5 Lessons from 5 Centuries

So, you wanna ride 100 miles...

As my headline implies, I’ve ridden five “centuries”—i.e., five rides of at least 100 miles—this year. That’s the most big events I’ve ever done in a year. Four of them were official events, and one was a prep ride for an event.

(I call them “events” because they’re not really races in the traditional sense. The purpose of a cycling event is more to finish than to crush the competition—to challenge yourself more than win. In that regard, I like events more than races. There’s less ego involved, and more friendliness.)

Doing long rides is substantially different than shorter rides in terms of preparation and riding strategy. Today I’ll discuss the five most important things I’ve learned for successfully completing my centuries.

Lesson 1: It’s something anyone can do, with training

I know, I know—100 miles is a long stinkin’ way to go on a bike. Heck, it’s a long drive in a car. The trick is to build up to it. Do whatever you can at the beginning, whether it’s a 20 minutes through your neighborhood, commuting five miles each way to work, or a three-mile loop around the park.

Add miles to that whenever you can, and before you know it, you’ll be doing 10 miles, then 15, then 20. The progression might not be linear, but if you’re consistent with your riding, you’ll eventually be doing longer rides. Then one Saturday you’ll do 50 miles. It’ll feel unachievable, but remember—that 20-miler felt unachievable a month ago. Then you’ll try a metric century (62 miles), and that will feel great.

At that point, you’ll be ready to schedule your first century. Then you—yeah, you­–will ride it, you’ll survive, and you’ll feel immense satisfaction at your achievement. I promise. You’ll be tired, but happy.

Lesson 2: There will be highs and lows on the ride

Every century I’ve done starts out on a high. I’ve got this! It’s so much easier than I thought it would be! When you experience that euphoria, temper it, because it won’t last. For me now, I typically start to climb into the pain cave around mile 70. For my Seagull Century, the cave swallowed me 60 miles in, when I turned into the wind.

When you enter the cave will vary. But you will go in, and you’ll feel like Luke Skywalker for awhile. But this, too, shall pass. Keep turning the pedals. As long as you’re following Lesson 3, you’ll come out the other side of the cave into bright sunshine.

Lesson 3: You’ll need to eat and drink more than you think

This is one of the classic Newbie Century blunders. You’re super-excited to get going, and have infinite energy at the beginning. Eating and drinking is low on the priority list. That’s natural and understandable.

But you’ll regret it if you don’t get your nutrition early and keep at it the whole time. It might not be immediately, but at that length, you’ll bonk.

Hard.

When that happens, your century is over. I use Tailwind carb drink rather than water, along with some gels and other light snacks. Bananas are really good to eat on a century, too. They’re not too heavy on the stomach.

Whatever you like, make it a point to stay fueled up throughout the ride. As with Lesson 2, you’ll feel great for a time, then you’ll hit the pain cave. When that happens, you’ll need that energy to get through it.

Lesson 4: If at all possible, get a bike fit first

It’s hard enough to ride many hours on a bike on which you’re comfortable. If you’re not comfortable, well… I’d advise not doing a century. The pain ain’t worth the gain.

Get a proper bike fit. Ask around, do some Googling, and you’ll find someone who can make sure you fit properly on your bike. This means things like making sure your bike is the right size to begin with; that your seat is the right height (and distance from the handlebars, and level); your handlebars are the right height; your pedals have the cleats in the right place (if you use clipless pedals); etc.

A bike fit will ensure that you’re ready to do this effort in the most efficient way possible, and minimize the risk of injury and extreme discomfort from things like a seat that’s too low.

Lesson 5: Don’t skip the post-ride meal. And make it soon after the ride

You may feel like the you can’t eat another bite after eating and drinking so much during the ride (see Lesson 3), but this is incorrect. Your body needs to recover after expending so much energy, and you’ll pay for it if you don’t eat something soon after. And I mean soon, as in immediately, if you can. Within an hour, if at all possible.

You’ve done a lot of damage to your muscles in riding 100 miles, and need to start feeding them so they can recover. Lots of companies make recovery drinks for tough workouts, but eating a chicken sandwich will do you lots of good, too. Many century events (most?) have post-ride meals. But if you’re doing one solo, plan ahead of time what you’ll eat when you’re done. Then eat it.

Have you done a century before? Many? If so, consider passing along your tips in the comments, so others can learn from your experiences.

At the finish of my most recent century ride, the Seagull Century. I did it, and you can too.