I'm talking this week off from work. On this past Sat & Sun I broke all of my records with rides of 40 and 31 miles. Back on May 1, the longest ride I had taken in 30 years was around 12-14 miles. So my weekend rides were my #1 and #3 rides of my life, and the 71 mile total was easily my longest two consecutive days of riding.
So this morning, I decide to go out again. Got started at 10 AM (I'm not an early morning person). Headed south on the bike trail and told my wife that she would probably have a retrieval to make in the afternoon.
Ride down to Monticello, WI, which is 16 miles. Feeling good. Take off down the Sugar River Trail. 10 miles to Albany. Still feeling good. 7 miles to Brodhead, ate lunch. Called my wife to tell her I was 33 miles from home. "I have to drive THAT far to get you???" No, I'll see what I can do to get closer. 7 miles back to Albany. Doing well - thumb with tendonitis acting up a bit. 10 miles to Monticello. Now have 50 in. Thought I would be exhausted, but doing okay.
Call my wife and ask her to meet me in New Glarus, 6 miles away. We meet, I buy dinner. We ride home. I think ... 'I've got 56 miles in and I'm not exhausted. When I am ever going to be this close to a metric century and feel this good?'
Get home, take bike out of car, tell wife that I'll see her in about 40 minutes, and take off. I go and do my semi-regular after-work 8 mile round-trip and pull into the driveway with 64.02 miles in for the day. 103 kilometers! Blew past my first ride-your-age ride, beating it by 12 miles.
I wouldn't blame anyone for not believing this because I did it and I still can't believe it. My all-time record was 33 miles as of 6 days ago, and I felt real good about that.
And I'm still not that tired, or that sore. My rear is just a bit sore. My legs feel fine, at maybe 90%. My hands are the worst of it as they are aching and a bit numb, but aren't terrible.
Of the 64 miles, about 60 were on gravel/dirt rail trails and 4 on asphalt. Mileage is legit too, as naturally for me, I have calibrated my computer against 10-mile and 15-mile markers along two separate trails (calibrating against a single mile or two can be problematic as not all mile markers are measured correctly).
Along the ride I found a cell phone. Went to the contact list and called "Mom." Agreed to leave the cell phone at the bike shop in Brodhead. Also stopped three separate times and gave trail directions and information to other riders. Picked up some trash and cleared the trail of a half-dozen rocks that had rolled down a bank.
Pinch me! Pinch me! I've done a metric century!!
Artkansas
07-05-07, 07:12 PM
Congratulations!
We knew you could.
maddmaxx
07-05-07, 07:14 PM
Congratulations Tom.
Tom Bombadil
07-05-07, 07:21 PM
I didn't set any speed records doing it. My total elasped time, which included a lunch and a dinner, was 9 hours and 25 minutes. Time on the bike was probably in the 5.0-5.5 hour range.
Digital Gee
07-05-07, 07:40 PM
Congratulations. I believe I said it first (that you would do it)!
See? Isn't it amazing what we can do when we set out on a path of joy and learning and fun and physicality, all wrapped up in one?
tlc20010
07-05-07, 07:45 PM
Way to go Tommy B, you are our inspiration. You making sure to keep stretching?
stercomm
07-05-07, 07:45 PM
You da man! Great job, now what is the next goal or is that being too Type A?
Beverly
07-05-07, 07:47 PM
Wow! A metric century, dinner with the wife, a little trail maintenance and returning lost property.
:beer: Congratulations!!
Digital Gee
07-05-07, 07:49 PM
I think you did all this to try to win our good graces so we'll let you back on the island. Just sayin.
George
07-05-07, 07:54 PM
Good going Tom, I wonder what's going on, everybody knocking big miles out, that's great, congradulations.
Terrierman
07-05-07, 08:47 PM
You ARE back on the Island, This is the thread of the month! Major congratulations. But did you read the information on the back of your Fred card? Metric Centuries result in an automatic termination for a minimum of one year before provisional reinstatement. Sorry, looks like we're both out of the Fred club.
One little aside. It's a good thing JT did not find that cell phone and call "Mom". Who knows what sort of hijinks we might be reading about then...
Man, I am feeling SO GOOD about reading this. You made my evening...
Blue Jays
07-05-07, 09:04 PM
Congratulations.
Tom Bombadil
07-05-07, 09:08 PM
Can the following items be taken into consideration for my Fred status?
1) Wore hiking shoes
2) Wore white socks with a doctor's symbol on the cuff (closeouts from Nashbar)
3) Wore baggy black athletic shorts with white stripes (from Target)
4) Wore white w/blue stripes athletic jersey from Wal-Mart
5) Averaged less than 7 mph including stops
6) Used a woman's saddle with a butterfly embroidered on it.
