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How hard is a 100 miler?

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Campguy71

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have been training hard. Most of my miles are on the road, but I do get trail time. In July I logged over 500 quality miles. I even finished RAIN, a 155 mile trek across Indiana on the road.

I have lost 16 lbs and am starting to enjoy intervals.

Will I be ready for a 100 miler in September? I guess I need to just bite the bullet and take a Saturday and put in 80 or 90 on the trail.

What do you think?
 
#2 ·
You need 3-4 months of good hard training to complete a 100 miler safely IMO. You started in July, correct? If the race is later in September you should be fine as long as you don't get injured, or sick or something like that.

Log good solid 3+ hour rides every weekend and you can be ready. Endurance racing is do able with minimal training you just won't be breaking any land speed records.

Good luck.
 
#3 ·
It's as hard as you make it. If you want to push hard for the entire ride and finish in the top 10, it is very difficult. If you have to ask, you can't do it.

If you just want to finish, then I'd say you are well on your way. Ride within yourself, eat and drink enough, hit the start line well rested, well fed, on a reliable bike and you will be fine.

Best of luck!

Joe

Campguy71 said:
I have been training hard. Most of my miles are on the road, but I do get trail time. In July I logged over 500 quality miles. I even finished RAIN, a 155 mile trek across Indiana on the road.

I have lost 16 lbs and am starting to enjoy intervals.

Will I be ready for a 100 miler in September? I guess I need to just bite the bullet and take a Saturday and put in 80 or 90 on the trail.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
 
#4 ·
Pretty hard.

Alot of it depends on the course, even more on the climbing. I would try to get at least a few 5+ hour rides in. Ideally not closer then a couple of weeks to your event so you can go in rested. They are crutial to learn how to pace and eat. A road century is also great training because they have aid stations just like 100's So you can get used to eating on the go.
Endurance races have a big mental element. Keep moving forward when it gets hard and you go slow.
Good luck.
 
#5 ·
fuel and hydrate

I agree with the previous posters about mileage - you don't need to pump out a 90 mile trail ride before the race. What I have to remember the most is to eat and drink regularly during the race. Your muscles will be strong enough - you just need to refuel and replenish fluids and electrolytes. Nothing worse than cramping at mile 50 or bonking at mile 85.
 
#8 ·
I just did my first one this past weekend. While I want to warn people that it is a serious commitment when you line up at the start line, it really wasnt that hard at all.

Was it a long long day? You bet.

Find a pace stay within yourself at all times and you wont have a problem. The goal is to finish the first one you do. You will learn a lot and make a lot of mistakes along the way, but you have to do that so you can get better.

I put in 2 really big months in April and May and then my riding was drastically reduced since then. I road almost zero mt. bike miles since April, if I have 200 since then it would be a lot (not counting Saturday).

If you are doing centuries on the road you will be fine. I took it very very easy the 2 weeks leading up to the event. 3 days of riding each week.

Eat drink pace yourself and enjoy.

oh and make sure you drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My guess is you are going to do the SM100, that race was my goal for this year, but I had backed out, made other plans for that weekend and then got pissed I bailed on my goal. So last minute I signed up for the 101. I thought I was totally under trained. Instead I went out there and did way better than expected.

Go do it, have fun but use your head. Walking is not a bad thing, even the pro's walk parts of the course.
 
#10 ·
If it is the SM-100 you are doing and your goal is to finish then it looks like you are good to go. You've done some long rides and are used to being in the saddle for a long time. You've probably figure out how you need to eat. Don't sit down at check point 5. That's where most guys bail. Get water or whatever and go. Don't think about it has a 100 mile race. Break it up into small chunks and set goals like reaching each check point or count down the number of peaks you need to climb.

Remember to take in plenty of electrolytes. I saw a number of guys dropping out or slowing way down due to cramping at the W101 this weekend. Again assuming you are doing the SM 100, it can still be pretty got in SW Virginia in Sept, even if it;s cool in the morning.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
I live in central Indiana. I am doing the Brown County Breakdown, on September 30. This is the 1st year for the100 miler. Last two years it was a 100k ride. Great course and event. The LBS work hard on it and the Hoosier Mountaint Bike Association is growing well. If you want a great time, think about it! http://HMBA.org

I have my nutrition dialed in pretty well, thanks to the folks at Hammer. Hammer ROCKS! I am not worried about my leg endurance. I am a good rider and climber.

