# Seattle to Portland Training Advice Needed



## ScooterDobs

I am going to attempt the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride this summer (200 miles in two days) and have a question about the STP training plan they give on line. Starting two weeks ago, the plan basically consists of 3 days per week of riding, Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday with higher mileage on the weekends. Weekly totals ratchet up over the weeks to a max of about 175 miles then taper down to 100 miles the week before the ride. The total mileage is 2500 prior to the ride.

With the weather still being pretty crappy I am not quite making the early week totals they recommend but should be able to catch up as the season progresses. My question is if their schedule seems very aggressive or not?

About me - Started back on a road bike ('89 Trek 420) last year with 1000 miles total in the last 9 months. 48 yrs old and about 20 # over weight which is why I am back into riding. I've found that if I don't have a goal I will sit on the couch. With the STP coming up I am always looking to get out on the bike and get more miles in.

Any training advice would be appreciated.


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## acg

Scooter,

Iwas in the same position as you last year. 48 years old, 225 lbs hoping to lose about 20 to 30 lbs. I used the training calendar as a guide to help me with preparing for the event.

It was challenging to follow the training schedule for the weekend rigorously with my personal and work commitments. There are some days on the weekends when I can't go for the long rides. My longest training ride before the STP wasa solo 90+ miles. I recognised the need to build endurance in my legs a few months before the STP. I took advantage of cycle commuting to work. It is 18 miles on way. I did not bike commute every day, but the commuting miles helped to build endurance.

I did my first STP last year with three friends over the two days. We did not train together at all due to our varying personal commitments. It still helped that we rode together during the STP for drafting and moral support.

in hindsight, I should have looked more actively for weekend cycling partners to do the long slow rides to prepare for the STP. I am planning to join some of the local rides organised by the local (non competitive) cycling clubs this year.

Where are you located?


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## MTBMaven

Scooter,

Check out this thread for lots of good background, http://forums.roadbikereview.com/endurance-riding/advice-300mi-3-days-272415.html 

Should be some good info in there for you.


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## MarvinK

I think suggesting you need 2500 miles in the 6 months prior to STP is absurd. You're doing a relatively easy century each day. You should do some rides of at least 60-90 on several weekends, and you should definitely make sure you're comfortable riding in a group.

For new riders the crowds are one of the biggest challenges, unless they are terribly out of shape. For more experienced riders, learning to cope with the shocking numbers of clueless participants who apparently have never ridden left the bike path or seen a car or other cyclist. 

Lots of total idiots... please don't be one of them. Other than that, ride your bike--preferably with others. Do some rides of 75+ miles. Make sure you can sit on your seat the next day after your longer practice rides.


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## smcnees

Just get out and ride whenever you can. Miles is miles. Use the Flying Wheels ride on June 9th as a gauge. It's been said that if you can do the 65mi loop, you'll be fine for a 2 day STP. I tend to agree with that. Also, not sure what your logistics are for STP, but I strongly recommend riding to Winlock on day 1 (130ish) miles. It makes day 2 much more enjoyable. I've ridden 8 STP's. 5 2day and 3 1 day. Hope that helps.


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## AndrwSwitch

Get an indoor trainer and some running shoes. Between the two, you should be able to keep your training volume following the plan.


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## ats920

I did STP the first time last year in 1 day, only real suggestion is to make sure you're comfortable on your bike for a long period and keep eating and drinking.


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## gordy748

*This...*



ats920 said:


> I did STP the first time last year in 1 day, only real suggestion is to make sure you're comfortable on your bike for a long period and keep eating and drinking.


+1

Never done the STP. But had a friend when i lived in the UK who was the Scottish 12 hour TT champion. He could do about 280 miles in that time.

His advice for long rides was to make sure you're comfortable before anything else. You could be as fit as a fiddle but if your saddle hurts then you'll not make it past Kent. Getting in long TIMED rides (distance is less important) will help make sure you fit your bike, even just pedalling around Mercer island or something for 5 or 6 hours will help.


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## bismo37

I agree with the idea of saddle time being more important than distance. Yes, you should ramp up your mileage to get some base fitness in your legs, but more importantly, you should get your butt and back used to spending longer periods of time in the saddle. 

