Finishing your first century trip is a monumental milestone for any bicycle owner. 100 miles is a mighty, unforgiving distance that pushes even essentially the most skilled riders to their limits – however that doesn’t imply newbie cyclists can’t do it too. 5 months in the past, I signed as much as UK sportive RideLondon to check that principle.
I contemplate myself to be a reasonably dedicated bicycle owner. I commute to work on my bike, I often partake in lengthy rides on the weekend, and final 12 months I accomplished my first-ever biking tour, clocking up a hefty every day mileage alongside the way in which. Biking 100-miles in someday 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 driving, fairly actually, into the unknown. Right here’s all the things I realized from biking my first century.
You don’t want the proper coaching plan – however biking 100 miles requires time and planning
‘Hybrid coaching’ makes up lots 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 technique to the insanity although. I knew I wanted to hit just a few 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 in case you actually need to achieve the advantages of those slower rides.
I additionally keep in mind a very ugly interval session on the indoor bike at my fitness center with the purpose of enhancing my energy output and total health. Lastly, though not likely coaching particular, I used to be commuting persistently two or thrice per week all through that interval.
There have been additionally rides minimize brief or not accomplished in any respect on account of 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 obtained in the way in which.
The occasional missed trip, nonetheless, was maybe negated by the truth that I already had a fairly stable base of health to start with. I’ve all the time adopted a hybrid strategy to coaching which revolves round working, 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 essentially 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 on account of time, however I made a acutely 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 suppose 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 mistaken, and also you threat bonking on the bike (when your glucose ranges backside out) – a bicycle owner’s nightmare and one which’s powerful to return again from.
A day or two previous to the occasion, I made a acutely 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. Trying 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 a giant trip is routine amongst cyclists. Chatting with 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 stable gas like bananas and bagels for the primary three hours, and I made a acutely aware effort to maintain these as savoury as doable (issues like peanut butter, and cheese and marmite, as fillings). This labored very well as a result of I knew I’d in all probability must rely extra on gels additional into the trip, but additionally to keep away from sweetness ‘fatigue’, a typical downside for endurance athletes collaborating in longer challenges.
From 65 miles, all the things began to really feel more durable. Fatigue was gnawing on the edges of my psyche and I used to be instantly 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 recent bout of headwinds had additionally struck on the flip again in direction of London, inflicting my tempo to sluggish and my RPE (price of perceived exertion) to spike.
The ultimate 20 miles had been the toughest. In hindsight, though I used to be nonetheless consuming stable snacks, I ought to have had a pair extra gels right here to gas the final hour and a half. It’s so tempting to suppose you’re near the tip and don’t must gas as onerous as at first of the trip, however really the alternative is true – it’s these closing miles the place vitamin turns into much more paramount.
Biking with a big group will make the trip simpler – however follow just a few 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 execs 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 lots 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 prematurely.
The very best a part of finishing a century with a big group is the vitality and pleasure that fellow cyclists carry. The sensation of being a part of a mass biking occasion and seeing so many inspiring individuals put within the work proper subsequent to you is sufficient to spur you to the end line.
Nonetheless, navigating congestion at notably busy factors on the street, and remaining hyper conscious of the individuals round me always, was a problem in itself, and I’d advocate training driving with a big group beforehand in case 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 space
Ellie had a motorcycle match forward of the trip, however may tweak it for longer occasions
(Picture credit score: Future)
The ultimate miles had been the place the fatigue actually set in, and lots of that was all the way down to discomfort on the bike. Apparently, 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 burden 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 count on it to be straightforward subsequent time, however honing in on just a few finer particulars ought to make it barely much less uncomfortable.
As Phil Burt, former lead physiotherapist at British Biking and Crew Sky advisor, as soon as informed Biking Weekly: “Bike-fit must be an evolution moderately 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’d adapt my match to swimsuit an extended day within the saddle, which might imply prioritising consolation over velocity with a barely extra upright stance.
Ending isn’t the identical as ending sturdy
The end line was a welcome aid, this time
(Picture credit score: Ellie Donnell)
What did I be taught from the expertise? Other than newfound power in my quads, the most important lesson I took from the occasion was that there’s a giant distinction between merely ending a trip and ending sturdy. While I did get to that line, I might have saved myself lots of grief by consuming somewhat extra and maybe optimising by bike match for the space.
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 means on that trip as a result of it was powerful, and I really feel a lot better positioned to tackle one other trip of that ilk now that I’ve skilled just a few of the pitfalls.
100-miles is a barmy however good 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.
