The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up and cyclists are starting to appear out on the trails and roads. I thought I would give the recreational rider a few pointers on starting a plan for your century or metric century ride calendar for the year.

You’ll want to get in at least 500 miles of riding easy before attempting your first century/metric century. Get some cross training time off the bike for variety and to prevent overuse injuries. You’ll want a strong core to help support your upper body. Do some weight training emphasizing the upper and lower back along with the abdominals. Here are just a couple of precautions. For people getting back into the workout routine it’s always best to have a physical. If you are uncomfortable with weight training and to learn proper technique, seek out the advice of a personal trainer.

Once you’ve put in the 500 miles of base, crucial to prevent injuries, you can start to increase your mileage weekly by 10%. This is a good rule of thumb to go by to prevent injuries. It’s important to ride 5-6 days a week with one or two days off depending on your level of fitness. There is a theme here if you haven’t noticed and that is preventing injuries. You want to be riding and exercising for a long time.

Schedules for people with busy work weeks
Here is an example off how you might want to set up a 5 day riding program:
- one long day
- one short day
- three intermediate days
- two days off
Plan a short day on Monday, intermediate ride on Tuesday, off on Wednesday, intermediate ride on Thursday, an off day on Friday, intermediate day for Saturday and a long day for Sunday.

An example of a 6 day riding program would look like this:
- one long day
- one short day
- 3 to 4 intermediate days
- one or two off days
Plan a short day on Monday, and intermediate day on Tuesday, an off day on Wednesday, an intermediate day on Thursday, an off day on Friday (or intermediate day depending on your fitness level), an intermediate day on Saturday, and a long day on Sunday.

The short day is ridden at 25% the length of the long day to promote recovery at 50-60% of maximum heart rate.

The long ride starts at 75% of your goal ride and can build to as much as 125% of your goal ride. This is where the 10% weekly increase in mileage comes into play. To build up to 75% or 125% of your goal add 10% weekly. This should give you how far out you need to plan.

The intermediate ride is at a distance that is between your short and long ride. These are ridden at your goal pace. One of the intermediate rides can be ridden at 2-3 mph faster than goal pace.

Some important details to consider:
- be flexible and adjust the plan to your lifestyle
- recovery is so important
- eat a balanced diet of 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 25% fat

Spring is just around the corner. A well thought-out plan is your best course of action to reach your goals.