Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - First century!

I did my first ride of 100+ miles today. I've ridden as far as 86 before, but today, I rode a solo centry on the W&OD trail. 45 miles each way, + 5 for the approach/return, for a total of 101.26 miles!

Total riding time was 6:23:52, for an average of 15.8 MPH. I spent a total of 1 hour off the bike, so the total time spent was just under 7:30. Total ascent was 2793 feet.

Temp wasn't too bad, but it was pretty humid. I went through 4+ water bottles, + 1 large Gatorade, and 1 20 oz. Mountain Dew (needed the sugar/caffeine near the end). On the ride, I had 5 bars - 2 @ 32 miles, 2 @ 60, and 1 at the 85 mile mark. Around the 80-85 mile mark, I was pretty beat, but the break at 85 (+ the Mountain Dew, and the fact that it was the home stretch) picked up my spirits quite a bit.

I've been riding my commuting bike a lot lately, and hadn't ridden my road bike for 3 weeks - the weight difference was pretty amazing! It really helped with the ride today.

....Now, time for a shower, and I'm not going to do jack for the rest of the day....;)

I just completed my very first century today. 100 miles is crazy, especially since my longest ride before today was 100k -- totally flat. Aren't the hills killer? We had over 7000' of climbing. This was a charity event, so there were ample rest stops with lots of food. I went through 6.5 liters of fluids: water and gatorade.

Enjoy your recovery!! I could NEVER do something like this on my own!! Very impressive!

- JP

I wasn't completely alone...there was a lot of bike traffic (and pedestrian/rollerblade/horse traffic, too). One of the stops was at the Trail's End bike shop, so lots of cyclists there, and I got to latch on to a group for about 5 miles, which helped up my pace a bit. Between 75-85 miles, I was really dragging, since I was pretty much by myself at that point, but once I got closer to home, I felt much better.

Prior to this, my longest ride was 86....and before that, it was 60. I did a 100K about 13 years ago on a mountain bike, and it almost made me swear off of biking. It was like pushing a truck.

I had a little bit of cramping later in the evening (not too bad), and I was a bit sore this AM, but I'm feeling reasonably good today. (I'm taking today off). Tomorrow, I'll bike commute into work and get back into the swing of things.

I want to ride the Assault on Mt. Mitchell next year, so I plan to do a 100 miler at least every other month between now and then. I also need to get some serious climbing in - 2700 feet isn't bad, but 7000 is more like what I'll need.....congrats on your ride, too.

Congrats you guys!

I'll chime in here as another rider completing my first century on 6/30. I planned a 50 miler, we had to pickup my daughter from camp 50 miles away so I left at 5:30 a.m. to meet them. Pedaled down into the Finger Lakes area of NY, more downhill than up, with a tailwind, perfect. Picked up my daughter, put the bike in the van, and went for ice cream.

Here's where it gets ugly. Three cyclists who were a fair bit longer in the tooth than I ride up to the ice cream shop, and I get around to asking how far they're going today. 100 miles. Oh boy, how could I leave the bike in the van on such a beautiful day, while these older riders are off to do a century? There's a part of my brain that asks these questions, which I would like permanently removed. ;) So out comes the bike again, and off I go, uphill, into the headwind, which had picked up a bit. First stop at ten miles, to buy better shorts at an Amish bike shop, lol. That first hill coming out of Penn Yan, NY is a killer, and added to it is the fear that an 11 yr old Amish girl will go whizzing past on a 3-speed.:D The local Amish folk pedal up that hill before they learn to walk I believe.

Not a great time to post, 7:46 plus breaks with lost of stats to improve on. The last 15 miles was cautious pedaling to prevent injury on hills lol. I highly recommend that people work their way up to the century mark, unlike me. Sore today, one flat tire, but the summer's cycling goal is accomplished.

Congratulations! Doing a century all alone and one not organized takes a tremendious amount of focus and desire.

I miss the W&OD. I used to live in Herndon and that was my regular route. The ride from Leesburg to Purcerville is beautiful.


I did my first ride of 100+ miles today. I've ridden as far as 86 before, but today, I rode a solo centry on the W&OD trail. 45 miles each way, + 5 for the approach/return, for a total of 101.26 miles!

Total riding time was 6:23:52, for an average of 15.8 MPH. I spent a total of 1 hour off the bike, so the total time spent was just under 7:30. Total ascent was 2793 feet.

Temp wasn't too bad, but it was pretty humid. I went through 4+ water bottles, + 1 large Gatorade, and 1 20 oz. Mountain Dew (needed the sugar/caffeine near the end). On the ride, I had 5 bars - 2 @ 32 miles, 2 @ 60, and 1 at the 85 mile mark. Around the 80-85 mile mark, I was pretty beat, but the break at 85 (+ the Mountain Dew, and the fact that it was the home stretch) picked up my spirits quite a bit.

I've been riding my commuting bike a lot lately, and hadn't ridden my road bike for 3 weeks - the weight difference was pretty amazing! It really helped with the ride today.

....Now, time for a shower, and I'm not going to do jack for the rest of the day....;)

Congratulations! Doing a century all alone and one not organized takes a tremendious amount of focus and desire.

I miss the W&OD. I used to live in Herndon and that was my regular route. The ride from Leesburg to Purcerville is beautiful.

The W&OD is almost ideal if you want to do a solo century - it's got some climbing, but not a lot. (I still don't like that climb over 66, but at least it's short). It's 45 miles end-to-end, so just do an out-and back, with 5 miles on each end, and you've got it. It also has several stores within a few feet of the trail (at least 3 7-11's in Reston, Herndon and one in Falls Church), along with bike stores near the trail in Reston, Ashburn and Purcellville. Since it's a MUP, there are always other cyclists out there, so you're not REALLY alone.

When you get in past the Custis turn-off, it gets a little dull, and the last 2 miles into Shirlington aren't anything to write home about, but it's a great resource, and I use it to commute 2-3 times a week, so it's great.

Congratulations to all who did your first century. It is a great accomplishment!

Congrats