A 20-Week Century Ride Training Plan, Designed for First- Timers conquer vous 6 aoa wT TH GUIDENeo Coney i Taig Plan: Fie Yur Fe 100 ‘When youre a new eyelist the ida of riding 100 miles may seem sary. Tey even seem unattainable. But is absolutely posible—as long as you putin the time, taining, and some smar acti ecisions. Here, wet sharing a 20-10 rsining plan to rde a century that ean take you from being a casual or occasional eis oa 100-mileriding ‘machine, without sacrificing all of your free time inthe process es, riding a century is a commitment, asi the taining proces, But the feeling of accomplishment you get when you se those three digits fash ‘across your cycling computer or phone screen is unbeatable. Let's get stared! aa] Century Ride ip for sucess Your 20-Week Training Plan to Ride 100 Miles Designed by longtime ceting coach and Kinesiologist Peter Glasford, this Plan is talored specially for busy people who don't have a lo of fee time during the week to train. Weekdays max ut at 90 minutes on the ‘ike. Ifyou have the time and bandwidth to add extra time, grest—but if you dont, you can sil met your goal of riding the century if you focus ‘on puting in the work onthe schedule, ‘Weekends are flexible, with most rides offering a range of hours spent on the bike to allow you to work around your commicments as needed, ‘Glassford recommends “playing” withthe ime ranges: Dont always opt forthe shone ride posible, but alo dnt always force yoursl to a ‘the maximum length of here, Do what makes sense and fees good for you. pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tesea Coney i Tang Plan: ie Yur Ft 100 you're new to eeling, some terms like your power oF heart rate may’be confusing. You ea fad full explainer shout taining to power zones inthis arte (ifyou have a power eter, oF You can base your taining on heart rate using this explainer tile, Don' have either? Understanding your perceived exerion—how ‘hard something feels—can get you stared jus fine! Pi) our FIP Test Gotee Lastly Work and walking. They may not seem important fr eyeing But ‘expecially for beginners, they can be eriteally important. don't neglect the recommendations from Glasford around core ‘Walking serves ax some bonus endurance training, particularly if you havent been doing much walking in ecent years and you find you start breathing hands you walk a ic faster. Core work can help to keep your uaper body from fatiguing as you go longer and longer on the bike. Often, new siders puta lot of aeess on their arms and shoulders because their core n't engaged onthe bike, ‘hich ean ead to neck pain, fatigue, and discomfort. fyou'e nt sure ‘what todo, sy this simple 1S-minute outine—no gear needed! pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tesclingpmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tes ea Coney i Tang Plan: ie Yur Ft 100Tips for Nailing Those 100 Miles on Race Day fo make i through you raining, here ate a Few ips to keepin mind Fuel forlong rides Remember to fel on weekend ong res. Exper recommend about 200, te 500 calories per hour and 30 to 60 gram of eats per hou Alo, aim er how (more iit’ hot to drink at least one big botle of ws ‘outside. Even on des that are two hours versus the longer four-pus ‘our ides, fueling ks important pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng teseo Coney i Taig Plan: ie Yur Fe 100 ‘Skip on fue or hydration and youl key bonk by the end ofthe ride quay imporeant fueling on these shorter long rides gives your gut ‘chance to get used tothe foods and drinks that youl be using on the day you rde your fist century. No one wants o be frantially hunting down 4 porca.potty 20 miles into their big ride because the new gel Navor they teed it seeding Putin the hours Do at least one five-hour rde before your fist century. The fist time you lock 100 wil almost eral take seven of more hours o while it may ‘be tempting ro always sick to the short end ofthe recommended ides on your trsining plan, your but, your gut, and your legs wil ll thank you for puting in atleast one long ede before the big day. Practice drafting Planning so ide with arin? Pracice with them. Drafting behind anaher rider can save you alot of energy and make the ride go fat ‘bu drafting is 2 skill hat you absolutely should pretice before the big ay. Do a least afew rides with the fiend you'e hoping co ride 100 niles ith well ahead of ime so you can practice drstng off f esth ‘other and learn about each otber's respective paces and efor levels. pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tesea Coney i Tang Plan: ie Yur Ft 100 FY meer Plan (ond ride) the route “Ty tide most af your planned century saute before che big ay. Use some of your weekend long ides o scout the route so tha its no ll scary unknown on your big day If you'te planning a century in a location far fom home, use Google Maps to preview the route the best that you «an, sping ou gas stations or temaurans to rfl bts, places stop for and any other intel you might need. While you ‘want the big day of your century to feel exctng, you dont want to fel stressed about the route! Get up and go ‘Start cay in the day While summer fs gret for century rides becouse ‘there's plenty of daylight, give youself as much cushion a pssbleso ‘thar youre done before dark f you've never ridden with aight oa your Dike, your fs encury probably sth time robe figuring outa headlamp when you're already exhausted Prepare for uncertainty. ‘Share your route with someone and be prepared for emergencies and ‘breakdowns Make sure youve filed a “igh plan” with someone who ‘an serve as your emergency pickup if needed pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng teseo Conte i Taig Plan: Fie Yur Feet 100 ‘leo, ake sure that your saddle bag and pockets are packed with snacks, ca (incase a gas station won't accept credit eatd or Apple Pay), at repair supplies, a multtol, and a minipump. An ‘emergency Banker ora lightweight aincoat may aso be aifesaver ifthe ‘weather suddenly turns on you. This is your longest ride eve, so think like a Boy Scout and abways be prepared, se or cctonn naan Use what to know Don't ry anything new on the day of your century ride! This the time to experiment with new energy drink, new saddle, new cycling shoes, new anythin... Stick to what you've found that works fr you, Expect hurdles les almost inevitable shat your fst cenury (and every century afterwards, f we're being honest is going to havea dark moment or two, “The feeling of aleady tied legs at mile 20? Frustrating. That big hill at nile 70? Soul-shatering, The Nat at mile 907 Devastating But push through those dark moments and try to focus on the positive. The tired legs ealyon are just your body geting used tothe work its doing. That big to serach your back, etch your breath and have a smack, You've got this ely have a descent following it, The Mat gives you a minute ‘Above all be patient with youre Thats the Best advice that Kisten Legan, gravel eyling coach and winner of the 30sule Unbound xt has to offer "You will go through highs and fows out here: ts going to fel awesome at some point, and it’s going to feel ke ther’ no way you ean pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tesea Contry i Taig Plan: ie Yur Fe 100 finish t at another poin,;*she say. Just know that those emotions wil ‘continue to change. Slow it dow and take it one mile at atime.” RELATED STORIES I cnet trite ty Ready to take your training to tne next lever? ‘Let us belp you Sih trong! [mter your emall addres here, erse pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tes0824 25090, Nea Coney i Taig Par: ie Yur Feet 100 pmeyeing conanng tite zwed.cemyceiranng tes tun