# Long distance riding



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I have a century training schedule going right now, though it does work up to 100 miles on the 12 week I extended to ride even further. So the question is this, is riding one Saturday after another going from 100, to 125, to 150, and then to 200 to many miles to do consecutively like that, or should I spread it out to maybe every other weekend? Keep in mind I'm 60 years old too. Has anyone tried to that kind of thing?


----------



## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

froze said:


> I have a century training schedule going right now, though it does work up to 100 miles on the 12 week I extended to ride even further. So the question is this, is riding one Saturday after another going from 100, to 125, to 150, and then to 200 to many miles to do consecutively like that, or should I spread it out to maybe every other weekend? Keep in mind I'm 60 years old too. Has anyone tried to that kind of thing?


Seems like a steep increaase. Always read 10% increase per week. But if you are feeling good? Why not?

Enjoy.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

NJBiker72 said:


> Seems like a steep increaase. Always read 10% increase per week. But if you are feeling good? Why not?
> 
> Enjoy.


The weekday mileages are 10% increases that I started doing 2 weeks ago after being off all winter, so I started it with 12 miles on a low mile day and 30 miles that Saturday of the first week. The only miles that don't increase 10% is the Saturday longer rides, their averaging about 18% till the 7th week then drops to 10% till the 100 mile mark on the 12th week, then it climbs 25%. However through the regular weekdays it's all 10% increases with 3 days out of the week nothing but hill climbing. 

I may have to adjust it as I go which I've done once already, but I want to get it done by beginning to middle of September. I think the biggest problem I'm going to have is two fold, whether or not the body has time to recuperate going from 100, 125, 150, then 200 every Saturday, and the second problem is my bony butt!


----------



## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

froze said:


> The weekday mileages are 10% increases that I started doing 2 weeks ago after being off all winter, so I started it with 12 miles on a low mile day and 30 miles that Saturday of the first week. The only miles that don't increase 10% is the Saturday longer rides, their averaging about 18% till the 7th week then drops to 10% till the 100 mile mark on the 12th week, then it climbs 25%. However through the regular weekdays it's all 10% increases with 3 days out of the week nothing but hill climbing.
> 
> I may have to adjust it as I go which I've done once already, but I want to get it done by beginning to middle of September. I think the biggest problem I'm going to have is two fold, whether or not the body has time to recuperate going from 100, 125, 150, then 200 every Saturday, and the second problem is my bony butt!


Keep it up. Would love to find the time to do a double.


----------



## HEMIjer (Oct 18, 2008)

I know a good rule of thumb is 3 hard weeks = 1 active recovery week. So maybe after the 150 take a lighter week than do 200 the next, never ridden a double though.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

HEMIjer said:


> I know a good rule of thumb is 3 hard weeks = 1 active recovery week. So maybe after the 150 take a lighter week than do 200 the next, never ridden a double though.


I was wondering about that too. I may take it easy after the 150 and wait a week before doing the 200.

I've never ridden more then 158 miles in a day, but that was when I was 15 years younger, but it was tougher due to a mountain range I had to climb, here in Indiana it's all mostly flat. The double thing is still questionable, if I do the 150 and I'm having too much discomfort to want to try a 200 then I won't do it. I like the thought of pushing myself, just not killing myself!


----------



## Zeet (Mar 24, 2013)

Hills and mountains can quickly exhaust older bodies. That's one I know from personal experience, as age does a number on the cardio-vascular, backs, and joints in particular. However, only you can really determine your actual physical condition, honestly. Just remember, pushing ourselves to the limit while in our twenties and thirties, can lead to greater physical achievements. OTOH, pushing ourselves while in our fifties and sixties can lead to cardiac arrest. My rule of thumb is to just always take it easy. I'm in no hurry. I just remain in my Zen state. Take in the scenery. Enjoy the feel of my ride and totally embrace every millisecond of motion. Usually, before you know it, I've already gone beyond my previously planned route. For me, life while cycling is always subject to change. Improvisation is forever the theme. I just love it!


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Zeet said:


> Hills and mountains can quickly exhaust older bodies. That's one I know from personal experience, as age does a number on the cardio-vascular, backs, and joints in particular. However, only you can really determine your actual physical condition, honestly. Just remember, pushing ourselves to the limit while in our twenties and thirties, can lead to greater physical achievements. OTOH, pushing ourselves while in our fifties and sixties can lead to cardiac arrest. My rule of thumb is to just always take it easy. I'm in no hurry. I just remain in my Zen state. Take in the scenery. Enjoy the feel of my ride and totally embrace every millisecond of motion. Usually, before you know it, I've already gone beyond my previously planned route. For me, life while cycling is always subject to change. Improvisation is forever the theme. I just love it!


I took martial arts for over 40 years and I don't believe in Zen! I even way early on took Tai Chi and found nothing meditative about it, and so quickly dumped it in favor of Aikido. Weird huh? But I do like to take in the scenery and that by itself is relaxing.

Anywho, I have mostly pain from the back injury I sustained two July's ago and the subsequent surgery for fusion, other then that my joints seem to be pretty good yet, and as long as I don't try running a lot my knees are pain free. All that is quite amazing considering how much damage my body suffered over the years and the only pain I have is from the back issue. Heart wise, I haven't had it tested since I was 45 and at that time it was according to the doc in the condition of a mid 20 year old who was in really good shape, I was riding mountains back then. I should get it retested, but I haven't had any issues so I haven't done it, I may do it this winter when I get health insurance again just to be safe. But I'm not going to be racing the 150 or 200 if I get that far, just doing it, but I'll have to monitor myself and be careful as you suggested since I am 60.

Genetically no one in my family tree either on my dad or moms side has ever had a heart issue. I still have an uncle who's 87 or 88 years old and walks 8 to 10 miles a day! My family has had some cancer history so I do keep closer tabs on that then I do my heart.

But like I said the 150 and the 200 is optional, I want to do them, but if the discomfort level is too high I'm not going to do them. I think I'm pretty sure the 100 is doable, and the probably the 125, but the rest well have to wait and see.

I appreciate the feedback and will definitely take to heart (no pun intended) about what you said in regards to the heart.


----------



## Zurichman (Jan 3, 2014)

Hey Froze check out the UMCA long distance cycling website. They have some cool training articles in there and I think the 12/24 hr training article has a long distance weekend progression in it. Good luck


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Thanks for the site. I didn't get to do the 200 this year, simply ran out of time to train like I wanted to, so all I got too was 125, not a record for me that stands at 158 in one day that I did about 13 or so years ago.


----------



## Zurichman (Jan 3, 2014)

froze said:


> Thanks for the site. I didn't get to do the 200 this year, simply ran out of time to train like I wanted to, so all I got too was 125, not a record for me that stands at 158 in one day that I did about 13 or so years ago.



froze riding long distance is much easier if your bike fits you like a glove. I have ridden as much as 250 miles a day in the middle or at the start of a 1200km rando ride.


----------



## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Zurichman said:


> froze riding long distance is much easier if your bike fits you like a glove. I have ridden as much as 250 miles a day in the middle or at the start of a 1200km rando ride.


My bikes fits me like a glove, but again time prevented me from going as far as I had planned, the 125 I did was all the time I had that day, and other days just didn't present the opportunities to go further.


----------

