RockiesDad

62 years old here and thinking about doing a 62 mile ride (metric century) charity ride next spring. I was just wondering how much do I need to train to do one of these? I rode about 1300 miles this year mostly around 20-30 miles a ride. Been doing 5-9% rolling hills and a few short 12% every once in awhile. Longest ride was about 45 miles once or twice so far.

I think I am able to do a flat 60 miler now but will be whipped after that. So if hills are added in the mix I might bonk at 50 or so. Currently its winter and its rainy outside so not much riding for awhile. But if nice days come around I will be out there. Unfortunately I'm still working full time so that cuts out many days.

So my question is with my current riding schedule, what would I need to add to do a metric century this spring? Anyone have a favorite training schedule they are willing to share?

TIA...

Mountain Mitch

On my first century (being a Canuck it’s all metric) I hit a bit of a wall around 80 km. The last 20 weren’t much fun! I’d suggest you add in an 80 km/ 50 miler and gradually increasing that to once a week. When that starts to feel good, push on to at least a couple of full centuries before the event.

TakingMyTime

You can do it easy. As soon as it gets warm, get on the bike and put on some miles. If you can do a couple of 50 mile rides before the metric you should be ok. Being "whipped" after a ride is nothing to be worried about. Beers taste a whole lot better when your whipped.

canklecat

I do several metric centuries a year, usually one or more a month. If you're in shape for 20-30 miles, you can do 60 miles. It's mostly a matter of pacing and comfort rather than physical exhaustion. It gets easier to quit when we're physically uncomfortable, even if we have enough energy to keep going.

Beyond 60 miles, pushing toward full 100 mile centuries, for me it's a combination of a mental game and physical comfort. I'll often ride one direction up to 30-50 miles from home so I'm better motivated to keep going on the return trip. Some folks prefer to ride closer to home, doing circuits in large rough circles around their home base in case they want to stop. If I do that I'll quit early.

I tend to get bored with longer solo rides beyond 50 miles or so. But I always enjoyed larger group and event century rides.

My main problem nowadays is neck pain on longer rides. My neck was broken in a car wreck several years ago, then re-injured when I was hit by a car last year. I'm usually good for 40-60 miles but beyond that I need to stop more often to stretch and massage my neck. I don't like being rushed to suit other people's preferences so I usually ride alone for most of those longer rides. On my last full century I did the first 60 miles with only a brief rest break. But by the 80 mile mark I was needing to stop every 5-10 miles for a brief stretch and massage break.

Machka 

Be sure to eat periodically while riding. Then you won't bonk.

Are there stairs where you work?

Stormsedge

Go for it. I'm 63 and schedule one a month from April through October. This was my third year, and I trained considerably less than my first year where I was getting at least 70 miles a week. For me it is about hydration and making sure I eat along the way. It is easy to fall into the trap of jumping off the bike at SAG stops, only filling the water bottles and racing right out again...use the SAGs to eat something, converse a bit, potty, and then head back out...I only time myself against my previous times, and only the moving times---rest stops are not counted. Stop at every SAG stop, even if you think you don't need it. Finally, break the ride into shorter rides...whatever the distance is between/to the next SAG...I'll tell myself "off for a nice 15 mile bike ride" or "off for a nice 22 mile bike ride"---"you rode 30 last week easily". Enjoy!

Gerry221

I am 53, 290lbs. Took up cycling a couple of years back. I did my metric century last year, managed it quite well. Before, I was doing 30 and 40 mile rides. If you can do that, you will do 62. Its not a race. Pace yourself. Fluids. Eat. You will do it!

Prowler 

GREAT question, and seldom asked. About 10 years before I "separated" from my career I started taking the stairs ALL the time. No elevators, and I, generally, always seemed to work on the 4th or 5th floors. People would think I was crazy (true) or antisocial (I can live with that too). But it was good for my heart, good for weight control and good for my knees. Then, about 5 years before the end, I resumed cycling after lo those many years of no cycling. Wow did the stairs help. I could pile on miles much faster than I expected. OP, quit elevators, cold turkey. Get bull headed about it. Ignore what people say.

In response to 'the question' I would tell them "Oh no. Elevators will kill ya." ???? "Well they prevent you from getting decent exercise so you die sooner." They would turn away saying "what a LOONEY!"

