Sample plan · Century · 12 weeks
First century ride training plan from 3 rides a week
A first century is mostly about time in the saddle, and three rides a week is enough when each one has a job. This plan starts from about 4 h a week and a 30-mile longest ride. The weekend ride grows by small steps in every full week, up to a ride of 4 h 40 (65 mi); one midweek ride gets faster from the build phase, first with sweet-spot blocks and then with race-pace blocks, and the third stays easy. Every fourth week is lighter, and the last week tapers and ends with the 100 miles themselves, so you start fresh.
This plan at a glance
- Rider
- 41, first time at this distance
- Goal
- Finish comfortably
- Recent race
- none (sessions set by effort)
- Riding now
- 4 h a week over 3 rides, longest ride 30 mi
- Schedule
- 3 rides a week, long ride on Sat; rolling road course
- Time
- 4 h to 8 h a week (ceiling 8 h), longest ride 4 h 40 (65 mi)
- Lighter weeks
- 2 cutback weeks, 1-week taper
Dates assume a start on Monday 9 November 2026 with no race date, so the plan ends with a goal ride. Your own plan starts the Monday after you build it, and with a race date it counts back from race day.
This plan is general guidance, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting a new training program, and stop and get help if something hurts or feels wrong.
Goal session · Saturday 30 January 2027
Goal ride: Century, 100 mi, about 7 h 10 min of riding at your race effort (steady, RPE 4–5). There is no event on the calendar, so this is your test: plan a route with places to refill, and ride it as if it were the day. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour, drink to thirst, and add electrolytes in the heat. Use the rest stops but keep them short: ten minutes off the bike stiffens the legs. Today the goal is to finish feeling good.
How we built it
The assumptions behind this plan.
- Rides are planned by time. Distances are estimates at an average of 14 mph (for your experience level, adjusted for rolling terrain), rounded to 5 mi; ride the time and let the distance be what it is.
- You gave no day off, so the plan keeps Sun as a rest day every week; mark a day unavailable if you'd rather choose it.
- Sessions are described by effort (RPE, 1–10).
- The longest ride before the event is 4 h 40 min (about 65 mi), 65% of the distance. That is what your weekly hours can carry with the long ride at most 65% of the week.
- Week 1 is 4 h of training, close to the 4 h you ride now; 3 rides a week with the long ride on Sat.
- Weekly hours peak at 8 h in week 11, above the usual 7 h for your experience, at your ceiling, to give the long ride as much room as your hours allow. The hours still rise at most 8% a week (30 min at least), and never past your 8 h ceiling.
- Weekly hours include the strength sessions, so the riding is a little less than the totals.
Zones
No FTP or heart rate was given, so rides are set by effort (RPE). Add an FTP or your max heart rate when you change your answers to get watts or heart-rate bands.
Overview
Weekly training time in hours. Tap a bar to jump to that week.
- Base
- Build
- Peak
- Taper
- Cutback week
Week by week
Tap a day for the full session.Week 1
base 4 hbike 3 h 30 · strength 30 minBase: easy endurance riding and a steady long ride. Practise eating and drinking on the bike.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Easy ride · 45 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 45 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences. Include 4 × 1 min fast spin-ups (light gear, 110+ rpm, 2 min easy between) for a smooth, quick pedal stroke.
Also: Strength 30 min: squats, split squats, single-leg deadlifts, glute bridges, plank, side plank and back extensions, 2–3 sets each. Strong hips and trunk hold your position for hours and help on the climbs.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 45 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 45 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 2 h · 30 mi
Long ride 2 h (about 30 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 2
base 4 h 30bike 4 h · strength 30 minBase: easy endurance riding and a steady long ride. Practise eating and drinking on the bike.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Easy ride · 50 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 50 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences. Include 4 × 1 min fast spin-ups (light gear, 110+ rpm, 2 min easy between) for a smooth, quick pedal stroke.
Also: Strength 30 min: squats, split squats, single-leg deadlifts, glute bridges, plank, side plank and back extensions, 2–3 sets each. Strong hips and trunk hold your position for hours and help on the climbs.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 50 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 50 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 2 h 20 · 35 mi
Long ride 2 h 20 min (about 35 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 3
base 5 hbike 4 h 30 · strength 30 minBase: easy endurance riding and a steady long ride. Practise eating and drinking on the bike.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Easy ride · 55 min · 15 mi
Easy ride 55 min (about 15 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences. Include 4 × 1 min fast spin-ups (light gear, 110+ rpm, 2 min easy between) for a smooth, quick pedal stroke.
