Originally Posted by shyonelung

I'm doing a 50-mile ride this Sunday. My friends and I planned it for my 50th birthday (which is Monday). I used to ride a bit when I was in my 20s but stopped for many years after I got Cancer and lost a lung (yeah, at 26). I gained weight, spent years out of shape thinking I was limited by my condition. But two years ago, I dieted, lost a ton of weight and got back on the bike (first my old MTB ride and then a new Ridley road bike). I ride between two and four times a week, do plenty of good climbs and average about 25-30 miles a ride. And while I often feel I have something left after those rides, I've yet to do more than 40 since I starting cycling seriously again last year. I workout several times a week and feel pretty confident that I'll make it through this ride, especially as it's mostly rollers and only about 2000-feet of climbing total, hills I've done before. So I feel I've done the work to get there. I'm assuming 50 isn't that much different than doing 30-35. Is that true? Should I do anything different on the ride to preserve my energy or anything? Eat differently before the ride or the night before the ride? I'm sure I'm overthinking this. Still, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

And if anyone is in my neck of the woods on Sunday (Sonoma County wine country in NorCal), you're welcome to join us.