I also once read that I should train to easily ride 2/3 of the target distance. IOW 65 clicks if training for a metric century. That has proven to be good advice. I'll soon be 68yrs and 60 mile days are not unusual. And I easily ride my age each year. OP, you can do it.

Get an indoor trainer to reduce loss of conditioning over the winter.

TakingMyTime

+1
I've had friends tell me I should just do a certain route 2 or 3 times. That's not happening. If I'm out for a long ride I know there's a better than average chance that the thought of cutting a ride short will enter my mind. Riding 25 miles out from my house means I don't have any other choice. This summer I'm hoping to get a couple of 100 miles centuries under my belt. The problem is with the training. I usually get bored after about 4 hours in the saddle and staying with it in order to get those extra miles in can really be a mental challenge.

jlaw

Not all rides are created equal - how many vertical feet of climbing in the planned charity ride? Most organized rides will have the route laid out on Ride With GPS, Map My Ride, etc. and the total vertical will be shown. IMO if you can comfortably ride 2/3 of the distance with 2/3 of the climbing then you should be fine.

A 62 mile organized ride will likely have 2 rest stops - every 20 to 25 miles. A 10 minute stop for some food, etc. breaks up the mileage into bite-sized chunks. And, bring some snacks and water/sports drink with you on the bike.

I find organized rides to be a lot of fun and the miles tend to pass more quickly than expected with less discomfort because of the comradery of riding with others.

RockiesDad

Breaking it into chucks helps with the mental part of the ride it seems.

Just need to add another 10-20 more miles to my normal riding routine and I think I should be fine... Thanks for all the tips and encouragement.

pdlamb

OP, any chance you could start commuting by bike over the winter?

And unless you're a lot sweeter than my wife tells me I am, you won't melt in the rain.

canklecat

Another mental game I play is to *not* plan any ride longer than 20-40 miles. Most of my workouts and local small group rides are that length. So physically and mentally I'm prepped for that range of distance.

Looking back over the past year and Strava, most of my metric centuries, and my one full standard century, were unplanned. The extra miles were all tacked onto a shorter 20-40 mile solo workout or small group ride.

Usually after the first ride I'd stop for a snack, stretch and massage and realize "Hey, I've still got plenty of energy. And I'm warmed up. Let's go."

I did that several times this year and rode 50-75 miles. I don't even use the 100km target as a goal. If I felt okay I'd keep going after 60something miles. The last time I did 75 miles I thought I was in reach of a full century but it was late at night and my neck was aching so I headed home. Also set one of my fastest times on a distance ride, around 17 mph average. For me that's fast. Most days I struggle to average 16 mph over 20 miles. I've cracked 17 mph on a few 20-40 mile workouts this year but my progress has been very slow and gradual, averaging 10 mph in 2015 when I first resumed riding after a 30 year hiatus, then 15 mph in 2016, 16 mph in 2017 and so on. But at age 62 I don't expect to get faster and begin averaging 20 mph by age 65. Alas, the human body doesn't work that way.

Depends on our terrain, of course. East of where I live is all downhill, a very gradual 1% downhill over 10-15 miles. But west of town is all roller coasters with lots of short, steep, punchy climbs of 3%-10% over 100 to 400 yards. Very few real long climbs. It's hard to find even a 1 or 2 mile continuous grade averaging 1-2% with lots of false flats between short steep climbs. For me those short steep climbs are more tiring than longer gradual climbs, but that's probably because I don't pace myself well.

Anyway, if you're not an obsessive planner and organizer and enjoy an occasional bit of spontaneity, you might just go out for a ride and keep going as long as it's still enjoyable.

Biker395 

Get to where you can ride 35 miles in reasonable comfort. Then, just go out and ride it.

TKJava

I'm almost 60 and will be for another 10 years or so. I have ridden annually in charity rides (MS Society. American Cancer Society which are 75 miles and 65 miles respectively). The ACS ride is in early June so there's not a great deal of prep time in the spring. If you can do 40 miles in the winter without a break you can do 60+ miles with rest stops for sure on a flat course in warmer weather.

With a flat course the biggest challenge (for me) is not the ability to keep pedaling its the other things like your butt, wrists, shoulder and neck that are the issue. I keep training in the winter on a spin bike at the gym or indoor CycleOps trainer at home. I do short HIIT intervals rides using the Global Cycling Network (GCN) channel on YouTube. They have lots of indoor classes that you can put on your smart TV or phone and ride along. I also do about 1 hour long steady cadence ride not to hard endurance session while watching something on Netflix etc. We had a day in the mid 50's Thanksgiving week and I went out for a 35 mile ride, no stops and I found I degrade rather quickly if I'm not riding outside often enough in spite of indoor training.

