“Century Ride”Training for a 100 Mile Bike Ride

By:Meg Montgomery

Paula KleinowMary Jo FusonWayne Rieger

Mid Century Cycles Inc.

Experience & Enjoy the Ride

Whether you are a new bicycle century rider or a veteran century cyclist, our programs, which include personalized training, equipment and nutrition, will help you enjoy century rides!

•Mary Jo Fuson, PhD, RDN, FACSM , is a Professor of Nutrition, University of Arizona, PHoenix. She is a veteran of the Rocky Mountain 1200, Team Furnace Creek 508, Pacific Crest and PAC Tours.•Meg E. Montgomery, PhD, currently is the Women’s Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Arizona. She is currently working with the PROMAN women’s cycling team. Other teams include; NorCal Velo Women’s cycling team and OKC Velo teams.•Paula Kleinow, PhD, is currently the head women’s athletic trainer at Arizona State University. She undergraduate degree from Indiana University and completed her masters degree in Sports Medicine at the USC. Wayne Reigor, PhD MD, received his degree from Stanford Medical School and has been practicing medicine for the last 25 years. Wayne is the team doctor the USA women's cycling team.

Success Stories

• . Robert worked at a bank for 26 years as a loan officer. One day the elevators in his bankwere being repaired and he hadto take the stairs. He was out of breath by the time he reached the fourth floor. He realized how outof shape he was and came to usfor help. Robert had always enjoyedbike riding and was interested in acentury ride through the PacificNorthwest. He trained for only twomonths, and out of 468 bikers, Robert finished 119. We was so pleased, he now rides in at least one centuryride a year.

Jane had always struggled withher weight and when she startedcollege, she gained the standard“freshman 15” – plus! She neededan exercise program that would notonly relieve the daily stress ofa heavy class-load, primarilyconsisting of science classes, butshe also wanted to shed thosepounds she had gained. Jane came to us since she preferredbiking to running, and we designed a program specific for her needs.

Today (12 months later) as you cansee, Jane has shed her unwanted pounds and has gained more energy,fitness, and muscle tone along theway – and says she can deal withdaily stresses much better.

This could be you at the finish lineWe can have you finishingyour first century ride in sixmonths. Not only will you complete the race, but youwill reap untold benefits.

You will be healthier, happier, and gain a newsense of pride along withyour accomplishment.

We will be with you all theway.

Profile / Background• 53 year old woman from Phoenix, Arizona • Name: Jo Wheeler• Moved to Phoenix three years ago• Married with two children• Healthy • No allergies• No prescription medicine• No diet restrictions• Height --- 5’ 3” • Weight --- 136 lbs• BMI --- 22• Previous bicycling experience

– Raced in the Little 500 when she was in college– Bikes with friends and family

Race Day

• El Tour de Tucson

• Saturday November 15

• 8:00am start time• Approximately six hours to complete

Exercise Guidelines for Women

• A woman exercising below 85% capacity increases their risk of premature death.

• MET- measurement of intensity of physical activity. One MET = amount of energy or oxygen used to sit quietly for a minute. (running consumes more than 6 METs.

• Most gym equipment provide this as a display.

• Formula for calculating- MET=14.7-(0.13 x age) ,

• <7.81>

Body Composition

• How much body fat is healthy?• Ideal is 22-25% for women

• No evidence of improve performance below 14%

• Evidence that extreme loss causes nutrient deficiencies, fluid/electrolyte imbalance, and increase risk of fractures.

• Body Composition Analysis• Hydrostatic weighing or Hydrodensitometry

• Complex and complicated

• Simple skin-fold- 98% accurate

Skinfold Measurement

• description / procedure: Measurement used from 3 to 9 different standard anatomical sites around the body.

• The tester pinches the skin at the appropriate site to raise a double layer of skin and the underlying adipose tissue, but not the muscle.

• The calipers are then applied 1 cm below and at right angles to the pinch, and a reading in millimeters (mm) taken two seconds later.

• The mean of two measurements should be taken. If the two measurements differ greatly, a third should then be done, then the median value taken..