Terrierman
07-05-07, 09:14 PM
Can the following items be taken into consideration for my Fred status?
1) Wore hiking shoes
2) Wore white socks with a doctor's symbol on the cuff (closeouts from Nashbar)
3) Wore baggy black athletic shorts with white stripes (from Target)
4) Wore white w/blue stripes athletic jersey from Wal-Mart
5) Averaged less than 7 mph including stops
6) Used a woman's saddle with a butterfly embroidered on it.
No. You are OUT. O U T spells out! On your woman's saddle specific butt!:D Congratulations again!
Blue Jays
07-05-07, 09:16 PM
What a fredabulous combination of gear.
richjac
07-05-07, 09:19 PM
I don't know, maybe if you had bought the bike at Wal-mart... but this is quite an impressive list.
And quite an impressive feat today - congratulations!
DnvrFox
07-05-07, 09:22 PM
Congratulations. I believe I said it first (that you would do it)!
See? Isn't it amazing what we can do when we set out on a path of joy and learning and fun and physicality, all wrapped up in one?
Not too interested in loftier goals. I'm riding for fun and fitness much more than distance or speed. If it turns out that some interesting goal presents itself, as it did today, I might take advantage of it. Otherwise I'll focus more on knocking off a lot of 10-15 mile rides.
You are saying you don't want to take longer rides at the same time you are bragging a bit about your longer rides.
Hhmmmm!
It won't be long before you have done a metric century. I see right through you.:D
I love this forum and these upbeat posts. Whether it's getting back on a bike after 30 years, one's first pair of bib shorts, first metric or 100 mile century, ride your age, passing someone on a hill, etc etc etc. Someone once said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that they only read the sports page, because it is list of accomplishments, unlike the rest of the paper. This forum is similar.
Congrats and keep going.
Red Rider
07-05-07, 09:59 PM
You've not only done a metric century, you've done your civic duty as well. You're a Boy Scout! ;)
Congratulations on your success. Next thing you know, you'll be riding back onto the island.
Well done!
Old School
07-05-07, 10:59 PM
Pssst, Tom B...
Look for a single tiki torch on the beach tonight at midnight. I will get you back on the island under the cover of darkness!
-- O.S.
maddmaxx
07-06-07, 04:33 AM
Good on the milage. I see a possible goal that you can save for the winter doldrums up there in the Dakota's.
You've now got 5-5.5 hours on the bike. Next winter you can go for 6.
Welcome back to the island.....what did the rest of the world look like?
tlc20010
07-06-07, 05:15 AM
Can the following items be taken into consideration for my Fred status?
1) Wore hiking shoes
2) Wore white socks with a doctor's symbol on the cuff (closeouts from Nashbar)
3) Wore baggy black athletic shorts with white stripes (from Target)
4) Wore white w/blue stripes athletic jersey from Wal-Mart
5) Averaged less than 7 mph including stops
6) Used a woman's saddle with a butterfly embroidered on it.
Your dress is probably too purposely anti-OCP to qualify for fred-dom, but it looks like you speed may keep you solidly in that camp. The average jogger will run at 5-8 mph for his/her morning workout and Lance ran the NYC marathon at a faster pace (8.6 mph) than you rode. (OT: world class marathoners run at 12 mph and milers in the 15-16 mph range). I think that your speed (?) preserves your Fred status, but your perseverance has won our admiration.;)
HopedaleHills
07-06-07, 05:46 AM
Huge Congrats. I am humbled before you. One of the great posts of the year :)
SaiKaiTai
07-06-07, 07:56 AM
Man, what is it with you guys? Here, I've been working my way up to 40 with my sights set on 50 and y'all are just passing me by... people who have been riding for, like, a month, are doing 20-30 miles. People who've never done more than 12-15 miles -bang!- pop out with a metric. I am mortified. What is wrong with me? Why am I so slow to make that leap? What is holding me back? (well, time, for one thing)
My helemt's off to you, Tom Bombadil.
Hermes
07-06-07, 09:20 AM
Can the following items be taken into consideration for my Fred status?
1) Wore hiking shoes
2) Wore white socks with a doctor's symbol on the cuff (closeouts from Nashbar)
3) Wore baggy black athletic shorts with white stripes (from Target)
4) Wore white w/blue stripes athletic jersey from Wal-Mart
5) Averaged less than 7 mph including stops
6) Used a woman's saddle with a butterfly embroidered on it.