My wife did STP last year. It was her first century/dbl century ever. We started the ramp up in Feb. The longest ride prior to STP was only 75 miles. She did fine at STP.

It's a fun ride. You'll be surprised at the variety of people doing the ride. Some people I'd never imagine would be on a bicycle much less riding a dbl century.


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## pmpski_1

Scooter - I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking at the recommended training mileage and wondering how I'm going to find time for doing all these miles. I haven't met the recommendations yet, but I'm getting closer.

My longest ride so far has been 40 miles, and I did NOT get in the saddle the next day. So getting comfortable for the duration is my biggest concern. I'm commuting (15 miles) 2-3 times a week and getting a good ride or two on the weekend, so hopefully that will help.

I've ridden mostly on bike paths, always solo. I have no idea how to ride with a group. So I signed up for the Cascade Bicycle Club CTS to help out with that. Since I paid for it I'll definitely do those rides every Saturday, even if they don't add up to the recommended training totals. I think learning to ride in a group and getting to know some other riders will help more than putting in an extra 20 miles on Saturdays.

Thanks all for the feedback about being comfortable being the most important thing. That makes me feel a bit better about not being able to put in 140 miles on a weekend.


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## bigbill

pmpski_1 said:


> Scooter - I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking at the recommended training mileage and wondering how I'm going to find time for doing all these miles. I haven't met the recommendations yet, but I'm getting closer.
> 
> My longest ride so far has been 40 miles, and I did NOT get in the saddle the next day. So getting comfortable for the duration is my biggest concern. I'm commuting (15 miles) 2-3 times a week and getting a good ride or two on the weekend, so hopefully that will help.
> 
> I've ridden mostly on bike paths, always solo. I have no idea how to ride with a group. So I signed up for the Cascade Bicycle Club CTS to help out with that. Since I paid for it I'll definitely do those rides every Saturday, even if they don't add up to the recommended training totals. I think learning to ride in a group and getting to know some other riders will help more than putting in an extra 20 miles on Saturdays.
> 
> Thanks all for the feedback about being comfortable being the most important thing. That makes me feel a bit better about not being able to put in 140 miles on a weekend.


I've done the one day STP four times. Over on the PNW forum, several of us contributed to an STP primer that provided advice for the ride and preparation. Can't overemphasize the need to feel comfortable in a large group. For the first 25 miles, it's mayhem, just a giant pack of riders overlapping wheels. The best advice I can give is to be able to ride for 2.5-3 hours to reach the second rest stop which is around 45 miles in after "the hill". If you can ride past the first rest stop at 25 miles, you'll put a majority of riders behind you and be in a smaller group. 

For training, be able to spend a total of 6 hours in the saddle. Don't worry about the speed, concentrate on the hours in the saddle. When you settle into a small group, the riders around you will dictate the speed and you'll be suprised to see that you are going faster than you did when training. Do some organized centuries, at least three before the STP. Flying Wheels is a good final exam, the pack size is comparable to what you'll see in the STP. 

Get some nice shorts, if you're thinking about a new saddle, do it now. Don't change anything within a month or two of the ride. Saddles with thick padding aren't necessarily the best. Nice shorts make a big difference. If you don't have any bib shorts, try a pair.


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## epicus07

Cascade posted a guide for weekly mileage goals that really helped me.


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## pmpski_1

bigbill said:


> I've done the one day STP four times. Over on the PNW forum, several of us contributed to an STP primer that provided advice for the ride and preparation. Can't overemphasize the need to feel comfortable in a large group. For the first 25 miles, it's mayhem, just a giant pack of riders overlapping wheels. The best advice I can give is to be able to ride for 2.5-3 hours to reach the second rest stop which is around 45 miles in after "the hill". If you can ride past the first rest stop at 25 miles, you'll put a majority of riders behind you and be in a smaller group.
> 
> For training, be able to spend a total of 6 hours in the saddle. Don't worry about the speed, concentrate on the hours in the saddle. When you settle into a small group, the riders around you will dictate the speed and you'll be suprised to see that you are going faster than you did when training. Do some organized centuries, at least three before the STP. Flying Wheels is a good final exam, the pack size is comparable to what you'll see in the STP.
> 
> Get some nice shorts, if you're thinking about a new saddle, do it now. Don't change anything within a month or two of the ride. Saddles with thick padding aren't necessarily the best. Nice shorts make a big difference. If you don't have any bib shorts, try a pair.


