{"id":1616,"date":"2020-06-22T15:57:52","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T15:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aspire2tri.co.uk\/?p=1616"},"modified":"2020-06-23T13:29:12","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T13:29:12","slug":"training-for-a-100-mile-bike-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aspire2tri.co.uk\/?p=1616","title":{"rendered":"Training for a 100 Mile Bike Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

When lock down came into effect for most people on March 23rd, I decided to use this time effectively and look at staying fit and healthy while working from home. At the time we didn’t know how long the lock down would last and I wanted to focus on a goal, so decided on following a 12-week training plan from the WATTbike hub.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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WATTbike Atom<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We purchased the WATTbike Atom in November 2019, a few months before lock down and life as we know it now. The main reason for the purchase was that we both wanted to train over the winter, and we found that having to swap the bikes and wheels over each time we wanted to train was a bit of a faff.
We also looked at the option of joining a local WATTbike training facility but ruled that out, due to the monthly cost for both of us to join and would we get the most out of our membership!
We decided on purchasing our own bike and taking advantage of the interest free credit from WATTbike.

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The WATTbike hub<\/em> <\/strong>come with a few different plans to follow and I decided on the 12-week 100 mile training plan. This was the best one which fitted in around my work\/life balance and with 61 days of workouts and 23 rest days, perfect for the time crunched athlete!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Week 9: Workout<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n


The plan is designed to get you bike fit and achieve your goal of riding your first 100-mile bike ride or aiming for a specific time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The workouts followed a polarised training model, incorporating a strength, threshold and endurance phase to progress fitness and training, ensuring you are ready for the demands of riding 100 miles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The workouts were progressive and each week they would increase in intensity and duration. Most weeks you would complete 5 workouts and the biggest training load would see you training for 7 \u2013 8 hours in weeks 9 and 10 then a 2 week taper ready for you event\/race.






Overall<\/strong>, I found this plan worked very well for me.
It kept me focused on the goal and the workouts fitted in with my daily work\/life, even if it meant an early start some days due to sharing the bike.
The biggest thing about the plan was it gave me consistency in my training, and this was important to me. While I could have gone on Zwift or other training platforms this plan worked for me, and that\u2019s the important take home message here. Find a plan that works for you and stick with it. This plan hasn\u2019t worked for everyone, we are all different, and you\u2019ll know if its right for you after a couple of weeks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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HR during ride<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I’ve been very happy with the outcome of this plan. I completed the ride with a good mate of mine, Jeff and together we rode the 100-mile bike route over a hilly course with some 5,000ft of elevation going through the Brecon Beacons National Park and the famous Black Mountain.

We didn\u2019t hammer the bike and spun up the hills easily. Average speed was 14.3 mph with an estimated power of 126 watts.
Towards the end of the ride, we followed a cycle track back to the seafront and headed towards Mumbles at a more leisurely pace for the last 12 miles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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100 mile bike ride route<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At the end of the ride, I felt good and could have carried on for another 10 or 20 miles. No stiffness in the legs or other parts of the body and wasn\u2019t feeling fatigued or hungry.

Nutrition plays a big part in endurance events and I choose foods that I\u2019m use too; Flapjacks, Bakewell slices, jelly babies, Lucozade sport (Isotonic drink) which gives a good balance of carbs and electrolytes and a coffee and cake stop at mile 60, for the social element of the ride. Took 2 gels with me but didn\u2019t need them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Before starting this plan, the last time I rode any distance was in January with a 40-mile and 54-mile ride, with Ride 100 London back in August being the longest ride that year with 91 miles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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