Congrats on the ride and yes, that is very Fredelicious.:D
Tom Bombadil
07-06-07, 09:49 AM
Your dress is probably too purposely anti-OCP to qualify for fred-dom, but it looks like you speed may keep you solidly in that camp. The average jogger will run at 5-8 mph for his/her morning workout and Lance ran the NYC marathon at a faster pace (8.6 mph) than you rode. (OT: world class marathoners run at 12 mph and milers in the 15-16 mph range). I think that your speed (?) preserves your Fred status, but your perseverance has won our admiration.;)
I did average over 12 mph while moving.
I set out to try to do about 20-25 miles. When I got to 33, I wasn't sure if I was done for the day or if I was going to try to hit 41 to edge out my old record. So at 33, I took a 1.5 hour break, to eat lunch, walk around town, and visit a very nice little bike shop.
Then I hopped back on the bike and rode it up to 41. It was hot (mid-80s) and so I took another break to stretch, re-apply sunscreen, get a drink of water. Then I decided to shoot for 50. Got to 50 and was just 2 miles short of my first age ride. Next town had nice restaurants, called my wife to meet me there, and rode 6 more miles. After getting home from dinner, I rode my last 8 miles.
This is my kind of ride. Ride along at a casual pace, enjoying the day, stopping in small towns to check out shops and restaurants, then ride some more. I don't ride to just ride or do miles, to me it is more like a walk in the park.
My timing for the first 33 miles and then the next 23 miles weren't that bad. I averaged around 11 mph, including my stretch breaks, on each of those segments. But the long lunch break and then a dinner break did my overall timing in.
Overall I was pleased with my speed, sustaining 13-13.5 mph over extended stretches, hitting 14-15 at times.
I've stated here before that if I made a long ride, it would happen as a result of opportunity presenting itself. That's what happened. A 20-25 mile ride turned into a 33, which turned into a 50, which eventually turned into a 64. It is funny reflecting on that after I did my intended 20 miler, I went on to ride the longest ride I've ever made from that point (44 more miles).
Today it just doesn't seem to me like I rode that far. The time kinda flew past, the miles rolled under, and I never got very tired.
solveg
07-06-07, 10:03 AM
Wow! That is absolutely incredible! I don't quite understand what happened, though, to make you push... you seemed pretty happy with the rides you were on, and then BLAM! Huge! Now are you going to ride more each day, or keep the high mileage for rare occasions???
I was hoping we'd ride together some day, but I can see now you're out of my league. I did 12.4 miles today and I took a nap when I got home!
I'm really proud of you. It's really quite amazing, and it sounds like you amazed yourself, too!
Tom Bombadil
07-06-07, 10:47 AM
I don't think I'll be riding more on a day-to-day basis. When I get home from work at 6-6:30, I'm not up for a long ride. Probably continue to do 8 to 16 mile (depending upon how I feel) rides a couple of evenings a week.
I think this one happened because I was taking several days off. After doing the two longer rides the past weekend, which I had mentally prepared for, then taking three days off from riding, I was just ready to roll.
The next three weeks are going to be busy, I have daughters coming home to visit from other states. Maybe I'll take one day to ride a bit more, but don't know.
Then in late July we're going to visit family in West Virginia. That will give me another week off, and as I don't need to spend all of that time visiting, I'm thinking about taking a longer ride during that trip. But to me a longer ride is still defined as being around 30 miles, then after that, I'll see what happens. After all, as of last Friday, I'd only taken one ride of over 26 miles.
I still don't ride long segments. Last Sat I rode for 10 miles before stopping, my longest stretch ever. Yesterday during the 64 miles, I didn't break that mark. I did two 8's and a 7. A lot of people would hate to ride with me because of all of my stopping.
maddmaxx
07-06-07, 10:53 AM
"RFF" Riding for fun. Distances and records happen by accident.
Cool!
stapfam
07-06-07, 11:16 AM
Of the 64 miles, about 60 were on gravel/dirt rail trails and 4 on asphalt. Mileage is legit too, as naturally for me, I have calibrated my computer against 10-mile and 15-mile markers along two separate trails (calibrating against a single mile or two can be problematic as not all mile markers are measured correctly).
Pinch me! Pinch me! I've done a metric century!!
Now you know why I have changed over to tarmac riding. That little bit of Gravel or dirt road for the majority of your ride has earned you credit on this ride. You could have earnt more if you had a few hills or slopes in the ride but you can save them for the next ride.
When the ride your age bit started-I was still fully offroad so I did as much Offroad as I could and then finished off with a bit of Tarmac. Then this year- I did it on road- got home and found I was short by a few miles so got on the Bianchi and went for Breakfast. A Lot easier.
LynnH
07-06-07, 11:27 AM
Wow, congrats! That is the answer, just keep riding.
