hey I did my century on Sunday

inaperfectworld

I had planned a century since the beginning of the year, but when it came to planning a route I lost enthusiasm as 50 miles out and back would use a lot of roads that I know or very little change of scenery from the usual. I also find that the last few miles back on roads you know well can be tiring as you know them so well, know every dip, rise and corner; and I don't much like the return from any expedition that I make as I either have 10% plus hills or tediously tiring long drags at 2-4%; this is going west so there is usually a wind to curse as well.. However the "way of the Roses" opened in September which gave me the idea to treat it as a day's tour and go east so wind unlikely to be a trial. For some reason touring always seems to be easier than riding locally.
I ended in Scarborough; wasn't sure whether I would get train home or stay the night so I took luggage so had to take the Dawes tourer. As there were no trains out of Scarborough on Sunday( buses only) good thing I'd taken stuff with me. Ended with more luggage than i wanted as weather forecast was iffy and temperatures a bit low.
I stopped at café at 50 miles and really felt like I had done a day's riding and only halfway. next station on the route ws 15 miles away but miles 50 to 60 were in Yorkshire wolds where progress was slowed with some pretty steep and unwelcome stuff and I really felt to be tiring. Maybe it was psychological in part as at 65 miles , the next town, I started to feel quite good realizing there were only 35 miles more or 5 days of commuting and that this was now achievable.
Not been a bad year as I have done Ventoux, Alpe d'huez, Izoard, Agnel, Vars and some other climbs around Briançon too.
Something for the grand children to alk about when i am long gone!

ooermissus

Congratulations.

prb007

planning to do eight centuries, in 9 days next May, (JOGLE)
hope the winter's not too harsh, cos I need to get
some lard off in the next 6 months!
Did 2 sportives this year - the Dragon in June and
a CRC event in Builth in May (even harder, though shorter - it was roasting hot!)
plus road home from Bristol-Neath one day inJuly (96 miles!)

Need to get my weekly mileages up and be more consistent, methinks..........

Mothyman

well done perfectworld ...... you deserve a telegram from the King ...or Eddy Merckz, it must be very satisfying

tlw1

Mothyman wrote:

well done perfectworld ...... you deserve a telegram from the King ...or Eddy Merckz, it must be very satisfying

& armstrong?

AndyRubio

Nice one well done. I usually hit the wall at 70 miles.

Wheelspinner

AndyRubio wrote:

Nice one well done. I usually hit the wall at 70 miles.

Try taking a left turn at 69.98 miles.

Chrissz

Good effort mate. Must be something in the water - I did my first proper century ride on Sunday as well

sloboy

That's a good effort at this time of year - winds getting stronger and temperatures getting lower.

I've been nowhere near century fitness this year. In the last 5 years, I've targeted a big ride in early September and used it as additional motivation through the summer but didn't even get close this time.

And by this time of year, I'm getting ready to hibernate !

DCowling

Well done
I hope to build upto that but will probably be next year now, had managed a couple of fifties but slacked off bike riding and am amazed how quickly I lost condition to get back to the 40 mark let alone fifty or more.

AndyRubio

Wheelspinner wrote:

AndyRubio wrote:

Nice one well done. I usually hit the wall at 70 miles.

Try taking a left turn at 69.98 miles.

Valy

How long did it take you/avg speed? Anyway, I'm yet to do one so congrats. :P

I did a 100km ride this Sunday - I was fainting towards the last few kms as I was approaching my house. It was originally meant to be about 60kms. :P Did not have too many supplies with me...

sloboy

In my long experience of being crap at endurance sports, I've discovered that comfortable capability seems to build in about a couple of hour chunks - so that if you ride 2hrs+ regularly you're pretty much ready to stretch to 4hrs and that may get you close to 100km depending on where you live, what the weather's like etc.

Once you're able to do 100km like it's a trip round the block, you can do a nice 6hr and that may get you close to 100 miles.

That's about as far as my homespun goes - cos the logic seemed to breakdown after that. In a couple of summers where I've been pretty fit at the 6hr level, I thought, I've tried 8hrs+ (so about 120miles) and died horribly between 110 and 115. I guess it's that although I was confident of surviving a 100 miles/6 hrs, I never got it to the "round the block" level of comfort.

Anyhow, these days, I'd like to be in the condition where I can do a 100km any time we have a nice day. I'd like to be, but I ain't

inaperfectworld

Thanks for congrats folks. Few years ago I was srtuggling to do 15 miles due to some neurosurgical problems and some medication that was giving me weakness in muscles.

.I was carrying luggage on a tourer and computer was 8.5 hours, but clock time 11 hours?? Stopped maybe every 40 mins for food and hedge visits and 40 minute stop at cafe. Must have spent 5 to 10 minutes fixing up an ortlieb pannier when a screw for the pannier clip fell out. Fortunately had cable ties. Otherwise only stops were for wayfinding; it all adds adds up to 10 minutes per hour difference in real vs. computer time. Surprising.
And I checked all the screws etc on the bike were tightened up before leaving; the pannier screws I haven't touched since new and have had regular use commuting and shopping; but it chooses unti 60 miles from home when it can be a greater nuisance to fall out.
IExperience has taught me never to try anything on the bike before a tour and check screws etc. as these things always happen at awkward times, usually on an exposed scottish hillside in driving rain.

mr_poll

Grats to the OP I did my first century this year too and i cannot agree more about the final few miles they are damn tough. My route took me down a road that Chorley Council decided after the big freeze that the best way to fix pot holes was to spray paint white around them - after 100 miles my behind did not thank them for that!