Hello...new to forum here.
I was hoping to get some advice. I'll be doing my first century April 24. Anyone have tips on preparation? Because of climate, I may not get outside on the road for another week or two. Even after that it will be dicey, so most of my training will occur indoors. I've been doing spinning classes and riding rollers since Feb. Workouts generally never exceed 1.5 hours, but are usually quite high intensity, if only to beat the boredom.
Is the short duration/high intensity gonna bite me in the a$$ come the day of reckoning? I want to finish my first century feeling well and strong, not dragging me and my bike through the last 20 or 30 miles. I'm also thinking about a time goal. I'd like to say 5 hrs minus rest stops, but that may be unrealistic.
The only frame of reference I have is a ride last summer. Myself and two friends, 65 miles, sharing the front, 20+ wind gusts for half, quite flat. (at the time, I was a heavy smoker) We averaged a little over 17mph and two of us jumped the last few miles and cranked at about 24mph. IOW I finished strong.
I actually surprised myself. Of course I celebrated with a nice leisurely smoke! My "training" for that ride was haphazard at best.
What do you all think? Do I have a shot of a 5 hr century on my first try? Any advice on how to focus my training now, and in the weeks and days leading up? (I'm not yet using a HR monitor)