If I bike about 120-140 miles a week and am going on vacation for a week will I lose my fitness?

Question

I have been training to complete a 100 mile century bike ride. Am an active guy. Have done a few marathons and have been riding this year since May 4th. Have done about 1000 miles since then. (did 506 miles in the month of July) This past week was my highest mileage week of 141.5 including a 62 mile ride. I'm going to Canada for a week with my girlfriend and wondering what kind of fitness level I will lose if I am only doing 1 or 2 bike rides up there. Will it be best to drop back down to about 100 miles the week I return?

Answer 1

Relax, you will not lose your fitness with a one week break from training. Indeed, the rest may do your body a little good. When you return, return to your regular routine.

A century is not a race. I raced for years and have more than a few victories on my resume.  I've also completed more than 50 century rides (more than 100?  I’ve lost count).  Road racing and riding 100 miles with rest stops, etc. are two very different activities. While less than a week, I would always take a break of a few days before a big road race.

For a marathoner who has 1,000 or more base miles for the year a century will be a "walk in the park."

The only bad news is that the older you get, the more likely you are to lose your fitness level as the result of an extended break from training (more than a week).  This is on my mind because I broke my foot cutting trees 3 weeks ago and have been off the bike for that period.  At my age it'll probably take me an equal period to get back to top condition.

Have fun on your century, and your vacation.  You've earned it.

Answer 2

You're not likely to lose much after only a week. And you can still exercise while you're off the bike. Deep knee bends,ect. Just a few minutes a day will help till you get back on the bike.

Answer 3

Yes, you will lose some fitness. When I raced I used to hate this predicament.

I used to over train a little before the vacation, ride 3 hard/long days in a row. Then I needed a couple days rest anyway. If you can get a couple rides in, that would really help too. If you do both these things you should lose minimal fitness. Continue your higher milage when you return. You should be good to go.