jeneralist 

Thank you, gang, for your tips on last-minute prep before a metric century. I'm pleased to report that I did it, with some strength and stamina to spare. Some jumbled observations on the ride (the 100km version of the Chesapeake Challenge, a fundraiser for the MS Society):

• One recurring theme in the suggestions I received was to get a good night's sleep in advance of the big ride. Good idea! But with driving to a hotel close to the ride the night before (it's about 2 hours from my home), and stopping for coffee on the way, well, Mr Jeneralist and I got about 5 hours sleep.
• My training has been on a very flat MUP, the Schuylkill River Trail, so I wanted a very flat course for my first metric century. I picked a ride on the eastern shore of Maryland because Delmarva is flat, right? Well, sorta. The start point was at 70 feet above sea level, and I don't think we ever got over 100 ft, but we went up and down a 50 foot hill over and over. I was not the only person to get off my bike and walk once or twice.
• That said, Mr Jeneralist did give me several tips on taking hills during the ride, and my technique improved over the course of the day. Nervous about downshifting during a climb, I started out downshifting going down the preceding decline and un-clipping one foot -- so on the upslope, I was pedalling all the way in my granny gear, with one foot free in case I ran out of steam. Mr Jeneralist got me pedal on the downhills, so I'd have more momentum carrying me on the uphills. (Which should be obvious, but we're in a city with stop lights so often you can't keep your momentum from the downhill to the uphill.)
• On one of those uphills, Mr Jeneralist -- wearing black sweatsocks and khaki cotton shorts as part of his riding ensemble -- encountered several cyclists on expensive road bikes, each impeccably dressed in spandex and road shoes. They were laboring and grunting their way up the hill, doing about 6 mph. Having heard me call out, "Don't wait for me, I'll meet you at the top," my darling proceeded to smoke his way up the hill at about 17 mph, so distinctively zooming past them that one of the course spotters on a motorcycle said, "You looked like you were having fun!" "Yeah, I'm from Philly -- we have terrain." "So, what do you do to train? How far do you go in a day?" "I don't train much. I've gone farther today than ever before." At which point the guy on the motorcycle just about fell over.
  My darling is a fred, and I love him. (BTW, he describes the course as "velodrome-flat.")
• And, this was also the week when I first got below 200lbs. So all in all it's been a good week!

Now we're thinking about imperial centuries for the autumn.

I can do this!

10 Wheels

Congratulations on the ride.

Kneez

Yes, congratulations!

stevel610 

Great Job!

zoste

Cool! Glad you had fun.

I made the exact same mistake in training for my first century(Lancaster Bike Club's Covered Bridges Metric. I trained by riding the SRT, working my way up to riding from Spring Mill to Green Lane and back. I figured "Sixty miles is sixty miles." I was NOT ready for the hills.

If you're looking for a flat century in the fall try either the Amish Country Tour or the Seagull Century. I did the Seagull last fall: very flat, but very windy. My fiancee and I stayed in a Hampton Inn about five miles from the start and it was nice to get into the hotel's hot tub after the ride.

Bone Head

That sounds familiar!!! My 1st metric century was the LBC's Covered Bridge Metric a few years ago. Being a "flatlander" here in coastal Va I was not prepared for the "rolling hills."

Jeneralist: Congrats!! Keep riding and you will only get stronger. An autumn imperial should be achievable. Again, Well Done!!

Mr. Beanz

Good job! Oh heck yeah you can do the century! All you need to do is eat something at 60 miles, something solid like the good ol turkey sandwich. You'll feel just as good at 85 as you did at 45! Just a little more scheduled food and a little more scheduled hydration is all you need to take you from 65 to 100

FYI, if you train on some hills, an orgainzed ride with hills will be just as easy as the flat ride! It's all prepping for the ride at hand!

Neil_B

Of course you can do an Imperial century.

BTW, where in Delmarva was this?

jeneralist 

It started at Washington College in Chestertown, MD. We went through Galena, Betterton, and Georgetown as I recall.

funrover 

Congrats!

tonkatruckjk

WOW! Congrats on two HUGE milestones in one week! Your first metric century AND sub 200lbs - that's awesome!

One day, I only hope to achieve BOTH of those milestones....

Neil_B

Thanks. My tour last summer was a few miles south of there.

Check out the ride listing of the White Clay Bicycle Club, based in Northern Delaware. They have a nice metric the end of June called the Double-cross. You cross the state of Delaware twice. Hills should be like those you just conquered.

As for an Imperial, consider either the MS City to Shore in October (Cherry Hill to Ocean City, NJ; extensive fundraising required) or the Seagull Century in southern Delmarva. Both are flat rides.

bautieri

Congratulations!

Peter_C

Congrats to you guys!!!! AND, the breaking of a goal too!!

mtalinm

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as a fellow marylander, congratulations!! I hit my own milestone today by reaching 1,000 miles today

DanteB

Great job!

jeneralist 

Good for you!

jeneralist 

No shots of me actually riding the bike, but here are some before and after shots.


About to set out. In the front bag: sunscreen, spare tube, tools, etc. On the handlebar: Douglas the bicycling woodchuck, GPS, extra water bottle. (The bike only has braze-ons for one bottle!) Not visible: right-side pannier, with extra water bottle and rain gear. Notice the other riders in the background, with road bikes. One of the course marshalls commented during the ride that I seemed to have a lot of stuff. Ah, well: I'm hoping to tour the C&O/GAP later this year.


Another photo from before the ride.


I was a few dozen feet ahead of Phil at a turn, when I heard "Aaag! Wait, wait, I'm OK.... Jen, STOP!" Seems he had been looking at this impressive bird in its nest as he made the turn, and went wide into the weeds. Recovering, he wanted me to stop to have a good look, too. (We think it's an osprey.)


Maintaining hydration even after the ride.

BigDaddyPedals

awesome congrats!!!!

Neil_B

I think Douglass the Woodchuck should meet Doug the snake. :-)

Peter_C

And the perfect time would be Saturday, June 14th!

Neil_B

What's happening that day?

Peter_C

Why it's the "Historian's Ride to Meet Frank" -see THIS . (AKA - The Historian's Covered Bridge Ride!)

Saturday, June 12 2010 - a wonderful NO DROP ride for any and all Uber-Clydes that like to walk up hills of course!

Neil_B

There are only two tough climbs, both short - Lucas Road and Horseshoe Trail Road. There is a long gradual climb up around the 'mountain' into Birchrunville, followed by a 1.5 mile downhill. The rest is just rollers.

Peter_C

LOL - we shall see if your definition of 'tough' is the same as mine or not... no worries! I'll be wearing my crawling shoes just-in-case...