Also: Strength 30 min: squats, split squats, single-leg deadlifts, glute bridges, plank, side plank and back extensions, 2–3 sets each. Strong hips and trunk hold your position for hours and help on the climbs.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 55 min · 15 mi
Easy ride 55 min (about 15 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 2 h 40 · 35 mi
Long ride 2 h 40 min (about 35 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 4
base cutback 3 h 55bike 3 h 25 · strength 30 minCutback week: fewer hours so the last block can sink in. Keep everything relaxed.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Easy ride · 50 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 50 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences. Include 4 × 1 min fast spin-ups (light gear, 110+ rpm, 2 min easy between) for a smooth, quick pedal stroke.
Also: Strength 30 min: squats, split squats, single-leg deadlifts, glute bridges, plank, side plank and back extensions, 2–3 sets each. Strong hips and trunk hold your position for hours and help on the climbs.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 45 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 45 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 1 h 50 · 25 mi
Long ride 1 h 50 min (about 25 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 5
build 5 h 30bike 5 h 05 · strength 25 minBuild: a hard midweek session starts and the long ride keeps growing.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Sweet spot · 1 h · 15 mi
Sweet spot 1 h (about 15 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 2 × 15 min at sweet spot (comfortably hard, RPE 7), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Sustained work just under threshold raises the power you can hold for hours.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 1 h 05 · 15 mi
Easy ride 1 h 5 min (about 15 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 3 h · 40 mi
Long ride 3 h (about 40 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 6
build 6 hbike 5 h 35 · strength 25 minBuild: a hard midweek session starts and the long ride keeps growing.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Sweet spot · 1 h 20 · 20 mi
Sweet spot 1 h 20 min (about 20 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 3 × 15 min at sweet spot (comfortably hard, RPE 7), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Sustained work just under threshold raises the power you can hold for hours.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 55 min · 15 mi
Easy ride 55 min (about 15 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 3 h 20 · 45 mi
Long ride 3 h 20 min (about 45 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 7
build 6 h 30bike 6 h 05 · strength 25 minBuild: a hard midweek session starts and the long ride keeps growing.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Sweet spot · 1 h 35 · 20 mi
Sweet spot 1 h 35 min (about 20 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 3 × 20 min at sweet spot (comfortably hard, RPE 7), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Sustained work just under threshold raises the power you can hold for hours.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 50 min · 10 mi
Easy ride 50 min (about 10 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 3 h 40 · 50 mi
Long ride 3 h 40 min (about 50 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 8
build cutback 5 hbike 4 h 35 · strength 25 minCutback week: fewer hours so the last block can sink in. Keep everything relaxed.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Sweet spot · 50 min · 10 mi
Sweet spot 50 min (about 10 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 2 × 10 min at sweet spot (comfortably hard, RPE 7), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Sustained work just under threshold raises the power you can hold for hours.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 1 h 15 · 20 mi
Easy ride 1 h 15 min (about 20 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 2 h 30 · 35 mi
Long ride 2 h 30 min (about 35 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Even effort from start to finish; the aim is time in the saddle. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 9
peak 7 hbike 6 h 35 · strength 25 minPeak: the biggest weeks, with event-specific work and the longest rides.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Bike intervals · 1 h 10 · 15 mi
Race-pace blocks 1 h 10 min (about 15 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 2 × 20 min at a strong race effort (steady but strong, RPE 6), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Teaches the effort you can hold for hours; take a drink and a bite in every block, as you will on the day.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 1 h 25 · 20 mi
Easy ride 1 h 25 min (about 20 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 4 h · 55 mi
Long ride 4 h (about 55 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Treat it as a rehearsal: the bike, kit and food you will use on the day. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 10
peak 7 h 30bike 7 h 05 · strength 25 minPeak: the biggest weeks, with event-specific work and the longest rides.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Bike intervals · 1 h 20 · 20 mi
Race-pace blocks 1 h 20 min (about 20 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 2 × 25 min at a strong race effort (steady but strong, RPE 6), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Teaches the effort you can hold for hours; take a drink and a bite in every block, as you will on the day.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 1 h 25 · 20 mi
Easy ride 1 h 25 min (about 20 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 4 h 20 · 60 mi
Long ride 4 h 20 min (about 60 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Treat it as a rehearsal: the bike, kit and food you will use on the day. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 11
peak 8 hbike 7 h 35 · strength 25 minPeak: the biggest weeks, with event-specific work and the longest rides.
