First time Century Training

[TaraRG]

A good friend and I are trying to research training programs for some of the spring time centuries. The first one we have chosen has three substantial climbs in it. I'm from E.TN so hills are nothing new. We both are at the same level where 75-100 miles a week is very comfortable, but we don't have seven days to ride this race. Where are some good places to learn about different programs? And, does anyone have good advice or a program they used and liked?

 

[Vo2]

Tara, you need to start by building a base or foundation of fitness. The idea behind this is to gradually increase your mileage to allow the body to adapt. 100 miles a week or 20 miles a day won't prepare you for a century. You will have to build up your "base" gradually and to such an extent that, by the time the century ride comes along, you already have a few 100 mile rides under your belt. Use weekdays to do your interval training and weekends to do your LSD [Long Slow Distance] rides. Maybe start by doing 30 mile rides every weekend for a month. The next month, increase the distance to 40 miles etc etc. A month or so before the century, you should already be on 100 mile rides over the weekends. During these long rides, experiment with different carbo drinks and food stuffs and find out what works best for you.
Golden rule: Train hard - Rest harder.