My First CENTURY!
 

I jumped from doing a metric two weeks ago to doing a full century yesterday. Weather conditions were favarable so I just had to go for it. Temps ranged from aprox. 32 F at departure to low 50's later. More importantly, winds were never more than 10 or 12 mph. My son Isaac rode with me the first 51 miles to get his first 1/2 century completed. He's 12 and hasn't quite got the sit bones conditioned yet. He did pretty well tho. We ave. 12.5 first half and, doing the same route second half, I ave 12.9. I've got nearly 600 miles on the new bike since January, which is easily more than I have ridden in the entire previous 55 yrs. and I'm lovin it! The thought of riding another 50 miles to make a century and a half was extremely daunting, but maybe after further conditioning. What really bothered me most was quads that felt like rubber. I was tired all over but those quads were getting close to shutting down on me it seemed. Evidence I'm still quite a ways from reaching really good condition. I put some sports creme on them and applied a heating pad on high. Felt much better a little later. Best news is, I'm feeling like another ride today! I think I now need to start looking at goals that extend two or three days, like consecutive metrics and then a century followed by a metric etc. I'm sure I could settle into just going out for a nice slow pace ride, but so much of the pleasure for me, comes in pushing myself to a higher level.

Congratulations!

Fantastic and inspirational! Soon as I get sprung I'm going to have to try that!

Congratulations Hawk on your Century! And a very big congratulations to your son for his Half Century. That is a lengthy ride for a 12 year old.

1st metric to 1st Century in 2 weeks! That's really inspiring, as well as timely, since I'm planning my own 1st metric ride in 2 weeks (the local club's "Spring Warm Up" ride"), and I've signed up for the Santa Fe Century 4 weeks after that. I was beginning to think that was a rash and foolhardy decision on my part, so it's good to know that it can be done. Congratulations on your accompishment!

Hawk......back pats for both you and your son......what a nice father/son (or daugher, DG) thing to develop together. You deserve all the elation you feel-- do I sense a tandem for you and your son coming on?

First of all Well done to the pair of you.

The quad muscles will need some work on them but what they need right now is rest. There are few of us here that would attempt two big rides consecutively. At least not until we ensured that the first ride was not a stressfull one on the muscles, and we still felt fit the second day. I don't do big consecutive rides bit that is through butt ache on the second day so not quite the same problem.

There are exercises that will build the Quads and I do them occasionally but the best way is to work them. Find a good hill that is not too long and two ways of exercising- Take the hill at a good pace and without changing down to increase cadence- sprint the last 200 yards. Builds the quads and cardio vascular. Other way is to load the quads by taking slopes in too high a gear. Don't do too many- say 3 in a 30 mile ride, and if you have done it correctly- you will feel stiff the next morning. Other than that- Down the gym and work those quads. It will pay off.

Well done! Great feeling of achievement, isn't it. I've done many centuries and MS150s, but my wife with me on our Co-motion Primera tandem did her first metric century on Feb 26 and a full century on Mar 11. We averaged 13mph and had absolutely no after-effects apart from a feeling of elation. Oh, and by the way, we have raised over $5000 for the American Lung Association for that century. We are 65 and 66.