Level II Century Ride

You have completed at least one century ride and you you’re looking to do more than complete the event, you want to “compete”. The competition is primarily with yourself, or perhaps a friend that provides a good benchmark for improvement. Boiled down, you want improved performance, raster riding.

If you are comparing this training plan to the Level I plan, the main differences are in the training volume and the volume of intensity in the plan. This plan contains more total training volume and more intensity for an experienced cyclist.

PROFILE

This plan is designed for a Level II cyclist. You now ride three or four days per week and your aerobic base is solid. Currently, your long ride is two hours in length. You may or may not be strength training.

Over the next 12 weeks, you can commit to riding four days per week, with a long ride building to between 4:30 and 5:00. You can complete two weekday rides that are 1:00 long most of the time.

If you are currently doing a strength training program, you can continue that program on your off-cycling days. You may find you need to reduce the weights, sets, repetitions or some combination of all to keep strength training from negatively affecting your cycling.

If you are not currently strength training, but want to begin a routine, there is a strength training routine described in the plan.  

In addition to committing to training, you are committed to recovery as well. You know that improved performance is accompanied by improved recovery techniques and high density nutrition. In short, in addition to completing the training sessions, you are committed to getting adequate rest and eating nutritious foods that fuel a high performance body.

GOAL

Your goal is to ride 100 miles, a century, after 12 weeks of training. Your average speed is between 16 and 18 miles per hour on a hilly course. If your course is flat or rolling, your average speed will increase.  Your 100-mile ride time is estimated to be between 5:30 and 6:15.

THE PLAN OVERVIEW

The basic layout of the plan includes a day off or an optional strength training day on Monday and Wednesday. Rides are shown on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday is a day off. If it works better for you to ride on Monday and Wednesday, you can move the ride days.

This plan is also available in the book, Training Plans for Cyclists, published by VeloPress.