Fifty Plus (50+) - WTF? Am I nuts or what???? 100 mi ?????

Ok, I just did it and now I"m wondering if I'm nutz or what. I had a great ride today (44 mi with the big guns, A group) and they asked about the Kids In Distress (KID) Ft Lauderdale Ride next week. I just had to sign up for the century ride.

I've done a few metrics since I started in Feb, and I felt pretty good, but I got a bit concerned when when of the A team members who is VERY good at mentoring new people (read: he doesn't pull your chain, he's a straight shooter) said "riding a metric and riding a real century are two very different things. That last 40 miles or so are a real bear!

Am I in over my head? Should I go with the sure thing and drop to a metric or push for the Century? I'm signed up for the Miami MS150 in May so I need to be ready for a real test.

Your thoughts please!

BTW, I'll be 62 in Jan.

If you have done a 75 mile ride, you will be able to complete the 100 mile.
But you have to ride at your pace.

You will never forget The Last Ten miles.....
Ride Slow.
Completed 28 centuries this year.

You can do it. Just stay within yourself, eat and drink, stop and stretch if you feel like it and you'll be fine. It's flat, right?

You'll be fine. Take it a little easier than you usually do on a metric so you'll have a little left in the tank. Be sure to eat and drink plenty. Enjoy! (and take pictures)

You will always remember your first century. I did two this year and plan on doing 3 or 4 next year. And yes there tends to be a wall at 70 miles or so. Hit the rest stops and fuel and hydrate and you will do fine.

The advice already given is so true. Especially on the first century you should not try to "stay" with anyone. Ride your ride.
Your mentor is correct that the other 40 miles are a bear. However it most certainly can be done.
I am your age and rode my first century a little over two years ago. I must admit that everything hurt by the time I finished. Even my sunglasses hurt. It definitely gets better as you get more experience, but you must ride that first one to start getting the experience. Eat, drink, rest a little and do not give up. Good luck.

What they said.

Sounds as though the 100 mile sounds daunting to you. It shouldn't be though.You have been getting in the milage recently---Haven't you?????? But there a few pointers you should think about.

Take time to warm up into the ride. Don't sprint off at the start to stay with your more experienced mates. Take the first 5 miles at a bit under your pace and do not go for any of the hills. It is the hills that will eventually take energy away from you. Flats and downhills are where you can gain any time up.

If there are regular feed stops- then take advantage of them. Normally they will be at a regular spacing and around 25 miles and that is a good distance to break the ride up into 4x 25 mile rides. Only thing is at around the 70 mile distance- that is where you will find out if you have prepared enough or have taken it a bit too fast.

I normally do the first 60 miles in one hit except to fill water bottles. Then at around 65 I stop- eat a something a bit more substantial than the snacks I have been eating since the start and have a stretch. Then the final run home is taken at a pace that I know I can do.

Have a Pasta or Cabo-hydrate meal the night before- a breakfast on the morning and then on the ride eat snacks as much as you can- Drink as much as you can and enjoy the scenery. Have fun.

As stated - if you can do a metric comfortably you can do a century - that is how I know I have enough miles uder my belt.
If you have food and hydration types that work for you don't make any changes unless you test them well in advance. You might consider increasing your intake of food and hydration during the ride but don't change the types. A good rule of thumb - 300cal and one large bottle (with electrolites) per hour. Also, if you haven't had to urinate by the 50 mile point you probably aren't drinking enough.

Centuries are not that hard provided that you are in the proper shape.

Since you seem to have no difficulty doing a metric, doing the next 37 miles for the century should be within your capabilities.

For a first century, there is good advice up there.

I would suggest:

No new gear or new adjustments. Go with what you got. Finding out that something chaffs at the 60 mile point is not good.

Stop relatively often and BRIEFLY. Eat a light snack, drink water, relieve yourself and let the blood circulate to your contact points.

I would also suggest that you ride at a reasonably sedate pace. Riding fast will deplete your glycogen pretty fast. If you ride slower, you can even finish a century without depletion. If you are feeling strong, you can always push the pace after 70 or 80 miles.

As other people have stated, ride your own pace. Do not try to hang on with a fast group.

Centuries are not that hard provided that you are in the proper shape.

Since you seem to have no difficulty doing a metric, doing the next 37 miles for the century should be within your capabilities.

For a first century, there is good advice up there.

I would suggest:

No new gear or new adjustments. Go with what you got. Finding out that something chaffs at the 60 mile point is not good.

Stop relatively often and BRIEFLY. Eat a light snack, drink water, relieve yourself and let the blood circulate to your contact points.

I would also suggest that you ride at a reasonably sedate pace. Riding fast will deplete your glycogen pretty fast. If you ride slower, you can even finish a century without depletion. If you are feeling strong, you can always push the pace after 70 or 80 miles.

