# 5 Hour Century



## Roadiedvm

It’s my goal to complete a century in under 5 hours, total time, not time on the bike. The ride I’ve picked is the 2009 Hotter n’ Hell because it’s a flat course where the biggest challenge is usually the heat and sometimes the wind. I rode the HHH in 2007 and averaged 18.2 mph total time. Since then I’ve lost 28 pounds and have invested a lot of time training, loosely following Friel’s training program in “Cycling Past 50.” I live in the Denver area and have completed several centuries and longer this year on hilly courses including the Triple Bypass and am heading to Utah this weekend for the Moab century. 

My questions are these: First, what kind of tempo pace do I need to be able to sustain in training to be prepared to ride a 5 hour century? Second, how much time should I plan off the bike? I will carry gels and bars with me on the bike, using rest stops only to refill water bottles and hit the porta potties if there’s no line. Third, is it better to weight my training more toward flat terrain at higher speeds, since that’s the type of course I’ll be riding, or to continue to do a lot of hill riding such as Deer Creek-High Grade, Left Hand Canyon and similar rides where the altitude gain is 2500-4000 feet over 15 miles, give or take a couple of miles?


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## sprocketjockey9

Pace wise, you'll probably need to be 21 mph or over, time off the bike will have to be as little as possible.

As far as training wise, train on the terrain that you are going to be riding your goal event on. Climbing uses different neuromuscular demands than riding on the flats. Spend your time on the flats doing 2x20 efforts slightly below threshold (Sweet Spot Training) edging toward your goal pace


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## Keeping up with Junior

*Throw away bottles*



Roadiedvm said:


> ...only to refill water bottles...


Start with one or two extra bottles in your jersey pockets. In your cages have some old, crappy bottles you do not mind throwing away. Start the ride drinking from these old bottles. When empty swap them out for the bottles in your pocket(s) and throw away the old ones (pitch them at a sag stop or ask someone who is not in such a big hurry to properly dispose of them for you).


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## Creakyknees

HHH has so many riders, your best plan is to stay in a paceline the whole time. So, get a lot of fast group rides in. Find and ride with the local hammerfest rides. Get used to close drafting, holding a wheel, etiquette and safety. Plus fast group rides will help your fitness. 

Use a camelback-type hydration pack to extend your range. With a 1.5 liter bladder (filled with a strong mix of Hammer Perpetuem) and 2 big water bottles plus some food in jersey pockets, I can go 60-70 miles in the Texas heat before stopping. And when I do stop, I only need water - pour a lot on my head, and refill the bottles. 

I don't agree with the advice to throw things away, simply because it's not necessary and it's littering. At HHH they have plenty of rest stops, they are well-stocked and ready for large crowds. Just roll in, get your water and get out, shouldn't take more than 5 minutes max. 

Sub 5 hours is quite do-able. The course really is very flat; the only challenges may be the wind and the heat.

Oh re: pace - I raced the cat 4 race this year, so it was non-stop and we finished with a 23.1 speedo avg - I forget the time, about 4:15 or so?


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## MerlinAma

Roadiedvm said:


> It’s my goal to complete a century in under 5 hours, total time, not time on the bike........


I've always been curious about why people would go with the "total time" concept.

I understand that it's silly to ride 20 miles at 20mph, rest for awhile and go again. That's certainly not the spirit of a 5 hour century.

On the other hand, if you had a personal sag and the only time off the bike was answering nature's call, total time would be within 5-10 minutes of ride time anyway.

In reality, most rides are neither. You've got the rest stop issues where standing in line for water could take 5 minutes, waiting for a porta pottie and other 5+ minutes. flat tire maybe 5 minutes and the list goes on.

I've also been on the HHH when the road was blocked while the helicopter was picking someone up after a crash. How do you account for that time?

I could even argue that those short stops hurt you as you need to get warmed up again (at least a little) and you may lose the paceline you've been riding with.

But I appreciate wanting to ride a FAST century and having a goal. The masses of people at HHH make it a dangerous place to ride for a fast time.


