Originally Posted by
Burnt Sienna
The lady who wrote this is a real pro and she makes it sound like you should be finishing your first century in 5 hours, among other things. Sooo...
Relax, enjoy the scenery. You'll meet more ladies taking your time, than riding behind some dude at 20 mph worrying you're not doing it right.
IME, centuries are when I help fix 4 flats for folks in trouble. Last year I helped a lovely lady pull the chain out of her bottom bracket on a Great South Bay Bridge with my my 600 gram Gerber Multi Tool that I
bothered to take with me. She remembered us at the bar and was vexed by all the people who just passed her by in trouble! Take a few minutes to see the surf rolling in and take some pictures.
If you're riding to ride through pain, and are worrying about. Then you really do have a long way to go.
Take a chill pill.
You really should put some hours in the saddle and get your ride feeling right to be sure. If you ride 50 miles a week for a few weeks prior, like a regular city commuter, you shouldn't have any major problems.
If you want to join a 22mph pelaton then go for it. Long distance riding, for me and a lot of folks, should not be about training for the Olympics! But you do not want surprises either. If you go unprepared, your knees ITB and a** will be really angry!
Enjoy it. Some things require more time to see where you are. Enjoy a rest stop off-the-course fo 20 minutes, that no one else even bothered to take the time to enjoy!
The Montauk Century on Long Island NY is a perfect example. There are gorgeous beaches and rest stops that 99% of the rider miss, worrying about their time to finish on that ride is silly, IMO.
Some journeys are about the journey. Not what your Cat Eye and Polar say. Not to mention the taciturn Hammerheads who look down on the Fred's from their pillar of cycling-is-not-meant-to-be-fun.
Those Hammerheads are the same folks who happily ignore people in distress and leave them for the sag.
Just finish before 7 hours and you'll enjoy every minute. Finish in 5 and you might decide it ain't worth it...