As other people have stated, ride your own pace. Do not try to hang on with a fast group.

Enjoy the rest stops, but don't stay too long. Getting back on the bike will be a challenge later in the ride. Learn from my mistake!

All great advice. Another tip that I can add is to refrain from looking at your average speed or even considering it until about 15 miles from finishing. The miles from 65 to 90 may be the most difficult of the ride. You will begin to feel "uncomfortable" in ways you are not accustomed to while riding.

With so many things to remember, I'll add one more.:) Every 5 miles ask yourself "am I riding with form?" Good cycling posture and pedal stroke mechanics will enable your muscles to work efficiently and not break down prematurely because one group has been overstressed. If you can't keep the pace of other riders, without changing your form and/or rhythm, then back off and ride at your "all day pace".

Good luck!:thumb:

One Week - oops! only six days! - Training Plan for Riding a Century: Spend as much time as possible doing Internet research on "How to train for a century in a week or less". Too late to do the training; just do the research.
Words of encouragement from one who has never ridden 100 miles: You can make it if you try. (Actually, the words of Sly Stone.)

thankyoufalletinmebemiceelfagin

good for you. I can't imagine riding with a group for that distance cu I think your own personal pace is so important. for me I have to remind yourself to stay off the as. another piece of advice that helped is to avoid riding strong for the 1st 15 miles. I also suggest a decent rest every 25 miles with a slightly longer rest after 50 miles.

About being nuts,start to worry if you keep seeing a couple if guys in white coats hanging around

what they said.

+1 ;)

If you have done a 75 mile ride, you will be able to complete the 100 mile.
But you have to ride at your pace.

You will never forget The Last Ten miles.....
Ride Slow.
Completed 28 centuries this year.

I am impressed...will be doing my first January 10th

And, make sure you keep moving during the "rest stops!" Keeps the muscles from stiffening up.

A little walk around, a little sit time, but keep repositioning your legs, and walk around again......

Don't let em stiffen up......

What everybody has said, plus, you're in Florida. The hills won't exactly be a problem.

All great advice. Another tip that I can add is to refrain from looking at your average speed or even considering it until about 15 miles from finishing. The miles from 65 to 90 may be the most difficult of the ride. You will begin to feel "uncomfortable" in ways you are not accustomed to while riding.

With so many things to remember, I'll add one more.:) Every 5 miles ask yourself "am I riding with form?" Good cycling posture and pedal stroke mechanics will enable your muscles to work efficiently and not break down prematurely because one group has been overstressed. If you can't keep the pace of other riders, without changing your form and/or rhythm, then back off and ride at your "all day pace".

Good luck!:thumb:

Great point...I am doing pedaling drills - no hands, one leg pedaling, one leg and opposite arm and max spin ups.

Lots of great advice. Just have to remember to follow it all.

Regarding form, little aches and pains remind me to stretch and move about on the handlebars. Pedaling form is important, and it's easy to slip into mashing. I get over that by remembering to pedal only by lifting for a while, and "pedaling like there are eggs on the pedals"

All of my metrics (3) have been at 18+ so if I back it down to 16 or so I think I'll be ok. I try to ride between 100 and 120 mi a week at 40 mile pops. I think eating a good pasta meal sat night is important. As one poster mentioned, it is fla, so no hills, only over passes and bridges.

Thanks again for all the ideas and encouragement. I'm really psyched. I hope the weather cooperates. I don't think I would much enjoy my first century in a windy cold rain. :eek:

Good luck on your ride. I'll try to watch a bit of it as I'm in Deerfield Beach.

You are likely nuts, whether to go all the way or you don't

If your actions are received poorly by your peers, perhaps they didn't have the requesit genitleequipment! You can't expect to erect a tower of defence upon you opponentz
In respoinse to sisters with tiny tiny titiiti

Your doomed by circumstatnce to at are being beyond there contral and yet give a illusion of streght and fiath.

Congrats on signing up for your 1st century! Obviously you're mentally ready or you'd not have accepted the challenge in the first place.

Prior to my first century in March '06 I'd ridden 64 miles. Since cycling is 50% physical and 90% mental, I knew I could do more.

That first century, and subsequent ones, showed me that it's a series of 20 mile rides. The SAG stops were about 20 miles apart. All I had to do was ride 20 miles. Stretch, use the facilities, eat, stretch, move on.

Somebody said this already but I have to say it again: Don't change anything, your pre-ride routine, your clothing, your food, your equipment, not a darned thing. Whatever you rode with on your last long ride is what you should employ for the century.

Ride your own ride, make friends along the way, and enjoy the hell out of it. Your first century is the one you'll remember.

Have fun!