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## Roadiedvm

Thanks for all your replies so far. The Sweet Spot Training graph is one I haven't seen before and looks like it will be useful. I was thinking I would have to average about 21.5 mph on the bike to complete the ride in 5 hours and the tips about using old bottles makes sense (I promise not to litter). Granted, there are things I can't control such as flats, etc. but that's true in all rides and I haven't often encountered delays. Also true that it's a large race but the way it's organized now, if you can start near the front of the group and be on the bike when you cross the starting point, you'll be ahead of the biggest part of the crowd. Why the goal of 5 hours total time? It's a milestone, nothing more but for me works better to aim for 5 hours instead of 5-ish. 

I've done some paceline riding and have taken my turns on the front but I need to work on that quite a bit over the next year.


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## Oldteen

Never done the HHH, but I have set goals for "total time" centuries. I understand the appeal to measure yourself & your cycling progress. Just keep things in perspective. TIme AIN'T everything.
OTOH- MerlinAma raises some good points. 
-More than once on fast long rides I've abandoned my pre-ride plan just to stay with a good paceline. HOWEVER- remember that a 5:30 solo is usu harder than 5:00 wheelsucking in a good pack.
IMHO- stopping for more than 5min or so just wastes time & lets my middle-aged muscles get tight. That makes me slower on restart. Better to control your pace a bit & minimize stoppage time. I can sometimes ride 100mi straight (Midwest summer) on 4 24-32oz bottles and bars/gels- unless nature's call is too urgent. Zero time lost to stops. I like Camelbacks on MTB, but on road I prefer multiple larger bottles. And sometimes fluid management (in & out!) is more efficiently done at a rural gas station rather than an event's formal SAG. 
-Consider the event & course for best times. I look for flat rural centuries on decent roads with moderate # of stronger riders. Big events tend to clog-up at some points on the course. Unless you are off the front, but then you would not be needing advice 

Finally- don't forget to go with the flow & have fun. Traffic or mechanicals beyond our control just happen. Any PB needs some luck (or at least no bad luck).


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## Shaggybx

I did the Golden Apple Century last week.It took me 5hr 41 min,
The course was hilly ,about 6800 ft of climbing.I averaged 18.2 mph
I rode by myself ,no wheelsucking.It rained the first 2 hours.
I didn't do any special training for it,just my usually weekly routine.
The last hour was really tough,I was wearing down fast.
I was thinking to myself the TDF guys do this day after day.At a really fast pace.
Amazing 
Is this a decent time?
I'm just a recreational old rider.


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## MerlinAma

Shaggybx said:


> .........about 6800 ft of climbing............I rode by myself ,no wheelsucking............It rained the first 2 hours...........
> Is this a decent time?


Based on what you've described, it was *better* than decent.

That's the other thing about rides. Headwinds and hills impact your time a lot. And wet weather can really slow you down.

I've busted my a$$ on some 6 hour centuries and just "ridden hard" on some 5 hour centuries.


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## Siado

It should be more than achievable. I started riding a year and a half ago and somewhere about this time last year, I told myself I was going to do the Seattle to Portland ride this year in one day (206mi).

My training was all done commuting for 6 months and a little longer ride on the weekends.

I ended up with 3hrs, 51min ride time at the "halfway" point in Centralia @ 98mi or so. I only made one other stop at 50mi and that was for about 8-9 minutes. Most of the ride was fairly flat to slightly rolling.

The weather was cool in the morning, so heat wasn't a factor. Pacelines were. Had a great group interested in getting a lot of "uncertain" riders behind them for safety.

Great time, good workout, lots of fun, even riding aggressively.


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## Oldteen

Siado said:


> It should be more than achievable. I started riding a year and a half ago and somewhere about this time last year, I told myself I was going to do the Seattle to Portland ride this year in one day (206mi).
> 
> My training was all done commuting for 6 months and a little longer ride on the weekends.
> 
> I ended up with 3hrs, 51min ride time at the "halfway" point in Centralia @ 98mi or so.


"Achievable" is a judgment call that is sometimes made too easily. Any goal must be a personal one, and must be realistic. An unrealistic goal is merely a fantasy. For a special few the goal may be a Tour win, an Olympic gold, or a world record. Others, like me, must be content with more modest goals. The best training, nutrition, and motivation will not improve your genes.
Siado- doing a sub-4hr century (pacelines or not) only 18mo after starting to ride suggests you are physiologically gifted and have a bright future. For many of us that 4hr century is fantasy. 

In any case, chopping time off your personal best century gets harder as those times get shorter.


