and didn’t time it right.
2. Hold back more than it seems like you need to...I felt like I was holding back but then suddenly bonked. Clearly went out too fast even though it felt like I left a little in the tank. The advice about the third quarter of the course being he hardest was spot on. Lots of climbs with very little flat for what seemed to be forever.
3. Sunscreen — it was raining in the morning and supposed to be cloudy all day. However the rain stopped after the first half of the ride and sun came out and I got burned
4. Alternate sitting and standing on the long climbs with steeper grades I only figured this out towards the end watching others do it. Maybe would have helped prevent the bad cramping in the back of my legs

All in all, I’m really happy with how it turned out. Came home in one piece, finished, and even though I was cursing those hills in the 2nd half and had thoughts of never doing it again I definitely want to keep riding and improving