Finishing your first century trip is a monumental milestone for any bike owner. 100 miles is a mighty, unforgiving distance that pushes even probably the most skilled riders to their limits – however that doesn’t imply beginner cyclists can’t do it too. 5 months in the past, I signed as much as UK sportive RideLondon to check that concept.
I think about myself to be a reasonably dedicated bike owner. I commute to work on my bike, I often partake in lengthy rides on the weekend, and final yr I accomplished my first-ever biking tour, clocking up a hefty every day mileage alongside the best way. Biking 100-miles in at some point although? That was uncharted territory I used to be curious to discover.
A century trip is like nothing else I’ve ever skilled. It’s exhilarating, tumultuous and unapologetically brutal. There are stratospheric highs and incomprehensible lows. However nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of using, fairly actually, into the unknown. Right here’s all the pieces I realized from biking my first century.
You don’t want the right coaching plan – however biking 100 miles requires time and planning
‘Hybrid coaching’ makes up a variety of Ellie’s health base
(Picture credit score: Ellie Donell)
My 100-mile coaching plan was admittedly imperfect: a mish-mash of longer rides squeezed into quieter weekends and shorter indoor bike periods within the week. There was some methodology to the insanity although. I knew I wanted to hit a couple of longer, Zone 2 rides to construct up my endurance, and I accomplished about three 60-milers over the 2 months prior. Put merely, Zone 2 is your “all-day speaking tempo”, Zach Nehr explains, and it’s vital to carry again the depth should you actually wish to achieve the advantages of those slower rides.
I additionally bear in mind a very ugly interval session on the indoor bike at my gymnasium with the goal of enhancing my energy output and total health. Lastly, though not likely coaching particular, I used to be commuting persistently two or 3 times per week all through that interval.
There have been additionally rides minimize brief or not accomplished in any respect attributable to moist climate. There was a vacation in Italy per week and a half earlier than race day. There have been lengthy gaps between coaching rides as a result of life bought in the best way.
The occasional missed trip, nonetheless, was maybe negated by the truth that I already had a fairly strong base of health to start with. I’ve all the time adopted a hybrid method to coaching which revolves round operating, biking and weightlifting, and makes it simpler to adapt to new challenges. However my physique wasn’t used to endurance train lasting 5 plus hours within the saddle, and people longer zone two rides had been probably the most helpful addition to my coaching, getting ready me each mentally and bodily for hours on the bike.
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I struggled to suit correct coaching rides into the week attributable to time, however I made a aware effort to commute to work once I might – about 10 miles a day. And whereas I didn’t have a median coaching week per se, I accomplished most of my extra main rides on the weekend, hitting distances of wherever between 30 and 60 miles. As soon as I might confidently full rides lasting 4 or 5 hours, I knew that adrenaline and the ambiance of the occasion would carry me to complete the road – which it did.
Fuelling is make or break – eat greater than you assume you want
Carbs are important on the trip, and earlier than
(Picture credit score: Future)
Fuelling could make or break an extended trip. Get it proper, and also you’ll be flying for hours. Get it flawed, and also you threat bonking on the bike (when your glucose ranges backside out) – a bike owner’s nightmare and one which’s robust to come back again from.
A day or two previous to the occasion, I made a aware effort to extend my carbohydrate consumption in order that my glycogen shops had been topped up forward of the large day. Bagels, rice, pasta and cereal fashioned the crux of every meal which, mixed with a decrease coaching load the week earlier than, meant I felt fuelled and energised. Wanting again, this was an important a part of prep that made the primary half of the trip really feel a lot simpler.
The follow of carb loading forward of an enormous trip is routine amongst cyclists. Talking to Private Coach and Sports activities Nutritionist Johan Florez, he explains that endurance athletes ought to shoot for round 10kg of carbs per kilogram of body weight one to 2 days previous to the occasion to maximise carbohydrate shops. On-the-day vitamin is simply as vital too. ‘’For train lasting greater than three hours, you’ll want round 75-90g of carbs per hour on the bike’’, he advises, so I had this in my thoughts when planning my meals selections.
As soon as the trip started, my meals selections revolved round strong gasoline like bananas and bagels for the primary three hours, and I made a aware effort to maintain these as savoury as attainable (issues like peanut butter, and cheese and marmite, as fillings). This labored very well as a result of I knew I might in all probability have to rely extra on gels additional into the trip, but additionally to keep away from sweetness ‘fatigue’, a standard drawback for endurance athletes taking part in longer challenges.