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## Gnarly 928

Get into a good group paceline. If a faster bunch comes along, get on with them, if you aren't pissing anyone off by doing so. Practice your nutritional plan before your 'attempt'. Eating right is going to be very important to maintain a 20mph average. I doubt you can do under 5 without some drafting...Not saying you can't, but that's quite a TT...100 miles at 20mph.

Make sure your bike is fitting right and change nothing for your 'attempt'..Go into it with a proper 'taper'...see Friel's book.

When you finish, think about your next goal....after a few days off..

Don Hanson


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## Keeping up with Junior

*Good vs. Fast*



Gnarly 928 said:


> Get into a good group paceline. If a faster bunch comes along, get on with them...


A good paceline is not necessarily a fast paceline. Remember the tortoise and the hare? If you find a good, brisk, steady paceline with some smooth riders in it they may very well drag you through the whole hundred miles. What looks like a fast paceline may very well disintegrate part way into the ride. Finally if it is a good and fast paceline they may not want someone they do not know in their group.


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## CurbDestroyer

Here I go opening my big mouth, but here I go anyway. 

If want to measure/test yourself by completing 100 mile in 5 hours, then you must to do it solo. If a group comes by you, just let them go. A couple years ago my goal was to go under 5hr on my fixie for 100mi. I made it in 4hr, 52min. If I found a fast group, I might have been about to do 4hr, 30min, but that's not a measure of what I can do. 

Later that same year (2004) I brought my fixie (50x15) with me to Charleston SC. I went on a 80 mile group ride, we averaged over 27Mph for 80 miles and it was easy. We had a double paceline (4 wide, . . . yes 4 wide) of about 40+ people working if I remember right. Also know that Charleston is very flat, the only hills you will find or the bridges, (I'm not exagerating about the hills), and it's at sea level, I live at about 1000ft above, doubt it made a lot of difference, but it didn't hurt. I remember going to Charleston bike shop and asking them what rides were going on, and they told me about the 80mile ride going on Saturdays that they average around 27-28mph and I thought that's crazy talk, but it's wasn't. 

So how do those two rides relate? I know that 100 miles at 20Mph in Kansas City is a lot harder than, riding in a paceline for 80 miles at 27Mph in Charleston. Other than that, it's Apples to Oranges. 

With that said, If you averaged 18.2 miles last year, and since you have lost 30Lbs., and your starting Friel's training routine, then riding a sub 5hr, 100mi should be an achievable goal. In fact I think you should be about to achive it a lot sooner than August 2009. 

A few things I focused on were:
6 hour rides at an easy speed (get used to being on a bike). Being on a bicycle for 6 hours can be physically, and maybe even more mentally tiring, you just get tired of being tired.

80miles really hard/sub 4hrs at least (get your bodies energy delivery systems ready), The muscles don't work unless they are getting fuel. I chose 80 miles just because I have a course setup, and that's just what it works out to be, . . . 70 would be fine, It's just I can't cut 10 miles off it . . . Basically this exercise trains your body to use fuel from food you eat during the ride. 

and getting involved in very fast group rides (Speed work). You need Speed work. 

That's what I did. Everybody is different, and we all have different levels of experience, ability, and most important experience of one's self.


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## Bocephus Jones II

CurbDestroyer said:


> Here I go opening my big mouth, but here I go anyway.
> 
> If want to measure/test yourself by completing 100 mile in 5 hours, then you must to do it solo.


You can average 20+ MPH for 100 miles without a paceline and no stops and on a fixie nonetheless? You're a better man than me. I can maybe see it on a pancake flat course with a tailwind and a huge gear on the fixie.


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## CurbDestroyer

Bocephus Jones II said:


> You can average 20+ MPH for 100 miles without a paceline and no stops and on a fixie nonetheless? You're a better man than me. I can maybe see it on a pancake flat course with a tailwind and a huge gear on the fixie.


The ride is the Summer Breeze 100 in South KCMO. It's a series of rolling hills. It's basically 5 hours of hill intervals. There are two hills on the course that 48x16 is about the limit for me. I picked 48x16 because I calculated 48x16 at 85rpm equals 20Mph and I had experience with that ratio. I might try it again with 50x16 or 48x15. 