Mon · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Tue · Bike intervals · 1 h 35 · 20 mi
Race-pace blocks 1 h 35 min (about 20 mi): warm up 15 min easy, then 3 × 20 min at a strong race effort (steady but strong, RPE 6), 5 min easy between; cool down 10 min. Teaches the effort you can hold for hours; take a drink and a bite in every block, as you will on the day.
Wed · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Thu · Easy ride · 1 h 20 · 20 mi
Easy ride 1 h 20 min (about 20 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences.
Also: Strength 25 min, maintenance: the same moves, fewer sets, controlled and crisp. Keep it after the ride, not before.
Fri · Rest
Free day: rest, or a walk.
Sat · Long ride · 4 h 40 · 65 mi
Long ride 4 h 40 min (about 65 mi) at steady endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4). Treat it as a rehearsal: the bike, kit and food you will use on the day. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour and drink to thirst; this is where race-day fuelling gets practised.
Sun · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Week 12
taper 2 h 45bike 2 h 45Event week: very little riding, plenty of sleep, the bike checked over, and extra carbohydrate in the last two days.
Mon · Easy ride · 1 h 30 · 20 mi
Easy ride 1 h 30 min (about 20 mi) at endurance effort (conversational, RPE 3–4): you should be able to talk in full sentences. Include 4 × 1 min fast spin-ups (light gear, 110+ rpm, 2 min easy between) for a smooth, quick pedal stroke. The last ride of any length before the event: easy, no heroics.
Tue · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Wed · Easy ride · 45 min · 10 mi
Openers 45 min (about 10 mi): easy riding (conversational, RPE 3–4) with 3 × 1 min at threshold effort (hard, RPE 8), 3 min easy between, and 5 min at your race effort. It wakes the legs up without tiring them.
Thu · Rest
Rest day: no training. Recovery is when the riding turns into fitness.
Fri · Recovery spin · 30 min · 5 mi
Recovery spin 30 min (about 5 mi) (very easy, RPE 2–3), small gears, flat roads or the trainer. Loosen up, nothing more. Check the bike as you ride: gears, brakes, tyres.
Sat · Race · 7 h 10 · 100 mi
Goal ride: Century, 100 mi, about 7 h 10 min of riding at your race effort (steady, RPE 4–5). There is no event on the calendar, so this is your test: plan a route with places to refill, and ride it as if it were the day. Eat 40–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from the first hour, drink to thirst, and add electrolytes in the heat. Use the rest stops but keep them short: ten minutes off the bike stiffens the legs. Today the goal is to finish feeling good.
Sun · Rest
Recovery: rest, eat well, and stay off the bike for a day or two.
● = hard day. Cutback weeks are 20–25% lighter so the body can absorb the training.
Questions about this plan
Can I train for a century on three rides a week?
Yes. The long ride does most of the work: in this plan it builds to 4 h 40 (65 mi). The other two rides add fitness without leaving you tired for the weekend. The plan goes from 4 h a week to 8 h at its peak.
Do I need to ride 100 miles before the event?
No. A longest ride of about two thirds of the distance is plenty; here it is 4 h 40 (65 mi). The rest comes from the event-day atmosphere, the rest stops and a steady pace. Riding the full distance in training costs more recovery than it gives.
What should I eat on long rides?
Start eating in the first hour and keep going: aim for 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrate an hour, and drink to thirst. The long rides are the place to find out what your stomach likes before the day.
How fast do I need to ride?
There is no speed target. Rides are set by effort and time; distances in the plan are estimates at an average of 14 mph, a fair guess for a first-timer on rolling roads, so your own may be a bit more or less.
Make it yours
Start from these answers and change your hours, long-session days, race date or anything else. Your plan gets its own private link.