Coaching for a Century Bicycle Race

A milestone within the lifetime of any bike owner is using a century, or 100 miles, in sooner or later. Whereas using 100 miles in a day could sound excessive to a non-cyclist, it isn’t unthinkable. Virtually any informal bike owner can full a century in the event that they observe a complete coaching routine.

There are a number of issues to contemplate with a purpose to have a trouble-free century. They embody:

• The appropriate gear
• The appropriate coaching
• The appropriate meals
• The appropriate angle

Tools Biking for a Century

The appropriate gear means consolation. Your bike ought to fit your needs nicely and ought to be acquainted. For those who aren’t positive, have your native bike skilled present a match evaluation. Don’t plan to trip a brand new or a borrowed bike in your first century. Think about having a tune-up earlier than the trip, and carry a spare tire and patch equipment, instruments, a pump and data of easy methods to use them. Different important gear contains:

• A correctly match helmet
• Water bottles and cages
• Biking clothes, together with footwear, shorts, gloves and rain gear
• Sun shades

Coaching Plan for Biking a Century

The core of your coaching ought to be endurance coaching. For those who begin your coaching no less than 12 weeks earlier than the trip, you’ll have ample time to organize for the century. For those who already trip greater than 7 hours per week, you have to far much less time to organize.

Whereas most of your rides will likely be at about 65% of your most coronary heart fee (MHR), add two days of interval coaching, the place you push exhausting for a number of minutes — as much as 85% MHR. Hills are a good way so as to add interval coaching to your trip. And don’t neglect to permit sooner or later per week for restoration. A pattern coaching schedule could appear to be this:

• Saturday: 1-2 hour trip with half-hour of exhausting effort
• Sunday: 1-2 hour trip at regular tempo (65% MHR)
• Monday: Relaxation
• Tuesday: 1-1.5 hour trip with hills
• Wednesday: Relaxation or 1-hour straightforward restoration trip
• Thursday: 1-1.5 hours with interval coaching
• Friday: Relaxation or 30-minute straightforward restoration trip

Extra Century Coaching Suggestions

• Keep a cadence of 70 to 90 revolutions per minute
• Step by step improve your mileage as you get nearer to the century, growing not more than 10% at a time.
• Plan a 50- or 60-mile trip no less than two weeks earlier than the century
• Taper your mileage per week earlier than the century. Throughout that week chances are you’ll even scale back your using to at least one or two days of a simple 5 to ten-mile spin. Additionally, attempt to get loads of sleep.

Vitamin for a 100-Mile Bike Trip

Because the trip day approaches, meals turns into the vital part for a profitable century. Just a few days previous to the trip you need to begin hydrating. Drink water continuously, in the reduction of or remove caffeine and alcohol, and add carbohydrates to your eating regimen.

On trip day, eat a lightweight breakfast of high-carbohydrate meals and drink plenty of water. On the trip drink earlier than you are thirsty. Water or a sports activities drink ought to be your first alternative. Eat simply digestible, carbohydrate-rich meals resembling power bars, bagels, fruit or granola. Don’t attempt one thing new on the trip. It is best to eat issues you understand agree with you.

Perspective and Technique for Your Century Trip

Ease into the trip tempo. This isn’t a race, and if it’s your first century, the purpose is to complete comfortably. Listed here are some extra ideas for an gratifying trip:

• Change your place typically. Transfer your hand place, stand up off the saddle, stretch your arms, shoulders, and neck, arch your again and stretch out. Keep away from staying in a single place too lengthy.
• Take brief relaxation breaks off the bike. An organized century trip will provide common water and meals stops. Make the most of this time to get off the bike and refill your water bottles, stretch, and use the restroom. Hold these stops to 10 minutes or much less or chances are you’ll threat getting stiff.
• Discover a companion or two. The trip will go sooner and really feel simpler with a buddy or two. Additionally, expert riders can reap the benefits of drafting and avoid wasting power within the wind.

Perspective is the whole lot. If in case you have ready your self nicely, there isn’t rather more to be achieved on trip day than sit again and benefit from the surroundings (and possibly plan your subsequent century).