When I rode my first organized century I had two goals: to survive and to have the odometer read 100+ miles when I finished. I didn't do too bad, but I was one of the last few riders in, the food for the post ride meal was cold and pretty much gone, the vast majority of riders had loaded up and left. I couldn't have cared less. The fat guy who had to catch his breath after walking up a flight of stairs a year earlier had just ridden a century on an old steel hybrid.