• results: Because of the increased errors involved, it is usually not appropriate to convert skinfold measures to percentage body fat (%BF).

• It is best to use the sum of several sites to monitor and compare body fat measures. Below is a table of some general totals (in millimeters) of the seven main skinfold sites (tricep, bicep, subscap, supraspinale, abdominal, thigh, calf)

• Excellent Good Average Below Average Poor

• Normal 70-90 91-100 101-120 121-150 150+• Athlete 50-70 71-85 86-110 11-130 130+

• equipment required: skinfold calipers (e.g. Harpenden, Holtain, Slimglide, Lange).

• validity: using skinfold measurements is not a valid predictor of percent body fat, however they can be used as a monitoring device to indicate changes in body composition over time.

• advantages: Skinfold measurements are widely utilized and is a lot simpler than hydrostatic weighing and many of the other body composition techniques.

Wingate Test • measures an athlete’s anaerobic power and capacity. • This is determined by measuring the energy production during an

all-out 30-second effort on a laboratory cycle ergonometer.• The resistance load is adjusted to the pre-determined level, which is

usually about 45 g/kg body weight (Fleisch) or 75 g/kg body weight (Monark) for adults

• The results help characterize an athlete’s overall anaerobic capacity, an important consideration in sports that require high-intensity efforts. .

EKG

• Assure safety of the athlete during exercise protocols

• Accurately measure an athlete’s maximum heart rate

• Identify possible cardiovascular disease that the athlete may be unaware of

EKG Test

• ischemia - decreased flow of oxygenated blood to the heart due to obstruction in an artery.

• heart attack - also called myocardial infarction; damage to the heart muscle due to insufficient blood supply.

• conduction disorders - a dysfunction in the heart's electrical conduction system, which can make the heartbeat too fast, too slow, or at an uneven rate.

• electrolyte disturbances - an imbalance in the level of electrolytes, or chemicals, in the blood, such as potassium, magnesium, or calcium.

• pericarditis - an inflammation of the sac (thin covering) that surrounds the heart. • valvular heart disease - one or more of the heart's four valves becomes defective, or

may be congenitally malformed. • enlarged heart - a condition of the heart in which it is abnormally larger than normal;

can be caused by various factors, such as valve disorders, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, conduction disturbances, etc.

• chest trauma - blunt trauma to the chest, such as a motorist hitting the steering wheel in an automobile accident.

Sweat TestNormal Values• Sodium:

– Normal: less than 70 mEq/L – Abnormal: greater than 90 mEq/L – Equivocal: 70 to 90 mEq/L

• Chloride: – Normal: less than 50 mEq/L – Abnormal: greater than 60 mEq/L – Equivocal: 50 to 60 mEq/L

• Note: mEq/L = milliequivalent per liter

Sweat Collection • purpose: to use sweat patches applied to the skin to collect a sample of

sweat for analysis.• equipment required: sweat patches, razor, alcohol wipes, pipette, gloves,

storage container, small scales, sweat analyzer (or external laboratory).• description / procedure: The sweat collection patches should be prepared

of standard known size. • A popular method is to use paraffin film to cut out the desired shape which

is stuck onto a rectangle of clear tape. • Common sites of for collection are the upper back, chest, forearm, thigh and

forehead. • After a pre-determined exercise time, the top of the patch is opened and a

pipette is used to siphon off a sample of the sweat. The sweat is then transferred to a container and weighed.

• results: sweat rate can be calculated by dividingthe volume of sweat collected by the skin area.If using a patch like the example illustrated, the area of skin = ( a x b ) + (c x d). The collected sweat can also be sent for analysis to determine electrolyte composition.

• Urine Specific Gravity using a refractometer• purpose: monitoring hydration levels to prevent dehydration is important for optimizing

performance. Urine specific gravity is a scientific measure of hydration by measuring the density (concentration) of a urine sample.