Thanks Bill. I read that primer - last week at 40 miles I was thinking "this is the first rest stop". I have a pair of long bibs that I've been using. Love them, and I'll be buying bibs from here on out. Flying Wheels is during a family vacation so I'm going to miss that, but I may see about doing something else to get in the spirit.


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## bigbill

pmpski_1 said:


> Thanks Bill. I read that primer - last week at 40 miles I was thinking "this is the first rest stop". I have a pair of long bibs that I've been using. Love them, and I'll be buying bibs from here on out. Flying Wheels is during a family vacation so I'm going to miss that, but I may see about doing something else to get in the spirit.


You're welcome. The "easy" part about riding straight through to the second stop is that you are leaving around 5am so you're there by 8am. It's not hot yet, you aren't losing that much fluid and two bottles should be plenty. If people take nothing else out of it, the part about staying to far left approaching the first stop is important. You can train and prepare and it only takes one jackass who decides at last minute that he wants to hit the first stop and do it from the middle of a pack to take you down.


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## Sworker

I did it in 08', since I live in Cali not easy for me to get up there. It is a wonderful ride, the best support I have ever experienced. If I wasn't worrying about trying to do the death ride I would do it every year.

So one thing I strongly recommend, be a princess and GET A HOTEL!!! The ride is really 2 very easy century rides back to back. If I ever did it again I would either do the full 200 in one day or ride to Longmont and get 140 out of the way day 1 and just have the last 60 on day 2. They offer you camping in Centrallia (sp) which I had zero interest in, I recommend that you a little motel and stay there instead of the camping. It was SOOO nice to get in a proper bathroom, take a dip in the pool and sleep on a bed in between. 

As they said, do some 6 hour rides just for you sit bones to get broken in and so your comfortabel on your bike....And make sure on day 2 you start out (6am or so) early just like day 1. I started out on day 1 at 5:20 since my buddies were going the ful 200, that was too early as 1/2 the people out there were thinking this was their Tour de France and rode like idiots and I was done by 10am. But day 2 we didn't get started until 7:30am and that was too late, we got caught in the afternoon heat of Highway 35 in Oregon and that wasn't fun. One of my buddies just couldn't drink enough and he was not happy (he also didn't train at all).

Don't sweat it, you do not need to kill yourself training, just get some good 40-50 milers in and you'll be fine. Make sure to bring a few goo packs or rolls of shot blocks for in between stops, but this is such a well supported ride with very little climbing so you will be fine.


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## Nicole Hamilton

I would like to do an STP, but honestly, I'm scared I'll poop out. I can do 50 miles, no problem, but I've never done a full century and, frankly, knowing how I feel at the end of 50 miles, I'm just not optimistic about that the second 50. So maybe I could do the first century on one day, but doing it again the next could be asking a lot.

The only thing I can think might help is all the other riders you might be able to draft. I virtually always ride alone (love being able to get lost in thought) so I don't often get to draft unless I happen across some other fast riders out there at the same time. Of course, that may be part of the problem, that I normally ride too fast to be able to keep it up for 100 miles. I would probably need to slow down.

Surely I can't be the only one who's wanted to try an STP but found the thought kind of scary. Help me out here. What it was it like for you?


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## pmpski_1

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Surely I can't be the only one who's wanted to try an STP but found the thought kind of scary. Help me out here. What it was it like for you?


Well, I've never done it. Up until a month ago the longest I'd ridden was my commute of 15 miles, but after seeing a friend do it last year I committed to it this year. Yes, I keep second guessing whether I'll be ready and if I'll be able to finish. I'll just keep training and keep adding miles each week. I believe if you prepare for something, you'll be able to handle it. Or just suffer through it  

I think if you can do 50 miles no problem then you could do 102/102 by July. Heck, I can't even do 50 miles no problem right now and I'm still feeling confident I'll make it.


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## Nicole Hamilton

pmpski_1 said:


> I think if you can do 50 miles no problem then you could do 102/102 by July. Heck, I can't even do 50 miles no problem right now and I'm still feeling confident I'll make it.


