Preparing For Your First Century
Preparing For Your First Century
A century ride is a fantastic milestone for any cyclist. Whether it’s an organised sportive event or a solo effort, they’re a great chance to broaden your horizons, push yourself and explore some new roads – now that the weather’s getting better and the days are getting longer, it’s the perfect opportunity to give one a go! Though 100 miles may seem like a daunting number, with the right preparation you’ll complete it with ease. Here are our top tips to get you ready for your first century ride!
Practise Makes Perfect
Ride Your Bike
This one may seem slightly obvious, but if you haven’t ridden your bike for a few weeks before heading out on a century, it’s going to be a shock to the system! Aim to try and get in at least a couple of rides per week in the leadup to the big day to get yourself used to the distance and intensity.
During the week when there’s less time, just head out on shorter rides to keep the legs turning. Shorter, faster, more intense rides here and there are a fantastic way to build fitness, but don’t stress yourself out about getting the intensity in if you’re not feeling it – as long as you’re getting out on the bike, anything is better than sitting on the sofa!
Weekends are the perfect opportunity to head out on some longer rides to test the waters. Joining your local cycling club is a great way to build motivation for these kinds of rides, introducing a social element for some extra motivation and learning from the experience of seasoned riders! In terms of distance, if you can ride 50-70 miles a century is well within reach, so there’s no need to push the boundaries during prep.
Plan Your Route
Before embarking on your adventure, make sure you plan out the route ahead of time. Not only will this make navigating easier, but you’ll know exactly where the most challenging parts are, where provisions can be found and most importantly where the best cafe stops are!
If the ride you’re planning is local, give some sections of the route a go in the weeks leading up to it. Familiarising yourself with the roads and terrain will make the ride significantly less daunting – if there’s a particularly long climb featured on the route, practise longer climbs during your prep!
Recovery
In the week before your century ride, try to wind down on the intensity of your rides. Tapering for the big day gives your body a chance to recover from the increased volume of riding during your prep, so you’re running on all cylinders on the day! Head out for a couple of easy spins during the week to keep the legs moving – alternatively, going out for walks is also a good way to keep the blood flowing without going overboard on intensity.
Fuelling Right
When you’re riding for hours on end, staying fuelled is crucial and getting it right will make a significant difference to how you feel at the tail end of the ride. Since you’re going to be eating all day, make sure you use food that you’re familiar with as the last thing you want on a century is an upset stomach 50 miles in!
Why not give sports nutrition a try? Specifically designed for use during exercise, it’ll give you the energy you need to keep the legs turning in a format that’s easy to use and consume on the move. Make sure you give it a trial run during your prep, rather than for the first time on the day – carb-heavy bars or gels can take some getting used to at first, and although you’ll likely be fine, don’t leave it to chance!
Whether it’s a sports bar or a homemade flapjack, it’s best to keep your reserves topped up rather than waiting until you feel hungry. As a general rule of thumb, try to eat something every 30-45 mins. When planning out your food for the ride, take into consideration how long it might take you. Work out your average 50 mile time, double it and add some – there’s no harm in taking too much food, you’ll be glad you have it if you need it!
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Kitting Up
Spares
Being prepared for the worst will soften the blow of any punctures or mechanical issues that you might have along the way. You can find our ride essentials checklist here!
Storage
You might be wondering where on earth you’re going to keep all of this food and spares, as there’s only so much space in your jersey pockets! Luckily there’s plenty of great rackless storage that’ll keep the weight off your back. Bar bags, frame bags and saddle packs are the perfect place to keep your bits and bobs, offering plenty of storage space that’s easy to access without the need for dedicated mounts.
Top tip: get all of your kit organised the night before, rather than rushing around the morning of your century ride!
Ride Within Yourself
You’ve got to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint! Setting off out the block at full gas is only going to have you suffering later in the ride, so start off easy, and if you feel like you’ve got some more to give towards the end then you can up the pace. Whilst it may sound simple, sometimes it can be easier said than done. This is where practice is key – going overboard won’t matter so much on a shorter ride, so testing the waters gives you the opportunity to know your limits and set a benchmark for the main event.