Motorad
07-06-07, 07:01 PM
Good motivation-thread Tom. Thanks!
guybierhaus
07-06-07, 08:27 PM
Outstanding!!! Great job on trail maintenance. Makes me regret not picking up that plastic bag the other day that was blemishing my usually rest stop along the road. I couldn't figure out where to put it on the bike.
doctor j
07-06-07, 08:59 PM
Well done, Tom. Directions, trail maintenance, and a metric!
Louis
07-06-07, 09:14 PM
Excellent, Mr. B.
All the folks here on 50+ who are relatively new to cycling are impressing me more each day.
:beer:
Louis
07-06-07, 09:20 PM
Along the ride I found a cell phone. Went to the contact list and called "Mom." Agreed to leave the cell phone at the bike shop in Brodhead. Also stopped three separate times and gave trail directions and information to other riders. Picked up some trash and cleared the trail of a half-dozen rocks that had rolled down a bank.
What? You didn't stop at the nursing home and read to the residents? ...Selfish *******.:lol:
Tom Bombadil
07-06-07, 09:37 PM
Man, what is it with you guys? Here, I've been working my way up to 40 with my sights set on 50 and y'all are just passing me by... people who have been riding for, like, a month, are doing 20-30 miles. People who've never done more than 12-15 miles -bang!- pop out with a metric. I am mortified. What is wrong with me? Why am I so slow to make that leap? What is holding me back? (well, time, for one thing)
You work too hard at riding up every hill you can find, while powering down every flat. You wear yourself out!
I'm certain that you are in better riding condition than I. There's no way I could take the hills that you are riding. You probably expend twice the energy in a 30 mile ride than I did in my 64 mile ride.
To do a high mileage ride, you need to find a flatter course and pace yourself.
So get with the program you slackard! You & your LeMond cannot sit 25 miles behind me and my Trek hybrid. That's just not right.
Tom Bombadil
07-06-07, 09:54 PM
I've seen a number of people cleaning up along the trails. I figure if I'm going to be using them on a regular basis, that I should do my part. If I pick up rocks, then they won't be there for me to hit my next time down the trail.
I should take a shovel and fill in all of those "gopher holes" or whatever is making them. Those things are a hazard.
Tom Bombadil
07-07-07, 12:09 AM
I forgot to mention that as I was riding along, well into the ride, I began to feel a desire to lean forward a bit more. Heretofore I have been modding my bikes for a more & more upright riding position.
A couple of months ago I replaced my 1.5" riser bar with a 3" riser, and put on big, soft gel grips. These have really worked well, as all of my longer rides have come on them. When I did that, I left off my old bar ends. So tonight I cut off the grip ends and re-installed the bar ends. Only this time instead of pointing them straight up like horns, I positioned them with a much more forward lean. I look forward to trying them out on my next ride.
solveg
07-07-07, 06:20 AM
Now you know why I have changed over to tarmac riding.
Don't you worry about the planes hitting you?
waffenschmidt
07-07-07, 10:57 AM
I forgot to mention that as I was riding along, well into the ride, I began to feel a desire to lean forward a bit more. Heretofore I have been modding my bikes for a more & more upright riding position.
Aha, I've been waiting for this! Your body is telling you that leaning forward is more efficient, and ultimately more comfortable. ;)
Tom, despite your assertions to this point, and your inevitable protestations that will follow this post, I predict you'll buy a road bike (or tourer, or cyclocross; something with drop bars) before next spring.
Tom Bombadil
07-07-07, 01:46 PM
I never say never, but I test rode 4 bikes today, with one being a compact geometry Specialized Sequoia road bike and I still hated riding on drop bars. I was still uncomfortable on a Specialized Sirrus flat bar road bike.
The big factor is my right thumb. It gives me problems even on my current setup, and the more weight I put on it, the worse it gets.
solveg
07-07-07, 02:15 PM
Have you tried the Nitto Noodle? I love it--it has lots of options for where you put your hands, and it's wide.
Terrierman
07-07-07, 06:49 PM
Man, what is it with you guys? Here, I've been working my way up to 40 with my sights set on 50 and y'all are just passing me by... people who have been riding for, like, a month, are doing 20-30 miles. People who've never done more than 12-15 miles -bang!- pop out with a metric. I am mortified. What is wrong with me? Why am I so slow to make that leap? What is holding me back? (well, time, for one thing)
My helemt's off to you, Tom Bombadil.
It's your dead ass.:D And those lemon pies without meringue.
Tom Bombadil
07-07-07, 09:14 PM
Have you tried the Nitto Noodle? I love it--it has lots of options for where you put your hands, and it's wide.
I "tried" one out for like a minute one day. Those go on road bikes and thus won't work on any of my bikes.
I have a hard time riding in the hoods. You might as well cut off the bar below the hoods because I'd never use anything down there.
Tried a moustache bar once too. Liked those better than drop bars.