This past fall I entered the Garden State Gran Fondo for their metric century course the "Medio" and it was 62 miles of hills and nothing but hills. It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done physically. Next year I plan to do it again and I have started on my training by committing to loosing 15 pounds. I figure dropping 15 pounds off my body weight will a) benefit me in general and b) its' better than buying a $5000 dollar bike (well almost better).

In general I think you will be fine, enjoy.

OldTryGuy

Living in SW FL with the lack of hills presents a major training issue for a ride like Six Gap. (103 miles with 11,000' of climbing) A longer ride (or any ride) can be transformed from a "just go out and pedal ride"

https://www.strava.com/activities/2904046757

to one of hill training by riding long segments in a high(est) gear while standing. One to three mile long segments maintaining 15mph to 18mph standing does wonders for prepping one for hills. Best to ride into a head wind but if that's not available I apply brake pressure to make things harder.

downtube42

Rule of thumb: If you train a distance every week, you can ride that distance in a day.
When training learn how to finish a ride fully hydrated.
Same for fully fueled. In the process of doing that, you'll find out what you can tolerate eating.
Use your training rides to get your bike setup as comfortable as possible.
Pace yourself during the event.

You'll be fine.

berner

If you are now riding 20 to 30 miles you are well on your way to a metric century. When I was at that same stage, I followed the recommended advice of experienced cyclists by adding about 10% to my longest rides every week. In 4 to 5 weeks I was able to ride 55 miles. My goal was to ride a charity fund raiser a month and a half away. The week before that event I rode the target distance with no problem. However, on the day of the actual event, I made the mistake of trying to keep up with a tandem team and paid the price of severs cramps during the last 1/3 of the ride. The lesson is do the intended distance but at the speed you've trained for. During succeeding rides, you can try to do the distance a bit faster. It is only by bumping against limits that we learn low to exceed those limits and live to tell the tale.

BlazingPedals

I'll add this. To do a longer ride, I usually advise backing off on the effort level a bit. If you're already pacing yourself to finish a 40-miler, that advice obviously won't work. If you can push the pace on 40 miles and feel good at the end, then you're ready for a metric at an easier pace.

RockiesDad

Oh this is good advice too. Sometimes when I see someone if front of me that is a bit quicker I feel like I "need' to catch up and keep pace with them. This might kill me for long distance riding though. So need to also keep this mental thought in mind...

NomarsGirl

When I'm out on a solo ride, I will do this. I haven't found a group to ride with and my husband is slower than I am. If someone passes me, I turn on the jets and see how long I can hang with them. I think it is making me faster.

Baldy1953

To the OP. you have gotten good advice in several of the replies above. I am 66 and have been riding for only 4 years. I have also done several Metrics. Averaging 30 mile rides 3-5 days a week should give you enough stamina to do a Metric. I usually do not ride for 2 days before the event. Gives my legs time to rest and I usually feel better.

I would try and find some other riders that are about the same speed. You can then get in the group and draft with them. It makes a huge difference in how you feel when finished.

Hills are tough to handle if you live in a flat area. Fl. does not have a lot of hills in the part I live and have gone to an area that has "rolling hills". Makes the ride a lot tougher, yet still manageable. I have found the biggest hurdle is pacing myself. Manage that and the ride becomes fairly easy.

ChrisAlbertson

It is not a race. You can literally stop, eat lunch, and take a nap in the middle. Bring a bike lock. A "century" does not need to be one continuous maximum effort ride. Add some long rest peroids.

Baldy1953

The first metric I rode, I was riding 30 miles 3 times a week. I did not have any problem completing the ride. I was tired, but finished . Good advice on the water and food. Stop at all the rest stops and get drink and eat something. That makes all the difference in the ride ( my Opinion). The very first one I did had quite a bit of climbing for Fl. I just sucked it up and kept pedaling . Finished in just a touch over 4 hours.

davethelefty

Good luck -- keep us posted and share what works and doesn't work in your prep. I'm targeting a half-century in late March -- my training plan has rides in the mid-40 mile range and weekly totals over 80 miles the last month of prep. If all goes well I'll see if I can do some metric centuries later in the season. I think my century days are over, haven't ridden one for years, but you never know...