Century Riders

Five or more hours of nearly continuous pedaling over a variety of terrain is a challenge more and more cyclists are taking up. The century requires great endurance and, depending on the course, climbing power.

This section is divided into two schedules - "Goal: Finish" for people who only want to complete a century, and "Goal: Time" for riders who have a completion time, such as five hours, in mind. Don't set time goals if you've never done a century. No one realizes how difficult finishing is until it's accomplished.

Each schedule includes three types of workouts - easy, pace, and brisk. Easy rides are for recovery and should be at a leisurely effort. Ride your CompuTrainer on a flat course, in the Stand Alone mode with light resistance, or in the S pinScan mode balancing your power output.

Pace workouts are done with the same speed/effort you anticipate maintaining in the century. One of these is your weekly long ride, the one that builds to near-century distance. Early in your training you may do these on CompuTrainer, b ut as the distances get longer riding on the road is recommended. You will probably want to do longer road rides with a partner taking turns breaking the wind, just as you will do in the century. CompuTrainer is perfect for shorter pace workouts. Do these on courses similar to the century with the draft turned "on." Take turns "pulling" with the Pacer. Control the Pacer's speed with the "+" and "-" buttons on the handlebar module.

Brisk rides are either faster or on steeper terrain than pace workouts. The purpose is to improve your aerobic strength making the century all that much easier. Other than riding CompuTrainer's standard courses such as the Morgul Bismark, "Goal: Time" schedule followers should also use workouts Progressive Intervals , Long Hill Repeats, Motorpaced Tempo, and Long Climbs.

All riding times on both schedules are in hours with total weekly time in the last column. Notice that weekly time builds in three-week blocks with the next week being a light training week. The "Goal: Time" schedule has steeper increases and d ecreases of weekly volume than the "Goal: Finish" schedule due to the greater trainer stress of the former. Do not increase the volume of the recovery weeks.

Starting three days before the century (on Thursday for a Sunday event), increase carbohydrate in your diet while decreasing fat and protein. This will "load" your muscles with extra energy. Good sources of carbohydrates at this time are pasta, bread, f ruit, vegetables, juices, and energy bars. Also get in plenty of energy on the bike from easily digestible carbohydrates in both solid and liquid forms. Be sure to practice eating and drinking just as you will do in the century on all of your long rides .

Goal: Finish

Fitness
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