I highly recommend riding a fixie over long distances. It will teach you how to preserve your momentum. When you can't switch gears, you have to look down the road and determine when you have to put the spurs to the bicycle to propel you over the hill. (assuming you have a course of rolling hills). 

I stopped at the support stops for food and to refill my bottles. That doesn't take long. The hard part is stopping , and seeing someone that wants to talk. You just have to tell them "I'm trying to finish in under 5hr's and I'll see you at the finish". 

But like I said, it's all relative. What does it mean to ride 100miles in less than 5 hours? There are a lot of external factors that contribute to achieving that goal. The internal factor is between your ears . . . It's how you handle yourself when the ride stops being fun . . . If your going solo, and the ride stops being fun, will you fall into a pace line, or will you relentlessly pursue your goal. . . . or if your goal is to finish in under 5 hours using paceline when possible, and your going up a hill with that group and you fall off the back a little; will you try to catch up to that group, or will you let it go?


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## Peanya

Doing the math, if you average 22mph, you will have just shy of 30 minutes of "stop time" for refills/porta potty time. If you bump it up to a super fast 24, then you'll have about 50 min of stop time.


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## Roadiedvm

*There are goals and then there are goals*



> If want to measure/test yourself by completing 100 mile in 5 hours, then you must to do it solo. If a group comes by you, just let them go. A couple years ago my goal was to go under 5hr on my fixie for 100mi. I made it in 4hr, 52min. If I found a fast group, I might have been about to do 4hr, 30min, but that's not a measure of what I can do.


I agree this is a truer measure of individual achievement than doing part of a ride in a paceline. You might complete a ride in 4 1/2 hours, for example, riding in a paceline, and may not have worked as hard as if you did it solo in 5 1/2 hours but... A century ride isn't an individual time trial, at least not for me and I'm not hard core enough that it will matter to me if some of the ride is in a paceline so long as I've been thoroughly challenged and it's fun.
My hat is off to anyone who can do a century solo on a fixie under 5 hours. 

When you say you recommend riding a fixie over long distances, what distance qualifies as "long" for training and how would you integrate that into your training schedule?


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## CurbDestroyer

Roadiedvm said:


> I agree this is a truer measure of individual achievement than doing part of a ride in a paceline. You might complete a ride in 4 1/2 hours, for example, riding in a paceline, and may not have worked as hard as if you did it solo in 5 1/2 hours but... A century ride isn't an individual time trial, at least not for me and I'm not hard core enough that it will matter to me if some of the ride is in a paceline so long as I've been thoroughly challenged and it's fun.
> My hat is off to anyone who can do a century solo on a fixie under 5 hours.
> 
> When you say you recommend riding a fixie over long distances, what distance qualifies as "long" for training and how would you integrate that into your training schedule?


In this case I define a long distance, as one being long enough that you become tired enough so you start relying on the bike's momentum to do some of the work. In reguards to rolling hills. At first you'll muscle the bike up the hills, then you'll learn to use the bike's momentum coming down the hill, to help propel you up over the next hill. It's a skill. You can lose time with awkward shifting over the length of 100 miles. How many times does a ride shift during a 100 mile ride? If you lose 5 second per mile, than adds up to around 8 minutes over the length of 100 miles. It about make smoooth transitions. From experience you will learn to look up the road and have alreay determined what gear your going to need to be in, in relation to the gear your in now. 

This is magnified when you mountain bike. If you've ever done any 12 hour, or 24 hour races, then you know what I'm talking about. Preservation of momentum.

Right now is a great time to ride fixed gear


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## BassNBrew

I honestly don't think you'll have a problem. I shocked myself doing the Fletcher Flyer in 4:40 this year. Approx 5000 ft of climbing. My goal was 5:30, but I hung onto the front group for the first 80 miles in about 3:35 before being dropped and limped it home from there. All my other previous centuries were 10000+ ft of climbing so I really didn't understand the full benefit of the draft. It was mind boggling averaging 22.5 mph over 80 miles.

Plan on making only one stop for about 5 minutes. Carry plenty of food and four water bottles. Nashbar sells 36oz magnums that are perfect for this type of event. Stick with a group at all costs, you're looking at a 30%+ reduction in effort.


