Hello all,
Just completed my first century (104) in 5:30'ish minutes. Here are some things I learned and took away from this amazing trip.
1. Train harder than you plan to ride. If you train properly, gaging your training off of the topographical route that you will be doing, you should have little trouble toning it down 20% for the first half of the ride to properly gage how you are feeling for the rest.
2. To train for a century, you do not have to ride a century. I like to train really hard, and therefor I do not allow myself to go any further than 80% of the amount of miles I will be riding on race day.
3. Make sure EVERYTHING fits well. Trust me... I only noticed truly at about mile 70 that the seat I thought was "broke in" was probably more "broke" and I suffered for the last 34 miles with that understanding.
4. Eat and drink as much as you can! No seriously, this is not the time to starve your body. I burned over six thousand calories, that is three days worth of food, I had to keep replenished some how.
5. Smile! This is supposed to be fun, if you are frowning, you are doing this ALL wrong.