Of course, it's closed for this year, so whether I could do it or not by this July is perhaps moot. I've been expecting it didn't make sense to try it on my Paramount -- just too heavy and not enough gears, especially at my age -- and this was a consideration in wanting a new, much lighter bike: Get every extra advantage I could. Took me two years to settle on the bike. (What can I say? I'm picky.) But now I have it and maybe next year I'll be ready to do this.


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## Nicole Hamilton

For someone my size (I'm 5'9", 150#) how many calories do you burn up each day?


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## AndrwSwitch

I've burned as many as 3500 cycling. When I was doing dance, which I was more serious about, I was at more like 5000 for a while. It's hard to eat that much. Now I have the opposite problem.  I suspect age has something to do with it too - at 19 and 20, I think my body was willing to be much less efficient, and respond much more quickly to training.


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## Nicole Hamilton

AndrwSwitch said:


> I've burned as many as 3500 cycling. When I was doing dance, which I was more serious about, I was at more like 5000 for a while. It's hard to eat that much. Now I have the opposite problem.  I suspect age has something to do with it too - at 19 and 20, I think my body was willing to be much less efficient, and respond much more quickly to training.


Wow. Yes, I can easily believe eating that much could be a problem. That's a lot of exercise!

For some 50 mile rides I did last year on the SRT and BG, various online calculators were giving me estimates of up 2000 calories. But since getting my Garmin and the HRM, I've decided those estimates must have been bogus. On a recent 36 mi ride averaging 14.3 mph, Garmin estimated 631 calories. On a 17 mi ride averaging 15.7 mph, it estimated 395 calories. These numbers seem more believable.

But the point is, 3500 calories (never mind 5000!) is a LOT.


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## AndrwSwitch

LOL. I've never tried to figure out a realistic calorie consumption for me for riding. My ride volume over the course of a week and basal metabolic rate are probably pretty related, so I just see it as "ride a lot, eat a lot." Your Garmin's figures seem a lot more likely, though.


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## bigbill

AndrwSwitch said:


> LOL. I've never tried to figure out a realistic calorie consumption for me for riding. My ride volume over the course of a week and basal metabolic rate are probably pretty related, so I just see it as "ride a lot, eat a lot." Your Garmin's figures seem a lot more likely, though.


In 2008, I did the one day ride in 10:14. If I recall correctly, my Garmin 305 was somewhere around 8k calories. My size at the time was 6'2" and 220# so around 800-1K calories an hour wouldn't see that far off for a 20mph pace. I had a bento (box) box on my toptube full of Clif Bloks to eat between stops. I only stopped four times and did the first 100 in 4:45. It got hot in the afternoon and it hurt my speed.


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## Nicole Hamilton

bigbill said:


> In 2008, I did the one day ride in 10:14. If I recall correctly, my Garmin 305 was somewhere around 8k calories. My size at the time was 6'2" and 220# so around 800-1K calories an hour wouldn't see that far off for a 20mph pace. I had a bento (box) box on my toptube full of Clif Bloks to eat between stops. I only stopped four times and did the first 100 in 4:45. It got hot in the afternoon and it hurt my speed.


Wow. That's fast.


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## chk

I did STP last year in 2 days. On day 1, I went to Castle Rock (about 135+/-). IMHO, the Cascade training guide is more than you need. Last year, I put in about 1200 miles before STP. I rode 3-4 days a week and I really didn't start training hard until about this time last year. My average ride was about 26 miles and my long rides on the weekend were about 45. My longest ride before STP was about 60 miles. And for the record, I am 6'2" and weighed 235# when I did it last year.


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## Sworker

Nicole, you can always get a ticket to the STP...craig's list. Do it in two days 100 per day, you will make it. Cake 100 mile rides and you have all day.


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## Nicole Hamilton

Sworker said:


> Nicole, you can always get a ticket to the STP...craig's list. Do it in two days 100 per day, you will make it. Cake 100 mile rides and you have all day.


Really! I didn't know that. Well, maybe I can do it this year. I would definitely like to, if I can. When should I start looking on Craigslist? What should I expect to pay?

And tell me more what you mean by "cake 100 mile rides", please. I know the route is mostly flat and I'm told you tend to get a tailwind going south. And with that many riders, I'm guessing you get to draft, even if you are a lone rider. So all of this plus all the time means it's just not as bad I'm thinking? Is that where you're going?

