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10-14-08, 05:02 PM
This weekend I rode a century under 6 hours for the first time. It was 5 hours & 44 minutes. I am not sure why this is so important to me, but I have been trying to do this all year. With this being my 6th and last century for the year, I decided to go for it.
I decided to treat this ride like a game of golf. You cannot birdie all 18 holes unless you birdie the first 17 holes. So I got out fast - that is for me. The average speed was the number I was watching early. I got the to twenty mile mark with a 21 MPH average and felt good, so I did not make the rest stop. Same for the 35 mile stop. Finally, at the 50 mile stop I needed water and something to eat. The average speed at this point was 20.7 overall, but by the time I left the stop it was under 20.
The turn at the 50 rest stop put me directly into the wind. Many times I would be working very hard only to glance at the computer to see a speed of 16 MPH. I could not work any harder, so the average speed kept dropping. Actually, I was working so hard I started to cramp at 64 miles. Both legs tightened up and became painful. I coasted a little and of course lost the grouip I had joined a few miles back. Thank goodness, there was a stop at 67 miles.
A doctor riding friend encouraged me to eat and drink certain items at the stop to combat the cramps. This worked pretty well for the next 15 miles which was the last rest stop. I drank lots more at that stop along with some food. We took off at a pace that was certain to put us in at 5 1/2 hours.
Suddenly at 85 miles both legs completely cramped. I unclipped both feet and coasted to a stop with not crashing as my goal. I laid the bike over and managed to stay on my feet. I could not walk or stand or sit. I wanted to cry, but there was no one to see or hear me.
After 10 minutes of coaxing my legs let up and I was back on the bike. They would only allow me to pedal in the small ring, but at least I was moving. I rode alone to the finish and considered myself very lucky to make the time I did.
I am not sure the time was worth the extreme cramps, but since it no longer hurts it seems it was.
I decided to treat this ride like a game of golf. You cannot birdie all 18 holes unless you birdie the first 17 holes. So I got out fast - that is for me. The average speed was the number I was watching early. I got the to twenty mile mark with a 21 MPH average and felt good, so I did not make the rest stop. Same for the 35 mile stop. Finally, at the 50 mile stop I needed water and something to eat. The average speed at this point was 20.7 overall, but by the time I left the stop it was under 20.
The turn at the 50 rest stop put me directly into the wind. Many times I would be working very hard only to glance at the computer to see a speed of 16 MPH. I could not work any harder, so the average speed kept dropping. Actually, I was working so hard I started to cramp at 64 miles. Both legs tightened up and became painful. I coasted a little and of course lost the grouip I had joined a few miles back. Thank goodness, there was a stop at 67 miles.
A doctor riding friend encouraged me to eat and drink certain items at the stop to combat the cramps. This worked pretty well for the next 15 miles which was the last rest stop. I drank lots more at that stop along with some food. We took off at a pace that was certain to put us in at 5 1/2 hours.
Suddenly at 85 miles both legs completely cramped. I unclipped both feet and coasted to a stop with not crashing as my goal. I laid the bike over and managed to stay on my feet. I could not walk or stand or sit. I wanted to cry, but there was no one to see or hear me.
After 10 minutes of coaxing my legs let up and I was back on the bike. They would only allow me to pedal in the small ring, but at least I was moving. I rode alone to the finish and considered myself very lucky to make the time I did.
I am not sure the time was worth the extreme cramps, but since it no longer hurts it seems it was.