Did My First 100 Miler Yesterday

Wobbler72

As the Title says, did my first 100 miler yesterday. It was for charity ride comprising 100 mainly flat meandering miles from Bristol through the Severn Valley to Birmingham but with two big climbs (250ft and 550ft) between 80 and 90 miles.

I'm 51, bought my first road bike in January (Specialised Secteur) and started training in earnest in Feb. I was reasonably fit to start with from regular kickboxing training. I read around a lot and got confused by some of the contradictory advice. So paid for some analysis and good advice (Dr Garry Palmer - highy recommended). I bought a Garmin 500 c/w heart rate monitor and cadence sensor and trained until the end of April 3-4 times a week, building up the distance as the weeks went on. At all times I was trying as hard as possible to keep my heart rate in the 130-140 bpm zone.

I did a 54 mile sportive in mid April.

After that, I started to include some interval training, pushing my heart rate up to 160 bpm, at first 5 x 5 minute bursts with 3 minutes taking it easy and building to 4 x 12 minute stints at 160bpm and 4 minutes easy. The last two weeks I was supposed to taper off my training, but due to work and other commitments, I ended up doing just 1 ride to work (20 mile round trip) last Wednesday. Not so much a taper as a fall off a cliff!

We arrived in Bristol yesterday morning late due to traffic, so I had to skip breakfast and replaced it with a High 5 Energy bar, a banana and a good drink of water in the minibus.

There were three feed stations on route. In total I ate 5 energy bars, 5 gels, 3 bananas at the feed stations and drank 6 litres of water. I used chamois cream for the first time.

Result? I finished in 6 hours 31 minutes, including several wanders around as I missed turnings en route and a couple of pee stops. No sore butt, no real aches and pains today - some fatigued muscles sure, but no worse than after a tough kickboxing session. Oh, and a smile on my face, a REALLY BIG SMILE ON MY FACE

It's alright this cycling marlarky isn't it!

Agent57

Great job, Wobbler. A century ride is on my "to do" list; been riding bikes for nearly 40 years, but the longest I've ever done in one day is about 72 miles. It's the hills that really put me off!

Matt the Tester

well done!

pierrevelo20

Well done, now get on and start doing some more, you have caught the cycling bug...it only gets better

alex1rob

Well done! I did my first 100 last week. It really does make you feel great. Screw running marathons... !

rick_chasey

Chapeaux.

xtc_special

Well done! now when is the next one?

apreading

Well done - thats my big goal. Have done 70 and building to it - I think I could be ready now but wont know until I try I guess!

Millerman007

awesome i hope to get there soon

dindi_boy

Fair play to you - congratulations! Hoping to work to my first century during July so it's encouraging to hear of other people getting there. Well done!

Bobbinogs

Good job there Wobbler. Not surprised you needed a few pee stops with 6 litres on water on a 6 hour ride on a mild spring day. It is good to stay hydrated but I strongly recommend something like the Nuun tablets if you are going to get through that much water.

Onwards and upwards

_andy

Well done, superb achievement

TommyB61

Well done. I hope to do one myself this year.

p9uma

Superb job! Hats off to you. I myself, me personally and I, have absolutely no desire or ambition to ride 100 miles in one day, 60 is quite enough for me thank you very much. I am in awe and in wondrous admiration of you folks that do that, but it's a little bit above and beyond the call of duty for me. I cycle for fun, if I want torture I'll go and commit a crime in the far east.

Wobbler72

Thanks for all the kind words peeps. I ate and drank loads to make absolutely sure that I didn't fail for want of fuel or lubrication. 50 of us did it for charity. Last check, we had raised £17,500

rick_chasey

Wobbler72 wrote:

Thanks for all the kind words peeps. I ate and drank loads to make absolutely sure that I didn't fail for want of fuel or lubrication. 50 of us did it for charity. Last check, we had raised £17,500

If you have ever watched cycling on Flemish TV (not that you would), one of the commentators, Jose de Cauwer (a very famous and respectable Directeur Sportief - i.e. manager) ALWAYS goes on about "goes eten en drinken" (eating and drinking well) about every half hour.

For any distance over an hour, eating and drinking is absolutely vital.

okgo

Depends on the individual Rick. I rode with a chap today that did a 100 mile tt the other day on one bottle of drink, no food. I personally wouldn't be able to, but its weird how some people seem to be able to do it!

ukmkh

Good on you Wobbler. Hopefully, I can will be able to say the same soon I think I will need 8 litres of water, 8 bananas, and goodness knows what else - will probably need a support van!