How to Train for Your First Century

Century rides are a rite of passage for a cyclist. It shows you've transcended beyond the average weekend warrior and decided to tackle a difficult, but exciting, distance challenge.

Riding 100 miles is not for beginners, but it's not so far out of reach that a decent cyclist can't do it with some proper training.

Here are some tips to help you when training for a century:

More: 6 Tips for Century Ride Rookies

The Pro Perspective

Kirsty Marrit has been racing triathlon since 1994 and has completed 10 Ironmans, the Leadville Trail 100, and several 24-hour mountain biking events—and can't even recall how many half-Ironmans and marathons she has completed. She's studied endurance-training theory for years and is currently coaching five Ironman competitors to achieve their training goals.

We caught up with Marrit on her way to Canada to compete in the 2011 Test of Metal cross-country mountain bike race in Squamish, British Columbia. Her biggest tip for training for a century: "Just get on the bike and ride!"

There is nothing more crucial to century training than riding long distances.

More: Pro Cyclists On Century Rides

Choosing Your Route

Marrit believes familiarity is key to succeeding on your century ride. "Make sure you train on terrain similar to what you'll be riding on your century," Marrit says. "If you're going to ride a hilly century, I would not suggest training in the flats because [the hills on the road] are going to exhaust you."

More: Preparing for a Hilly Century

On-the-Bike Training

You don't have to ride a full century to prepare for one; instead you can do some back-to-back long rides to help get your body ready for the big show.

If you anticipate riding a seven-hour century, do a four-hour ride on Saturday followed by a three-hour ride on Sunday. If you're able to do that several times, you should have success riding that distance in one day.

Speed

When training for a century ride, your initial rides should give you a sense of what pace you can maintain on your century. If you can ride really hard on your 2- to 3-hour rides, you should be able to push that pace when the time comes.

On your century, start out going slower than you think you need to. Your perceived effort will increase later in the ride, so give yourself some room to work up to it. If you start out really comfortable, you'll have more confidence in your ability to make it than if you're struggling early on.

You know you can work harder as the ride progresses. Marrit advises, "If you want to go hard for 20 miles, start going hard at mile 80."

More: 12 Common Century Ride Mistakes

Nutrition

It's also important to train your body for nutrition. "Start doing in your training what you plan to do on the actual day of the event," Marrit says.

Nutrition varies from person to person and you have to figure out what works for you ahead of time. Many of Marrit's athletes can take in solid foods, while some of her faster athletes can only digest liquid nutrition because their exertion on the bike is so high.

According to Marrit, the most important part of nutrition might be the ability to fuel on the go. She suggests you practice eating and drinking while riding, well in advance of the race.

More: 4 Nutrition Secrets for Your First Century Ride

Equipment

One of the biggest things that can make or break your long ride is your saddle, both in training and on your century. It's hard for beginners to ride several days in a row because, as Marrit puts it, "their undercarriage isn't quite seasoned for it."

Buy good quality bike shorts. Make sure they fit well and are tight to your body. And do not wear underwear—it will only cause chafing and discomfort.

Also, get a proper bike fit at a performance bike shop to ensure that everything is in the right place mechanically. An improper fit can cause painful injuries on long rides.

More: 6 Gear Essentials For a Long Bike Ride

Recovery

Marrit firmly believes that, "The best thing you can do after a long ride is to [lie down on your back and] elevate your feet up a wall." Her rule of thumb is five minutes of elevation for every hour of riding.

Aside from stretching out your hamstrings and groin muscles, this foot elevation, "increases your venous return. Your veins don't have the same pumping power as arteries," Marrit says. "[When riding for a long time, your veins are] fighting against gravity while trying to get blood back up to your heart. Put your legs up the wall to help flush out the system."

Best of all, you should feel proud about your century ride. So be sure to celebrate with friends, family or fellow cyclists. You earned it.

More: 7 Recovery Strategies Used by Pro Cyclists

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