My technical skills and upper body endurance worries me. I have been doing push ups and crunches, but I need more trail time. I just do not have the time to travel to good trails. Life, kids, wife, church and work eat up training time like Tour riders eat EPO!

I am planning a long ride on August 18th. I hope to ride off road for 6 hours. I hope this will be a confidence booster. It will also give me 6 weeks to recover and put in some good road miles before the actual ride date.

The Break Down is not a race, but I guess I want to race my self. I hope to ride it in around 10/ 11 hours. If I break 10, I will go nuts! If I role in 12 hours, I will be satisfied.
 
#12 ·
Two remaining concerns??

Campguy71 said:
My technical skills and upper body endurance worries me. I have been doing push ups and crunches, but I need more trail time.
Click to expand...
Per your answers you sound like you got the experience/training/nutrition down

Technical -- if this is a BIG concern you might go with 'big fat soft' tires (I know it can be a "rolling resistance" compromise but it it's a rocky technical course then………..)

Upper body endurance - ok you are doing the body work, what about your bike position, is it a classic "stretched out" XC position, if so.......? A more "upright position" will complement your body work outs like you would not believe in a 100 mile race

Good Luck!!
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Upper body endurance – ok you are doing the body work, what about your bike position, is it a classic "stretched out" XC position, if so.......? A more "upright position" will complement your body work outs like you would not believe in a 100 mile race

I have very short legs. So my saddle is foward on a zero set back post. I sometimes think that I am too far foward for good control, like my weight is on my rear tire enough for corners? Does that make sense?
 
#14 ·
My Kingdom for a proper fit

Campguy71 said:
Upper body endurance - ok you are doing the body work, what about your bike position, is it a classic "stretched out" XC position, if so.......? A more "upright position" will complement your body work outs like you would not believe in a 100 mile race

I have very short legs. So my saddle is foward on a zero set back post. I sometimes think that I am too far foward for good control, like my weight is on my rear tire enough for corners? Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
I know very little about bike fit (but mine is nailed for the all day stuff) compared to most but here goes....

Well your seat "height and fore/aft" position to your crank is sort of fixed at this point (unless you are going to get a new frame at this late date).
I would be wary of making a change here till after your race. You don't mention leg/foot/knee issues so you might go slow with any changes here!!
However if this is a problem you might look at a better fitting (smaller?, different STA??etc etc) frame at some point in the future. Lots of posts on this subject, but general consensus from the more experienced riders seems to be -- get your "seat to crank" settings dialed in FIRST, I guess it's the Foundation setting, and then keep it the same between bikes.

I do not know what your current "seat to bar" position is so I am just guessing here, but I was thinking more of a simple bar/stem "height and length" experiment/change.
Basically, can you use a different stem/bar combo to move your hands back and up a bit? This will take pressure off your hands, forearms and lower back on a long, long race.
Like any position change it's a "compromise", gain something-lose something situation. Only you can say if it's right after some trial and error.
Side Note: this position change may make it a bit easier for you to center up your weight in the corners, putting a bit more weight on the rear wheel. Might also make steep climbs more difficult as the front end may not stay down, or the front tire might wash out easier, yup its always a "compromise", and you get to be the final judge! Part of the fun of endurance racing is working on "just the right fit" for the long hours in the saddle.
 
#17 ·
Flat Ark said:
Never ridden one off road, but I am pretty sure that it is 10X's harder than a 10 miler.:D
Click to expand...
10 times the distance, yes. More than 10 times harder. I have yet to ride my first hundie, but will soon be going for it at the SM100. I have however done some 50-60 milers at this point training for the event and a 50 miler is most certainly more than 5 times "harder" than a 10 miler. Fatigue both physically and mentally increase the difficulty faster than the miles themself.
 
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