Congratulations! You've registered for the Ride To Empower and made the decision to get on a bike and pedal ONE HUNDRED MILES!!! Now what???
Riding a century is a milestone for many cyclists. While 100 miles may sound fairly daunting, the good news is that pretty much anyone can complete a century with proper training and determination.
As we've previously mentioned, we don't believe there's any one program that works for every rider. Some of you are new to cycling, and some have already conquered their first century. Folks have different schedules, different fitness levels, different goals, etc etc. While we do prefer to work with you one-on-one and provide training tips and goals for you as an individual... if you'd rather just follow a simple plan, here it is.
The schedule below is designed for the novice rider, who currently rides less than 3 times per week. This plan requires a 4-days per week commitment, with your weekend ride mileage increasing to build your endurance. In just 12 weeks you’ll be ready to ride your first century.
If this is the plan you intend to follow, please note that this is the bare minimum. You really have to commit to doing everything required by this plan. This will give you enough strength and endurance to successfully complete the Ride To Empower only if you maintain the intensity guidelines. However, if you want to ride faster; climb the hills easier, and feel strong every mile - you'll want to do more than this. We can help you with your specific goals. All you have to do is get in touch.
A few things to note before you dive into this training program. Let's define some terms: Hilly means the steepest, most sustained climb you can find around. Don't shy away from the hills. It's vital to your success in October that your training includes lots of climbing. Easy means riding at a casual, social pace where you could have a conversation with your riding partner. Moderate means your heart rate is up and your breathing is labored so that having a conversation is a struggle. Hard means it's very difficult to speak because you're really pushing yourself and breathing hard. On moderate and hard days, give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to warm up before you put the hammer down; and then at the end of the harder efforts, pedal slowly for 5 to 10 minutes as your cool down. Get your heart rate down and your breathing under control before you come to a complete stop.
To see the training plan, click here. We tried to get it to fit on this blog page - but we couldn't make it work. The weekend days were disappearing off the page. Hmmm...
Good luck! Please contact us directly if you'd like a more personalized training plan!
Deb & Brian Bowling
embassy@planetultra.com
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