• description / procedure: – Collecting the urine. The first part of the urine stream is discarded, then a small sample of urine is

collected into a container. The sample can be measured immediately or stored for later measurement. – Calibrating the refractometer. Calibrate the refractometer by placing distilled water on the glass as the

sample, and adjusting the scale to read 1.000. This should be done before you begin testing, and after every ten samples or so to ensure that the calibration remains accurate.

– Measurement. Open up the flap at the end of the refractometer. Clean with distilled water and dry with a soft non-abrasive cloth. Place a drop of urine on the glass plate and close the flap. Hold the refractometer up towards an area of natural light, look though the eye piece and read the specific gravity level off the scale - the point where the contrast line (difference between light and dark areas) crosses the scale.

• results: The measurement may be done immediately after collection, or the specimen can be stored in refrigeration for later analysis. The specific gravity results will range from 1.000 (which is equivalent to water) up to 1.035 (very dehydrated). There are several levels that are used in the literature to indicate dehydration, such as a value of 1.15 or greater.

• comments: The sample is usually collected first thing in the morning. It may also be of interest to collect samples prior to or post exercise, though there may be a time delay for the effect of dehydration to show in the specific gravity measure.

Motor Skill Evaluation

• Among the many detrimental affects that dehydration can have on athletic performance is an erosion of motor skills.

• The athlete may be asked to complete a foot-drill course — a series of specific foot movements that replicate a pre-established pattern — as fast and as accurately as possible.

• The results help understand how hydration and carbohydrate ingestion benefit the kinds of motor skills that are important in sports competition.

VO2 max Test

• Aerobic capacity is the ability of an athlete’s cardiovascular system to absorb and utilize oxygen.

• The VO2max test measures the maximal oxygen consumption rate of an athlete, indicating the athlete’s maximal aerobic capacity.

• The scientists use the information gained during the VO2max test to help set the standardized athletic workloads needed to gather accurate data during other lab testing procedures.

• Because body size can have such a dramatic impact on VO2max it is often expressed after adjustment for body weight, in ml O2/kilogram/minute.

• The average 40 year old female with no specific training experience might have a value around 3000-3500 mls/kg/min.

• Normal VO2 3000ml/kg/min.

• Athletic VO2 5600ml/kg/min.

Resting Metabolic Rate • Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum number of calories your

body needs to support its basic physiological functions. Your RMR is generally 60-80% of your total daily caloric expenditure.

• RMR is determined by measuring all the oxygen you used during a calorimetry test.

• For every calorie we burn, we consume a fixed amount of oxygen.   • By measuring oxygen consumption we can then calculate the caloric burn

rate. • Why you need to KNOW YOUR RMR • When you cut calories to BELOW your RMR, your body fights back.

Restricting calories below your RMR is like asking your car's engine to run on too little gas. If your car is sitting in the driveway with the engine on, it is burning gas as it sits there. If you put the car in drive and step on the gas, it burns gas at a faster rate. What happens if you choke off the supply of gas to your engine? It sputters and eventually stalls. The same is true for your metabolism.

Range of Motion

• Joint flexibility is defined as the range of motion (ROM) allowed at a joint.

• A joint's ROM is usually measured by the number of degrees from the starting position of a segment to its position at the end of its full range of the movement.

• The most common way this is done is by using a double-armed goniometer.

Results

Average ClientAverage Client

• Hip/ Knee/

Flexion 100 100 Flexion 150 108

• Elbow/ Ankle/

Flexion 140 131 Flexion 20 35

• Hyperextension 0 14 Hyperextension 30 24

• Shoulder/ Wrist/

Flexion 180 155 Flexion 60 65

Hyperextension 50 30 Hyperextension 60 74

Abduction 180 149 Radial Flexion 20 35

Adduction 50 58 Ulnar Flexion 30 44

Exercise Blood Pressure

• During testing procedures, the exercise blood pressure of athletes undergoing testing is checked regularly for responses during exercise in order to assure the athletes’ safety.

• In addition, the data collected from blood pressure readings can be used to assess how the cardiovascular system responds to exercise and nutritional interventions.