What do you do about anything you need for overnight? Are you carrying that on your bikes on your backs? Or do you send it ahead, somehow?


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## Sworker

You will start to see people dumping those on Craig's list by May/June for sure, there are always people that sign up and do not want to ride. Cake 100 means, very litlte climbing, wind at your back, tons of food and water, and everyone having fun. While doing 100 miles is always a challenge, these are two very nice and easy centuries back to back with tons of daylight to finish them.

I got my pass in mid-May that someone was dumping for what they paid for it, very simple.


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## Sworker

Okay, so here is your strategy. Start looking at Craig's list May 1st, right around the corner. Next you have to decide if you want to be a "princess" and find a motel or camp out. For me, I had no interest in camping so I found an inexpensive motel in Centralia for the night. I had a friend's wife who came down and met us with our bags, but they fine folks at STP will transport you stuff. If you want to do a motel (I STRONGLY suggest you do) then you should pack everything in a back pack so when you arrive in Centralia you can take you overnight stuff on your back. Plan time to get back to the camp site to give them back your pack so it will meet you in Portland. Pack yourself a fresh set of shorts, jersey etc and also some shorts and t-shirt to wear Saturday. Also bring a towel so you can shower in Porland, they have free showers there for you, just bring the towel.

The other thing you should buy are jels and shot blocks to keep you going in between stops, but this is the best supported ride on earth, so you will be fine.


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## ChilliConCarnage

I would be very suprised if you were able to find a hotel this late. They generally sell out MANY months in advance. Of course, there's always cancellations, but you generally have to get in on a waiting list for those.

Back to the OP's question on training:

My best advice would be to ride, ride, ride, then ride a little more.

Everybody's bodies have different needs, so any advice beyond that would be pure guesswork.

As an example of our different needs:

My wife decided to do her third STP last year. She did the two day version with her friend, and I rode the one-day with a buddy (my sixth STP).

Her training started in May and consisted of a half-dozen rides, the longest being a Lake Washington Loop ride a few weeks before STP. She was also doing a 20-minute Julian Michaels workout a couple of times a week.

My "training" consisted of my regular group rides all year long, so I already had thousands of miles in my legs by STP.

My wife comfortably rode the two-day with a 14+ MPH average and had a good time.

My buddy and I comfortably held a 20+ MPH average all the way into the outskirts of Portland.

For each of us, our training was appropriate, and let us complete the event and have fun.


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## Cyclin Dan

bigbill said:


> In 2008, I did the one day ride in 10:14. If I recall correctly, my Garmin 305 was somewhere around 8k calories. My size at the time was 6'2" and 220# so around 800-1K calories an hour wouldn't see that far off for a 20mph pace. I had a bento (box) box on my toptube full of Clif Bloks to eat between stops. I only stopped four times and did the first 100 in 4:45. It got hot in the afternoon and it hurt my speed.


Sounds like my one and only experience with STP, which was last year. 10:19 I think. Stopped at ~50, 100, ~140 and 172. The 10:19 was TOTAL time, I think my rolling time was closer to 9:30. I live in Utah, so riding at sea level was nice...I felt like my lungs were super inflated...it was awesome. 

The first 100 miles there were so many riders that it was impossible NOT to draft. It was insane. I read a post upthread about the guy who decides last minute to hit the rest stop from the middle of the pack...I saw that TWICE! Several riders down each time. There was a really spectacular crash as I was passing the Kent stop. A guy got tangled up with the construction barrels...I was RIGHT next to/behind him in the "no rest stop" lane (he was in the lane to hit the rest stop, far left side). I don't know for sure because I didn't stop, but I heard all told that caused more than 30 riders to hit the pavement. 

You MUST be comfortable riding in a large group, and if you plan on starting early (we stayed at 5:30am) you must also be comfortable riding in a large group with minimal light on the road. 

It's a fun ride...flat as a pancake.


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## Sworker

they are probably right about the availability of a hotel, I picked up a reservation the time I did it in Feb timeframe. I agree doing either Winlock or Longmont makes more sense if your cutting the ride into two..........I am doing the Death Ride one more time this year and 2013 I want to try doing the 200 in one day.


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