Southern California - My first Century completed!!!

I posted this in Road Cycling but since you guys gave me so much support here I decided to post it here as well but with a heart felt thank you to you all for your well wishes. :)

Ride time was 6:36 and the average according to my cycle computer was 15.2mph. My friend's computer said 15.6mph with a lower ride time but in all fairness I did wait around for them for a while because one of the people I rode with had 3 flats on this ride. The second one where I lost them was quite a long delay so I actually backtracked about a mile at a fairly slow pace to meet up with them.

Anyway, the ride was the Amtrak Century from Irvine to San Diego. Weather was gorgeous, sunny with temps in the mid 70s. The ride is sponsored by the Orange County Wheelmen and they put on a truly great event. SAG support was awesome and the rest stops and lunch stop had plenty of food and drink for all the riders. I took advantage of all the stops and loaded up on food and water. There were 4 stops total including lunch. To anyone who is considering doing their first century I highly recommend this one. It's a great event, well supported and a beautiful ride.

I felt great up until about mile 60 at which point I started to feel sluggish and was wondering how I was going to ever finish this event. I pushed on at a leisurely pace for about 10 miles and when I saw 70 miles I guess I started to see the end in sight and got a second wind. I was pushing pretty good up through Del Mar and then Torrey Pines. From then on it was a fast ride into downtown San Diego to the finish.

My hamstrings felt kind of tight about mile 90 and we stopped so I could stretch them but as soon as I tried to put my leg up on the saddle of my bike my quads cramped up big time. Man, that hurt. I worked it out and did a little stretching though which helped quite a bit. As we got close to the finish I was leading our group along at nice 16-17mph pace. I'm tired right now but otherwise I feel pretty good.

Here we are at the finish. I'm the dork on the right next to my son. ;) Thanks again everyone! You are the best!

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5513/centuryjp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://purplepixelations.com/march42006/dancingfruits.gif Way to go SDRider! http://purplepixelations.com/march42006/dancingfruits.gif

Nice job! Congrats on your first....there will be more!

Sheldon

Way to go.....
and thats a great time also!!

Nice job! Congratulations! :beer:

Yeah!!! Great job, SDRider!!! :D

Sounds like a great ride. Good job!!

Well done!

Now, sign up for Poway!

Well done!

Now, sign up for Poway!

Hey -- have you signed up for Poway yet?

Good job. Talked to a bunch of those guys waiting for our group at the top of Torrey today. Tons of carrots to help climb that hill. :)

Hey -- have you signed up for Poway yet?

Updated to 90%.

Congratulations!

Congratulations.:beer:

For what it's worth, I usually hit the "wall" at around mile #60 also. I also lighten up the pace and spin easier. Once I get to mile #75 I can feel the finish line pulling me in.

Congratulations SDRider!!! I can't wait to see your pics, maybe I saw you out there somewhere. Our group of course left AFTER 7:00 and were just about the last ones at each stop. There was a woman in our group who was riding her first century and it was a little to much for her, although she did finish.

Too bad you missed the train ride back as it was WILD.

Great stuff SDRider, congrats!!! :beer:

Good job!:D

Congradulation!

Thank you for completeing your first century! ......and congratulations!.... I knew you wouldn't let us fellow SoCal'ers down.....:p:D

Nice. :) Hope we ride again soon. Any chance you're joining those of us doing Poway?

Congrats! now gear up and start planning for your first double! you can do that one as well!

WOOHOO!!!
http://www.antoniogenna.net/simpson/homer1.jpg

Congratulations.:beer:

For what it's worth, I usually hit the "wall" at around mile #60 also. I also lighten up the pace and spin easier. Once I get to mile #75 I can feel the finish line pulling me in.

That's what I did also. Once we got to the top of Torrey Pines I was back up to 19-20mph for a number of miles along the RR tracks. When we hit that stretch near Sea World we were riding into a headwind and that's where my hamstrings started to feel really tight. That wind sure was demoralizing...:o

Nice. :) Hope we ride again soon. Any chance you're joining those of us doing Poway?

Not sure, when is it?

One's first century. Never did I realize such exhaustion felt so good.

Congrats!

TdP is on Sunday, Oct 1st.

Ah, so that's what it was yesterday. I was riding with my usual Saturday group ride and was able to keep up with some serious looking riders on my way up Torrey Pines. Finally, all my trainings are paying off! Well, until I realized you guys rode all the way from Irvine! :D

Congrats!

TdP is on Sunday, Oct 1st.

Ah, so that's what it was yesterday. I was riding with my usual Saturday group ride and was able to keep up with some serious looking riders on my way up Torrey Pines. Finally, all my trainings are paying off! Well, until I realized you guys rode all the way from Irvine! :D

Yeah, I've ridden up Torrey Pines a bunch of times but never 80 miles into a 100 mile ride!

Good job! Did they send you up the inside or oustde route through Torrey Pines? My first century was (cough-cough) years ago, and actually two done on back-to-back days. Leave UCSD Sat morning, ride 100 mi to Long Beach, stay overnight, ride back the next day. The kicker was the route sheet sent you up the inner road at about mile 98 coming back!

I was driving up to UC Cyclry yesterday about 1:30p and saw a huge number of riders headed down Gilman Dr towards the Rose Canyon Bike Path (including a triplet!!) and realized it was probably the Amtrak Centur

Good job! Did they send you up the inside or oustde route through Torrey Pines? My first century was (cough-cough) years ago, and actually two done on back-to-back days. Leave UCSD Sat morning, ride 100 mi to Long Beach, stay overnight, ride back the next day. The kicker was the route sheet sent you up the inner road at about mile 98 coming back!

I was driving up to UC Cyclry yesterday about 1:30p and saw a huge number of riders headed down Gilman Dr towards the Rose Canyon Bike Path (including a triplet!!) and realized it was probably the Amtrak Centur

We rode up the outside route (the street route). I've ridden up both sides before and the inside route is about a half mile shorter but much steeper...but then, you already knew that. :D ;)

congrates on the good ride, hope to see you at the TdP on the 1st.

Yeah, I've ridden up Torrey Pines a bunch of times but never 80 miles into a 100 mile ride!

Do the 200k San Diego Brevet in January. Torrey is like mile 127 of 129 on that route, and of course you've already tackled stuff like oh, Old Castle, Corser Canyon, Rice Canyon, Del Dios to name a few. :) I plan on at least the 200k next year, PBP qualifying would be cool. If I can make my weight goal of 180, the 300-600 brevets could make the radar.

Do the 200k San Diego Brevet in January.Do you have a link to that brevet?

knew you could do it!

Bumped for a finishing photo. I'm the dork on the right with his hand on his son's head. ;)

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5513/centuryjp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Congrats again, SDRider. :)

Umm, you're not allowed to look so fresh at the end of a century. :p

what a nice pic!!!!!!

Congrats again, SDRider. :)

Umm, you're not allowed to look so fresh at the end of a century. :p

I was in bed by 7:00 last night and I didn't get up until about 5AM this morning.

I feel great right now though aside from a little bit of sunburn. No aches or pains really which is good. I'll be back on the bike on Tuesday for my morning commute.

That's a great expression on your son's face.

Next time, get a trailer and bring the kiddo along!

Do you have a link to that brevet?

Here is the link for this year's series:

http://www.coolbike.com/sdbrevet.html

I don't think anything has been posted for 2007 yet.