• During normal blood pressure response to exercise, systolic pressure increases linearly by approximately 10-15 mm Hg for each 50 watts of increased power output, while diastolic pressure generally remains unchanged or decrease slightly.

Check-ups

• Tests Pre-exam 2mth 4mth 6mth• Sweat• VO2• EKG• Wingate• BMI• ROM

Strength and

Conditioning

Train to Complete

Train to Compete

Train to Win

Endurance for the Long Haul100 Miles

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance– Improves heart and lung function

• Aerobic Endurance– Improves ability to deliver and use oxygen– Increase capacity for storing glycogen– Greater ability to release and transport stored body fat– Increased capillary beds in the muscles– Elevated V02 max

• Muscular Endurance– Improves lactate threshold speed, endurance and comfort

F.I.T. for Riding

• F = FREQUENCY

• I = INTENSITY

• T = TIME

Sample of Weekly Training Program---Century Ride

Buildup WeeksMonday 60-90 minutes maintenance ride in zone 2

(rolling course)

Tuesday 45-60 minutes recovery ride in zone 1

(flat course)

or Interval Training

Wednesday 60-90 minutes on a (hilly course)

Thursday 45-60 minutes recovery ride

or Interval Training

Friday Day Off - Different Activity

Saturday Long Ride in zones 2 and 3 (Long Ride) Dress rehearsal for century ride

Sunday Day Off - Rest

Sample of Weekly Training Program---Century Ride

Recovery WeeksMonday 45 to 60 minutes maintenance rides in zones

2 and 3 (rolling course)

Tuesday Day Off - Different Activity

Wednesday 45 to 60 minutes on a hilly course

Thursday 30 to 45 minutes recovery ride in zones 2 and 3 in zone 1 (flat course) or Day Off* if tired or unmotivated to ride

Friday Day Off* - Different Activity

Saturday Long Ride in zones 2 and 3 (Long Ride) Dress rehearsal for century ride

Sunday Day Off - Rest

Sample of Weekly Training Program---Century RideWeek of Century Ride

Monday 30-45 minutes recovery ride in zone 1 (flat course)

Tuesday Day Off – Different Activity

Wednesday 30-35 minutes on a hilly course

Thursday Day Off

Friday 30-45 minutes recovery ride in zone 1 (flat course)

Saturday Century Ride – Go Jo!

Sample of Interval Training Program---Century Ride

Interval Training

Example

4 x 6 min (2 minute rest)

Flat Course2:30 Tempo Ride

Interval Training

Example

5 x 12 min (3 minute rest)

Flat Course4:00 Tempo Ride

Interval Training

Example

5 x 6 min (3 minute rest)

Hilly Course4:30 Tempo Ride

Additional Exercises / Activities

• Jogging or Running

• Power Walking

• Yoga

Weightlifting Four Key Rules• Train the big muscles

– Quads, Calves, Back, Abs, and Chest– It is best to work these major movers with free weights and machines

when ever possible.– They force you to maintain balance

• Use multi-joint exercises– Focus on supporting muscle groups

• Keep the number of exercise low– Focus on several sets, in a few key exercises, rather than a shotgun

approach with many exercises and limited sets of each.• Mimic the positions of cycling

– When doing the squat, place feet the same width apart as the pedals.– Grip the bars on machines as if you are gripping the handlebars on a

bike .

Personalized to fit your needs.

Sample LiftsConcentrating on Correct Form

• Squats• Step-Ups• Leg Press• Seated Row• Bench Press• Push-Ups• Dead Lift• Seated Lat Pull• Abdominals

Six Phases of Weight Lifting1. Anatomical Adaptations

– Strengthen muscles and tendons throughout the body to prepare for greater loads in the next phase

– Toughen connective tissues– Emphasizing correct form

2. Maximum Strength – Lifting heavy weight challenges both the muscular and nervous systems by

teaching them to recruit available muscles to lift the weight.3. Power Endurance

– Here you will convert the strength and ability to recruit large numbers of muscle fibers to sport – specific power by combine force with speed.