From 65 miles, all the pieces began to really feel more durable. Fatigue was gnawing on the edges of my psyche and I used to be out of the blue conscious of an acute longing for candy meals, an indicator that I used to be in determined want of fast-acting sugars as my glycogen shops began to run low. A contemporary bout of headwinds had additionally struck on the flip again in direction of London, inflicting my tempo to sluggish and my RPE (charge of perceived exertion) to spike.
The ultimate 20 miles had been the toughest. In hindsight, though I used to be nonetheless consuming strong snacks, I ought to have had a pair extra gels right here to gasoline the final hour and a half. It’s so tempting to assume you’re near the tip and don’t have to gasoline as onerous as at first of the trip, however really the alternative is true – it’s these remaining miles the place vitamin turns into much more paramount.
Biking with a big group will make the trip simpler – however follow a couple of group rides earlier than committing to a 100-mile occasion
(Picture credit score: Ellie Donnell)
My 100-mile expertise was a part of an organised sportive which has its professionals and cons. On the plus facet, a transparent course and closed roads meant I didn’t have to consider the route in any respect, saving a variety of time total. There’s additionally no threat of getting misplaced, you’re not on the mercy of site visitors, and strategically-placed break factors serving meals and water mean you can plan your stops upfront.
The most effective a part of finishing a century with a big group is the vitality and pleasure that fellow cyclists deliver. The sensation of being a part of a mass biking occasion and seeing so many inspiring folks put within the work proper subsequent to you is sufficient to spur you to the end line.
Nonetheless, navigating congestion at significantly busy factors on the street, and remaining hyper conscious of the folks round me always, was a problem in itself, and I’d suggest working towards using with a big group beforehand should you can. Signing as much as one other occasion or just becoming a member of a biking membership are each good choices.
100 miles is all the time going to harm – however you possibly can minimise the ache by ensuring your bike match is suited to the gap
Ellie had a motorcycle match forward of the trip, however would possibly tweak it for longer occasions
(Picture credit score: Future)
The ultimate miles had been the place the fatigue actually set in, and a variety of that was all the way down to discomfort on the bike. Curiously, a lot of the ache I skilled within the closing miles was in my shoulders, arms and elbows. I used to be 4 hours in with a pair extra to go and the load going via my arms was inflicting them to go tingly and numb. It was manageable, however meant I stored having to shift to shake out my higher physique.
Essentially the most punishing stretch was 80 to 100-miles, as anticipated. The longest trip I’d accomplished in a day earlier than was 77 miles and my physique was feeling each pedal stroke and bump within the street as I rode into the unknown. The discomfort wouldn’t budge, and all my focus went in direction of getting over the end line and off my bike.
If I tackle one other trip of this distance – which I’m certain I’ll do – I’ll in all probability substitute my saddle with yet another suited to my anatomy, and purchase a shorter stem to cut back the quantity of weight going via my higher physique. I don’t anticipate it to be straightforward subsequent time, however honing in on a couple of finer particulars ought to make it barely much less uncomfortable.
As Phil Burt, former lead physiotherapist at British Biking and Staff Sky marketing consultant, as soon as informed Biking Weekly: “Bike-fit must be an evolution fairly than a revolution. Many individuals could have a bike-fit, get put in a single place, and go away it. However our bodies are adaptable, and the bike is adjustable — the proper match is a wedding between the 2.” Personally, I might adapt my match to swimsuit an extended day within the saddle, which might imply prioritising consolation over pace with a barely extra upright stance.
Ending isn’t the identical as ending robust
The end line was a welcome aid, this time
(Picture credit score: Ellie Donnell)
What did I study from the expertise? Apart from newfound power in my quads, the most important lesson I took from the occasion was that there’s an enormous distinction between merely ending a trip and ending robust. While I did get to that line, I might have saved myself a variety of grief by consuming a bit extra and maybe optimising by bike match for the gap.
However biking 100-miles is supposed to be difficult – it’s the rationale I signed as much as RideLondon within the first place. I realized a lot extra about my capability on that trip as a result of it was robust, and I really feel a lot better positioned to tackle one other trip of that ilk now that I’ve skilled a couple of of the pitfalls.
100-miles is a barmy however sensible distance that holds your limits as much as your face and asks you to push via them. Which I did, and for that I’m extraordinarily proud.
