rock your next century ride
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Training for a century ride or thinking about one? Here are some tips from Coach Nicole of NEO Endurance Sports & Fitness on how to train for and enjoy your next century ride.TRANSCRIPT
Rock Your Next Century Ride
Nicole DrummerNEO Endurance Sports & Fitness, LLC"Get the personal attention you deserve!"
The Basics: The Century Ride
● 100 miles of pedaling bliss● Requires cardiovascular and muscular
endurance● Typical times are 5-8 hours● The more prepared you are, the more
enjoyable the event
The Basics: The Bike
● Make sure you have good equipment○ A comfortable saddle is key!○ Keep your bike clean & tuned
● Make sure your bike fits you
● Know how to change a flat tire
● Most bike shops offer some kind of basic maintenance class. Take one!
Preparation: Know The Course
● Is it flat? Hilly? How much elevation change? Are the hills steep or gradual?
● Weather patterns○ wind, storms, heat, cold?
● Learn the route - have a cue sheet with you just in case
● Know where the support/aid stations will be and what they will provide
Fitness Requirements
● Long day in the saddle, 5-8 hours. But it is an aerobic event.
● Muscular endurance is needed...keep the legs from fatigue!
● Depending on base fitness, "time in the saddle" can get you to finish.○ But why not do a little more?
Training: How Often?
● Ride 3-5 days per week○ Long Ride ○ Intervals (1-2x/week)○ Easy "recovery" rides
● Even 30 extra minutes can be beneficial to fitness if you can squeeze it in your schedule.
Training Specifics
● Have a plan
● Progressive builds with structured recovery
● Include intensity○ 50% easy○ 25% aerobic endurance (still conversational)○ 10-15% "tempo" (sub-threshold)○ 5-10% threshold○ Small bit above threshold (VO2 max, 10s sprints)
The Long Ride
● Most plans will start you out at about 20-30 miles for your first "long" ride.
● Progressively build to about 80○ do not need to do a century before your century if
you are training properly.○ Build 3-1 , 2-1, or 1-1, depending on recovery needs○ Example:
■ week 1: 20 miles■ week 2: 30 miles■ week 3: 25 miles■ week 4: 40 miles
Intervals - Tempo
● Tempo intervals are sub-threshold○ 80-90% LT power○ 85%-95% of LTHR
● Moderately hard...we often spend a lot of time here○ Pros & Cons of this zone
■ Too much time we get good here but not above■ Can be a solid boost for fitness
○ Good to do Tempo work for century training because it is likely a bit faster than what you will ride during the event.
● Can add tempo intervals to long rides
Intervals - Lactate Threshold
● Improve fitness by working your lactate threshold.
● First determine your threshold power or HR● Then setup progressive intervals where you
work just below.● Example:
○ week 1: 3x8min/3-5min recovery○ week 2: 3x10min/4-6min rec○ week 3: 3x6min/3min rec ("Easy Week")○ week 4: 3x10min/3-5min rec
● Progression depends on your fitness & ability to recover.
Intervals - VO2 max
● Shorter & harder intervals work on VO2max○ VO2 = maximal oxygen uptake by our muscles
● As we age, we want to make sure we are doing VO2 work
● VO2 = hard to very hard effort○ 120%-140% of LT power or >105%LTHR
● Example:○ week 1: 2 sets of 4x30s VO2 w/30s recovery○ week 2: 2 sets of 6x30s VO2 w/30s recovery○ week 3: no VO2 work during easy week○ week 4: 2 sets of 4x1min VO2 w/1min recovery
● Get the recovery you need
Recovery Rides
● A critical component to training....this is the easy spin.
● Blood flows to the muscles but there isn't much stress so it aids in recovery.
● It should be VERY EASY!○ "Take your bike for a walk"○ Social cruise but be sure to spin the legs!
Come to my weekly Friday evening rides at Cafe Velo, 5:45pm, for an hour easy ride!
Critical Cross-Training
● Strength Training○ core stability
■ front, back, and side○ "functional" strength
■ total body movements...multiple joints■ Body weight exercises are great
● lunges, squats, push-ups, pull-ups...● get those glutes, and strengthen the muscles around the
knee
● Flexibility & Body Maintenance○ Yoga!○ Foam rolling/stretching on your own○ Massage
Nutrition & Hydration
● Know what the event will have and practice with that
● Try different strategies in training to see what leaves you with the most energy
● Many products out there, but real food is an option
● Eat & drink at regular intervals to keep blood sugar more stable
● Learn your rate of fluid loss● Have a nutrition/hydration plan and train with
it
Track Your Training
● Technical or non-technical methods○ Garmin Connect○ Strava○ TrainingPeaks○ Pen & Paper○ Excel Spreadsheet
● Try to detect patterns of when things go well or when they don't
● Monitor improvement and look at long-term trends
Have A Plan
● Set a goal & train for it
● Have an event plan○ Travel logistics○ Pre-event details (expo/meals/etc)○ Event details (pacing/hydration/nutrition)○ Post-event celebration!
● Rock your next century!
Need Help With Your Plan?
Nicole DrummerNEO Endurance Sports & Fitness, LLChttp://[email protected]