4. Muscular Endurance– Work on the burning sensation in the muscles– This phase will help muscles deal with fatigue, by increasing capillary density

5. Strength Maintenance– Rebuild strength

6. Power Maintenance – Maintaining

Athletic Trainer’s Role:

Key = PREVENTION

Injuries and Pain from overuse can be prevented through:

1. Stretching Before & After2. Proper Fitting of Bike

Factors Contributing to Overuse Injuries:

• cycling involves limited, repeated motion• muscles are never fully contracted or extended• muscles strengthen, but also tighten• tightening causes muscles to shorten• “Muscular rigormortis” = gradual loss of muscle

elasticity & overall decrease in joint flexibility• overuse injury can include pain in:

– lower back, knees, and hamstrings

Benefits of Stretching

• improves flexibility

• increases range of motion

• muscles & joints undergo less severe stress during cycling

• reduces muscle soreness during cycling

• stiffness & tightness felt after workout can be reduced

Stretching Exercises:• Shoulder Stretch

Deltoid

Subscapularis

Trapezius

Rhomboideous

• Lateral StretchExternal Oblique

Serratus

• Calf StretchGastrocnemius

Quad stretchVastus medialis

Vastus lateralis

Rectus femoris

Sartorius

Hamstring stretchSemimembranosus

Semitendinosus

Biceps femoris

Adducter stretch5 muscles on medial side of femur

• Lumbar & Hip stretchLatisimus dorsi

Lateral Rotator group

Iliopsoas group

• Gluteal stretchGluteus minimus

Gluteus medius

Gluteus maximus

Consequences of Improper Bike Fit:

• Soreness in neck and shoulders

• Pain in knees

• Numbness & tingling in hands/fingers

• Back pain

4 keys to a Proper Bike Fit:

1. Knee over pedal – move seat forward or backward so that plumb line dangles from front of the knee to ball of foot when rider is in midstride

2. Knee angle – adjust seat height so that a bent knee angle is between 30-35 degrees at the bottom of the pedal stroke

3. Trunk angle – move handlebars so that rider is not leaning too far over, trunk angle should be 40-80 degrees from horizontal

4. Shoulder angle – move handlebars or saddle to achieve a 90 degree shoulder angle

Eating for Cycling Endurance

Optimizing your performance from the nutrition perspective involves a three-pronged approach:

1) glycogen super-compensation (carbohydrate loading) the week before the event;

2) eating a meal the morning of the event3) consuming foods and fluids during the event

itself. Here's a countdown to help your preparation.

4) A good vitamin and mineral regiment (i.e. E)

Here's a countdown to help your preparation.

Months in advance

1) Learn your carbohydrate targets

2) Learn your sweat rate and fluid targets

3) Practice during training to reduce unwanted surprises on event day.

You have three tasks during your

months of training for your century ride.

The week before• Glycogen supercompensation, or carbohydrate loading, helps prolong

endurance in events lasting over two hours. Estimates are that it can move the wall about 20% farther down the road.

• To effectively carb-load, taper your training during the week before the event, ending with either a rest day or an easy spin. This will allow dietary carbohydrate to be stored as muscle glycogen rather than being used as a fuel for cycling.

• In conjunction with backing off the mileage, you need to increase carbohydrate intake for the last 3-4 days of the week - aim for 8-10 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight.

• You'll know things are working if you gain some weight. Each gram of glycogen is stored with 3 grams of water, so filling glycogen stores with an additional 300-500 grams should lead to a weight gain of up to 2 kg. Don't worry - most of this additional weight is water, and will actually be helpful during the ride.

A few days before

• Optimal hydration is critical to endurance performance and can't be accomplished by drinking large amounts of fluid the morning of the event. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends increasing fluid above usual levels for at least 24 hours before an event.

• Aim for 2-3 water bottles of fluid on top of your normal intake. If you use caffeinated beverages, drink at least an equal volume of a non-caffeinated beverage for each cup of caffeine.