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## Roadiedvm

*Mission accomplished*

I made my goal. The weather cooperated and this was the most fun I've had on a longer ride. Thanks for the suggestions, they paid off, especially riding in a paceline and carrying throwaway bottles. It was a new experience, riding with a group that was passing most other riders instead of being one of the riders being passed. The first 60 miles were super easy but I didn't eat and drink enough so the last 40 were harder than they would have been if I'd followed my plan. I got dropped and for the first time understood what Bob Roll was talking about during the TDF when he described how it feels to see the group ahead so close yet just out of reach. Ride and learn


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## Dajianshan

I would love to do a century in under 5 hours. The heat and terrain give me some great excuses for why I don't. It sure beats admitting I'm slow.


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## vanjr

Dajianshan said:


> I would love to do a century in under 5 hours. The heat and terrain give me some great excuses for why I don't. It sure beats admitting I'm slow.


Are there many centuries in Taiwan? Must be from your post.


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## Dajianshan

I think this calendar year I have done six or seven standard centuries with several more over 80 miles. I try to get do at least 75 miles every Saturday. I usually just ride solo. The past 6 weeks have been a training disaster with health and mechanical problems keeping me off the bike on a regular basis, so maybe in three weeks I can build back up to form. I feel terrible.


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## MaddSkillz

Roadiedvm said:


> I made my goal. The weather cooperated and this was the most fun I've had on a longer ride. Thanks for the suggestions, they paid off, especially riding in a paceline and carrying throwaway bottles. It was a new experience, riding with a group that was passing most other riders instead of being one of the riders being passed. The first 60 miles were super easy but I didn't eat and drink enough so the last 40 were harder than they would have been if I'd followed my plan. I got dropped and for the first time understood what Bob Roll was talking about during the TDF when he described how it feels to see the group ahead so close yet just out of reach. Ride and learn



Congrats! :thumbsup: This years HHH was completely awesome! Weather could not have been better and well, they just put on one heck of an event!


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## Roadiedvm

MaddSkillz said:


> This years HHH was completely awesome! Weather could not have been better and well, they just put on one heck of an event!


Agree 100%. The community really gets behind this event and it makes for one great weekend. I love staying at the Fairfield Marriott. They always go out of their way to accommodate the riders.


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## paluc52

*You all don't mean the "HHH"*

Officially, the "HHH," as you all should know, is the Horribly Hilly Hundreds (200 kilometers and 10,000 feet of climbing around Blue Mound, Wisconsin, in the middle of June). You appear to be talking about some provincial ride in Texas that ought to have the acronym "HnHH." Robbie Ventura had designed the 2016 Olympic road race course (had Chicago been chosen) to finish on the HHH route, with 3 miles of 7% to 10% grade to the top.

Come up north and do that in 5 hours and I will buy you as much Wisconsin micro brew as you want. ;-)


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## deadlegs2

*Hhh*

HHH attendance 14,200 hardly provincial



paluc52 said:


> Officially, the "HHH," as you all should know, is the Horribly Hilly Hundreds (200 kilometers and 10,000 feet of climbing around Blue Mound, Wisconsin, in the middle of June). You appear to be talking about some provincial ride in Texas that ought to have the acronym "HnHH." Robbie Ventura had designed the 2016 Olympic road race course (had Chicago been chosen) to finish on the HHH route, with 3 miles of 7% to 10% grade to the top.
> 
> Come up north and do that in 5 hours and I will buy you as much Wisconsin micro brew as you want. ;-)


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## Jeepster82

*Hhh*

14,000 riders and wind. True the wind and heat was not too bad this year, but it was not 75 degree's with shade tree's. It was a good ride though, I finnished in 5 hours down to the minute including 2 stops.


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## John BBB

*Find a fast tandem*

Just get behind a fast group at the start, preferably, one with a fast tandem or two.


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## Undecided

paluc52 said:


> Officially, the "HHH," as you all should know, is the Horribly Hilly Hundreds (200 kilometers and 10,000 feet of climbing around Blue Mound, Wisconsin, in the middle of June). You appear to be talking about some provincial ride in Texas that ought to have the acronym "HnHH." Robbie Ventura had designed the 2016 Olympic road race course (had Chicago been chosen) to finish on the HHH route, with 3 miles of 7% to 10% grade to the top.
> 
> Come up north and do that in 5 hours and I will buy you as much Wisconsin micro brew as you want. ;-)


If the one in Wisconsin is newer and smaller, why does it get to be "official"?


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