Cycling Power based Beginner Century ride using wattage by Hunter Allen
Author: Hunter Allen
12 weeks - $99.95
Total Hours: 114

This 12 week training plan is for the athlete that wants to complete a century in 6-7 hours by training with their power meter. The cyclist may or may not have done a century ride before, but it is generally a beginning cyclist with at least 3-4 months of riding in their legs. The goal for this cyclist is to finish the century in under 7 hours. It's for the cyclist that can ride up to 1.5 hours a day, and up to 5 hours on one day on the weekend. Based on percentage of threshold wattage, whatever your threshold is, you easily adjust your goals for the workouts(you can select this plan without knowing your threshold wattage, however you will need to take the field test in order to determine your threshold before you start your plan). This plan gives you specific details on your daily training, including duration and specific wattage percentages to train in. This plan gradually improves your fitness and endurance over the 12 weeks, so it preps you perfectly for a successful century ride. At the completion of this training plan, you will be able to finish a century ride comfortably and finish strong.
What do you get with a training plan?

After purchase, your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You'll enjoy these benefits and more:
- Daily e-mails with your next workout keep you on track
- Create your own routes or search our library of routes for tracking your workouts
- Map, graph and share workouts with your friends by e-mail, Facebook and view in Google Maps or Google Earth
- Upload workouts from one of more than 80 training devices (Garmin, Suunto, Timex, Polar, more) or easily record your workouts manually
- Track your fitness and gain confidence
- Complete nutrition tracking to monitor your diet
- Get support and answers on the Message Boards
Sample workouts:
Day #1
Medium, Endurance ride
Planned Time: 1:15
WU: 15 minutes warm-up, just spinning at a nice easy pace- Watts<120.
MS: 45 minutes of riding with watts from level 2, just nice and steady. If you have to go over hills and your watts go higher, that's o.k, but generally average between level 2 watts today.
CD: 15 minutes just easy pedaling.
Day #2
Medium, Endurance ride
Planned Time: 1:15
WU: 15 minutes warm-up, just spinning at a nice easy pace- level 2.
MS: 45 minutes of riding with watts from level 2, just nice and steady. If you have to go over hills and your watts go higher, that's o.k, but generally average between level 2 watts today.
CD: 15 minutes just easy pedaling.
Day #3
Hilly ride1
Planned Time: 1:30
WU: 15 minutes, just getting the muscles loosened up.
MS: Let's make this ride a very hilly one, or simulating hills, by riding into the wind.
Let's shoot for 10 hills, they can range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length. I want you to just do these as part of your ride, not necessarily repeating the same hill over and over(although, that's fine if want). Go up each at a fast pace and the legs should be burning at the top!
Rest for 3-4 minutes between each…. and ride easy afterward.
CD: 15 minutes easy.
Day #4
REST
Planned Time: 0:0
REST !!!!!! Take the day off and stretching those legs out.
Day #5
Medium, Endurance ride
Planned Time: 1:15
WU: 15 minutes warm-up, just spinning at a nice easy pace- level 2.
MS: 45 minutes of riding with watts from level 2, just nice and steady. If you have to go over hills and your watts go higher, that's o.k, but generally average between level 2 watts today.
CD: 15 minutes just easy pedaling.
Day #6
Weekend endurance/Tempo-build
Planned Time: 2:0
WU: 15-20 minute warm-up and just getting the legs moving.
MS: The goal today is to extend your mileage a bit and build your 'engine'. You need to improve your aerobic capacity and getting in some solid endurance/tempo miles will do that. Ride for about 2.0 hours with watts between level 2/3.
At times, it's an easy effort, and others it's a nice solid fast pace.
Try not to spend much time over 90% of your threshold watts, but if you have to go over on a hill or something,that's fine.
Keep cadence in the 90-95rpm range.
CD: Solid 10-15 minutes of easy riding, before you get home and make that recovery shake. Stretching after the ride also.
Day #7
Sunday ride- endurance
Planned Time: 1:30
WU: 15-20 minutes, just riding easy, 80% of your threshold.
MS: 1-1.5 hours of easy riding.
Today is more endurance work, a touch slower than yesterday, and just getting the legs to spin around in today's ride.
When you get home, your average watts for the ride should be in the level 2- endurance range.
Keep Cadence in 85-95rpm range.
CD: 10-15 minutes easy spinning the legs.
Day #8
REST
Planned Time: 0:0
REST !!!!!! Make sure to eat smart. Complex carbs, and good sources of protein!
Also start adding some good fats to your diet. Omega-3's are excellent for you.
Omega-3's are in cold water fish like Salmon, Mackeral, albacore tuna, and you can also get them in a vegetarian source from Flax seeds. Let's start keeping a diet record on TrainingPeaks.com, so you can see what you eat and how that might impact your cycling.
Day #9
Medium, Endurance ride
Planned Time: 1:15
WU: 15 minutes warm-up, just spinning at a nice easy pace- level 2.
MS: 45 minutes of riding with watts from level 2, just nice and steady. If you have to go over hills and your watts go higher, that's o.k, but generally average between level 2 watts today.
CD: 15 minutes just easy pedaling.