BluesDawg

My son and I overslept and had to rush to make the 50 mile drive to Warrenton in time for the start. We made it and thanks to a slightly late start of the ride, were able to get registered and get our bikes and ourselves ready to ride. The crowd was fairly small. I think some riders may have left early. I saw a few friends from Thomson who I knew from BRAG and a group of folks from Augusta who had ridden our April Fools Rides were there.

The weather was nice, warm and sunny but not too hot. The route was rolling, not flat, not hilly. The roads were mostly smooth and rural with little car traffic, but there were some short stretches of shake and bake and some longer stretches with more cars. The route markings were a bit lacking as they were small and blended into the pavement background. Some turns were not marked nearly enough and we missed a couple, but quickly realized we were off course and turned back.

The group started at a casual pace and gradually the hotshots sped up and left the slower riders behind. We were riding with about a dozen riders when we got to the single rest stop at 25 miles. After that, we were alone for most of the ride, passing just a a few riders and being passed by a few.

At about 35 miles I started fading on the hills and started noticing the headwinds more. By the 40 mile mark I was noticing my saddle possibly needed a slight tilt adjustment, my back was hurting and my neck didn't want to bend enough to let me look far ahead. I knew what all this meant...I had bonked. I had made too big a jump in my ride distance without enough energy stores and without eating enough during the ride. There was only one thing to do, suffer to the finish. My son was feeling no such pains and he pulled back to ride with me to the end.

I'm happy to have completed a 50 mile ride, the longest since my birthday ride in October. I'm concerned about my ability to consume enough calories during a long ride. I'll have to do a lot of thinking about how best to keep stoking the engine given the limitations of what I can swallow. I'll be able to do it. I'll just need to make it more of a priority so I can avoid days like yesterday in the future.

The ride starts with a police escort out of town


The group begins to spread out as we hit the rolling hills


What I saw for most of the last 15 miles, My son's back

maddmaxx 

All things considered, I think your doing fantastic. Another addition to my 50+ hero's list.

Hermes

Congrats on the ride and making it to the end.

As far as nutrition and getting enough caloric intake, I suggest trying the gels. I was never a fan of gels and opted for bars / pita bread. However, I am a convert. I like the gels and start my ride with a gel. IMHO, they all do not taste great but who cares. It adds to the suffering. My body seems to be able to absorb the gels much better than other stuff. I like the Powerbar lemon drops which are like gummy bears but made up of the right cr@p. I put a bag or two in my jersey and pop the lemon drops as I ride. I then eat on occasion some pita bread or a bar. I did a 50 mile race with a couple of gels and a bag of drops and a large water bottle of water every 16 miles. YMMV.

The other thing that is annoying is the cost of the gels / drops. However, we get ours on Ebay and by the box you can save over buying them at the LBS.

10 Wheels

Congratulation on the ride.
Nice pics.

Just one complaint.
Your roads are way to smooth.

Rick@OCRR

I agree with Hermes re: Gels. I rode Breathless Agony yesterday (report to follow), and one of the organizers has the climbs rated as to how many "Gels" you need per climb.

There was a bit over 12,000 feet of climbing, so I went through 2 Hammer Gel Expresso that I carried along, plus two "GU" brand Chocolate at checkpoint 2 and more "GU" at checkpoint 3.

Great ride for your first 50 in awhile BluesDawg! Dial in the saddle adjustment, buy a 12 pack of GU or Hammer Gel, and you'll be ready for a century soon.

Rick / OCRR

BluesDawg

Good advice about the gels. Infact, had I not shown my typical lack of forethought, I would have carried a few on the ride. I thought about them the night before the ride, after the LBS was closed. I even checked at Walmart and a grocery store. They had plenty of energy bars, but no gels. Next time I'll be better prepared.

Timtruro

Congrats Dawg.........you da man. Great job and I feel certain you will adjust your caloric intake in some manner. I am amazed at your progress.

Glades2

Gee, look at that hill! Living here in South Florida for most of my life, I've forgotten what they look like!

I've been to an LAW (now LAB) rally in Virginia that had such hills, and the first two days were pretty scary at times, but the adjustment (gearing and mentally) came pretty fast and then it wasn't so bad - just remember that changing gears doesn't only mean the rear cluster - the front chain rings are just as critical, if not moreso...

Still, I like your photos - they look like good cycling roads!

Everglades Bicycle Club

stapfam

It's all been said- The gels- the lack of preparation- the take it steady and the well dones-

So just keep going as you are and you will be riding my age for me. Or delegate to Your son. If he is that fit- he can do both our age rides.

BluesDawg

What hill? There are no hills in those pictures. Come up here to middle Georgia and I'll show you some hills.
In five weeks I'll start a 50 mile ride in Hiawassee Georgia that ends in Dahlonega. I'll see hills that day, oh yeah. Then I'll pitch my tent and get ready for six more days of riding and camping.

George

Way to go Dawg, riding looks like it was great. Good to see you back hammering again.

yamura

BD, what bike did you use on the 50 miler and which one are you planning on using at BRAG? I was going to guess the RB-1, smooth rider that it is.

Digital Gee

Excellent report, BD! Does my heart good to read this thread!

doctor j

Well done on the ride, Dawg, and thanks for the pics.

I use honey in little plastic pouches for energy shots. Works pretty well for me.

BluesDawg

Definitely Ribby the Bridgestone RB-1. This will be her 15th BRAG.

cgallagh

Glad to hear you went out and did that 50. It must have felt good after you got past the pain.

NOS88

Good stuff. I suspect you'll get the fuel intake figured out in pretty short order. And don't you just love it when you get a police escort out of town?

Beverly

Congrats on the ride, BD

Those look like some great rollers in the pic.

Glades2

Bluesdawg,

Thanks for the invitation - it sure looks nicer than what we have here! Our version of "hills" are the dumb highway overpasses!!!

Glades2

Bud Bent

Good job, BD! I agree with the gel suggestions. You can also mix endurance drinks really thick, and get good nutrition down that way, too.

LAJ

I have some Accelerade that I tried mixing thick. I will never do that again. Smelled bad, tasted bad, and I am sure glad I didn't step in it.

Stick with the gels.

big john

I can't stand gels and I use Perpetuem, Heed, Gu2o and other mixes. My friend used a product called Spiz on his 2 RAAM rides.
https://www.bikescor.com/product/spiz.htm

palookabutt

I noticed that too -- lucky b@stards!

Seriously, nice going on the 50.

Bud Bent

Sorry about your Accelerade experience, but anyone who drinks that stuff deserves what he gets, in my opinion. It's mostly sugar. The better endurance drinks are mostly maltodextrin, which is MUCH better on the stomach, and doesn't spike blood sugar so badly.

jwh

Good job on the long ride!
I did 51 yesterday for my birthday and it was a bit rough those last few miles.