With excerpts from: http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/century, and
http://www.shape.com/fitness/training-plans/ride-more-100-miles-8-week
In the weeks before ride day – It’s a good idea to have a training plan that will gradually prepare your body for a longer century ride. When you ride, consider incorporating interval training. This means alternating short periods of high intensity effort, with short periods of low intensity effort. It’s easiest to do this when riding on relatively flat roads. For all your training rides, begin with a 5 minute warm-up and finish with a 5 minute cool down. When you first incorporate interval training into your routine, try a high intensity period of 20-30 seconds, followed by a low intensity recovery period of 3-4 minutes. As for normal riding, use your gears to keep your cadence in the range of 70-90 revolutions per minute. Then week by week, as your fitness improves, gradually increase the period of high intensity effort by small amounts until you are able to maintain a high effort for 3-4 minutes, followed by another 3-4 minute recovery period. Many cyclists incorporate interval training as a proven way to quickly gain strength and endurance.
Try to fit extra rides into your weekly routine. Start from your normal weekly ride routine, and add an extra ride, and then two. It’s best to alternate long and short, hard and easy rides, to allow your body time to recover.
If you are training for a 60 mile metric century ride, ideally you would slowly ramp up, adding 6-10 miles of cycling per week, to the point where your weekly mileage total approaches 75-100 miles. Also it’s best to gradually increase the length of your longest weekly ride by 5 miles to 40-45 miles. Generally riders who can comfortably ride 40-45 miles will have a successful metric century ride, even if they have never done a full 60 mile ride.
If you are training for a 100 mile century ride, ramp up adding 8-10 miles per week, to the point where your weekly mileage total approaches 105-125 miles. Also it’s best to gradually increase the length of your longest weekly ride by 10 miles to 60-65 miles. Generally riders who can comfortably ride 60-65 miles will have a successful century ride, even if they have never done a full 100 mile ride.
In both cases, back off by one third or one half, two weeks before the day of the century ride. In the last several days before the Foxy’s, it’s best to avoid strenuous training rides. Instead loosen up with a couple of easy 8-10 mile rides, and feel free to skip riding altogether on the day before the event. Instead, try doing some easy stretching, and be sure to take the time to get your bike in good order.
A good training plan will give you confidence on ride day. You will know that you have properly prepared yourself, so that you can spend less time worrying about how you will do, and more time enjoying a beautiful day outdoors, with your fellow Foxy’s riders.
Note to all Foxy’s Fall Century riders: You always have the option to change to one of the other Foxy’s routes. When you check in on the day of the event, just notify one of the volunteers at the Foxy’s registration table, or help table, and they can get you switched over.
Training Tip#2 – Pedal Cadence
Davis Bike Club’s Foxy’s Fall Century follows some of the most beautiful cycling roads of Napa, Solano, and Yolo counties. Nearly 200 volunteers will be with you along the way to make it safe and fun for you, and a ride that you will want to do year after year.