The morning of the ride• During an overnight fast, liver glycogen is used to maintain blood glucose

levels. If liver glycogen isn't restored (by eating) before starting to ride, hypoglycemia can develop and will contribute to premature exhaustion.

• General guidelines for pre-event meals include the following: – Use foods that are familiar and that you know you'll tolerate. – The meal should be relatively low in fat so that stomach emptying isn't

delayed. – It should provide carbohydrate (about 50 grams for each hour before the

ride that the meal is eaten - so 100 grams for a meal 2 hours before, or 150 grams for a meal 3 hours before). As an example, eating a banana and a large bagel with jam will provide close to 100 grams of carbohydrate. Having a meal will mean getting up early but it's worth it in terms of helping performance.

– It should provide fluid. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 500 ml (about a water bottle) two hours before starting. This will allow enough time to excrete any excess fluid.

During the ride• "Eat before you're hungry; drink before you're thirsty".

• How much fluid? Ideally, fluid intake should match sweat losses.

• How much energy? You need a minimum of 0.6 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram body weight per hour, or 0.3 grams per pound of body weight (30-60 grams per hour for most people).

• What form of energy? Solids (real food or energy bars), liquids and gels all work, so it's your choice. If it tastes good to you, chances are that you'll use it on a more regular basis.

• Have fun! (and don't fall)!

Sample Breakfast

• 1 cup orange juice    • 1 1/2 cups cooked oatmeal  • 1 cup low-fat milk (or soy)       • 1 banana   • slice whole-wheat toast    • 1 tbsp. peanut butter    • 1 tbsp. brown sugar (for oatmeal)   • Coffee or tea

Snack

•   1 mini-box raisins    

• 1/2 bagel

Sample Lunch

• 2 slices whole-wheat bread      • 3 oz. of tuna (1/2 can) or turkey    • 1 tbsp. mayonnaise    • lettuce and tomato    • 6 oz. flavored, fat-free yogurt    • 6 baby carrots    • 1 oz. pretzels       • 1 1/2 cup (12 oz.) grape juice

Snack

• 1 apple

• 12 almonds

Sample Dinner• 2 cups cooked pasta (preferably whole

wheat  

• 1 cup tomato sauce   

• 2 oz. cooked beef, chicken, or seafood   

• 1 cup lettuce      

• 1 tsp. oil and 1 tsp. vinegar (for salad)   

• 1 cup fruit sorbet

Snack

• 1 cup low-fat milk (or soy)   

• 6 FigNewtons

calories: 2,200   65% carbs15% protein20% fat

Day’s Total

After the Ride for Recovery

1) Replenishing fluids and replacing electrolytes2) Replacing muscle glycogen3) Rebuilding muscle protein4) Reducing muscle and immune-system stress

Jo Wheeler – no problem

Sources Used

• http://www.ultracycling.com• Friel, Joe. April 1998. Cycling Past 50. Human Kinetics Publishers. Pages 15-30 and Pages 85-115.• http://images.google.com• http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/century.htm• www.redorbit.com/news/health/1433688/tips_for_healthier_bicycling/index.html

www.bicyclekingdom.com/healthy/Cycling_Stretches.htm • http://sportsmedicine.about.com/mpboards.htm. last modified march 17, 2008• http://www.topendsports.com/testing/hydration.htm, last modified June 24, 2008 • http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/urine-refractometer.htm, last modified June 24, 2008• http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/hydration-sweat-rate.htm, last modified June 24, 2008• http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/skinfolds.htm, last modified June 24, 2008• Armstrong, L.E., Soto, J.A., Hacker, F.T., Casa, D.J., Kavouras, S.A., Maresh, C.M. (1998). "Urinary indices during

dehydration, exercise, and rehydration." Int. J. Sport Nutr. 8: 345-355.• Maxwell, N.S., Garner, F. and Nimmo, M.A. (1999). "Intermittent running: muscle metabolism in the heat and effect of

hypohydration." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31: 675-683.• Hsieh C, McNeeley K, Chelimsky TC. (1998). “Sweat Test- Testing Autonomical Nervous System”. Int. J Sports Med.

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