At 54 years old I completed my first 100 mile century on October 7, 2007 at the Colorburst tour out of Lowell, MI. I decided to attempt the century after having completed my previous longest ride of 75 miles at the Big Mac Shoreline tour out of Mackinac City, MI on September 15, 2007.

This all began for me when I bought my first rode bike in November of 2005. It’s a Cannondale SR 500. I didn’t ride it much until spring of 2006. I kept it at our cottage up north and rode 25-35 miles on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings. This same pattern was repeated during this past summer of 2007.

Finally, I decided to register and do a longer tour ride. That was the 75 miles up at Mackinac City. That ride was pretty much what I expected. I experienced some cramping during the ride. Mostly beginning around the 40 mile mark and continuing through 50 miles or so. I was told by a more experienced rider, who peddled with me for 20 miles or so that I was spending too much time in my big chainring and to drop into the smaller ring and spin more. “Use your lungs, not your legs, your lungs will recover faster than your legs” he said. So to relieve the cramping I spun more and the cramping did eventually go away. I finished after spending 4 hours and 21 minutes in the saddle and felt pretty good over all. I showered and found my wife in Mackinac City and wandered around town with her for a few hours…ate a huge cheeseburger, fries and had a few beers before finally resting.

After a week or so I decided I might as well get my 100 miler done before the snow flew here in Michigan and began looking for a ride. The Colorburst Tour out of Lowell, MI looked like the ride for me.

October 7th was a pretty darn hot and humid day here in west Michigan. That was the day the marathon in Chicago was called off during the run because of runners suffering in the heat and lack of water. I felt pretty fine at the first rest stop. I refilled my water bottles, and ate some granola bars and bananas. By the next rest stop, at about 40 miles I was beginning to feel the heat and some mild leg cramping. I focused on drinking often and ate more fruit at that stop. At that point, I could have headed back to the beginning and called it a day with a 62 mile ride……but…..I decided to head out and do my intended 100 miles. By about the 60 mile mark I was cramping severely. A paceline of younger guys blew passed me like I was 54 years old on my first century! That looked so cool…smooth…strong..and the buzzing or humming sound as they passed me was sweet. I kept on spinning and doing all I could, heading basically south at that point and into a headwind. I stood up often to try to stretch and to get my soft parts off the seat some. I drank and drank and sucked down my GU jells. I came into the 4th and final rest stop pretty darn spent. I sat under a tree for 5 minutes….walked around for 5 minutes and got back on the bike because there was nothing else to do. There was around 20 miles left. I suffered along….shifting down into lower gears and spinning the best I could. I finished after having spent 6 hours and 11 minutes in the saddle. I was one of the last cars left. I put the bike in the back and drove home.

I’ve been thinking about why I cramped so severely. It was 88 degrees, and it was hillier than I was used to, and there was a pretty good wind in my face as I headed south…and it was my first 100 miles.

I had weighed myself before I left home in the morning and then again when I got home. I had gained 4 pounds during the ride. That’s nearly ½ gallon of water weight. Was I dehydrated? Was I just undertrained? Am I too old? Oh, and my man stuff was numb for an hour afterwords!!!! But ya know what?…..I don’t care!…I finished my first cenury!!!

Congratulations. For what it's worth, I know plenty of long distance riders in their 50's, so start planning your next one.

top work! sounds like you did really well considering the tough conditions!

Congrats! 6 hours 11 minutes is faster than I finished my first century. That ain't all that bad!

Regarding the cramping...what were you drinking? Plain water? If so, maybe you should try a sports drink to replace electrolytes on a longer ride. I like Cytomax Cool Citrus, but tastes vary.

You said you GAINED 4 pounds? Was that a typo? If you did, indeed gain 4 pounds on the ride maybe you over hydrated? That also has adverse effects (from what I read around here) which may have contributed to your cramping.

I think on my first ride century I was slightly dehydrated. I could barely turn the cranks for a while. But I struggled through and finished just like you did.

Congrats again!!

Well, you can gain a few pounds, actually. He apparently hydrated well enough to dilute his electrolytes, hence the cramping. Then the muscles will also retain water for a while after exercise due to osmosis and a higher concentration of metabolic wastes in the intracellular Fluid.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I can't wait to do more rides next year. I did have one packet of electrolyte mix in one of my first bottles and then all water after that. I also ate E load capsules . The 4 pound gain was correct, but as i urinated like crazy all that night, by the next morning i was down 2 pounds from the previous morning of the ride. I must have been so salted up that the water stayed with me for a while.

Or maybe he rode at a high exertion rate and simply suffered from fatigued muscles. His time for a first century would be indicative of pushing pretty hard.

Congratulations!

Sal,

Congratulations on your first century. Great job.

chevy57