My BIG event is this weekend!
 

A 2 day 150 mile event. "Ride Around Galveston Bay". I've been training and feel I am in good shape to complete the event. How should I approach these last few days before the event? And, am I wrong for feeling competitive and wanting to finish at least in the top 10%? Each day is 75 miles. What do you think a respectable time is for this distance?

Rest one or two days before the ride.

It is a social ride....not a race.

Have fun talking with the other riders.

Take many many pics and post then.

Yes, your right... I am looking forward to a fun weekend!

Of course not. Ride your rides the way that will give you the greatest enjoyment out of cycling. If you want to push it, then push it.

That is such an individual thing. I did a 70 mile event yesterday in 3:12, after hitting the wall 40 miles in and limping home (had been sick leading up to it), and that was a disappointing time, as I wanted to come in under 3 hours. Do you use a heart rate monitor? If you don't know what a good time is for you, I'd suggest using "perceived effort" to gauge your pace, and making it something that is sustainable. Pick it up as you go if you feel strong toward the end. Or find riders that seem to be about the same fitness, and hang with them.

Eat a lot, carb heavy, leading up to it. And especially with with a two day, pound down the nutrition during and after the ride.

You are an experienced rider so I take it you will drink and graze during the ride. But one thing I would do from now on is Carbo load. Plenty of pasta and rice for the rest of the week. Day before the ride drink a couple of "Extra" litres of water and before the ride starts drink some more.

I did a ride yesterday and in 5 hours drank 4 litres of water- had food on the ride and a good B-B-Q afterwards Today I have not stopped drinking and I am hungry. So pack Fig newtons- Dried fruit-some cake- and anything else you can get in your pockets to keep the energy up for the 2nd day.

I'm trying to imagine what it must be like to feel disappointed in averaging nearly 22mph on a 70 mile ride. Nope. I give up. That is beyond my comprehension.

Ditto.

Even so, I agree with AZ's advice to the OP to ride whatever ride makes one happy. But unless the organizers are timing people (which is rarely done in non-race events, at least in my experience), you'll likely never know where you place in the overall scheme of things. So if comparing your performance to others' is key for you, you may be in for a disappointment.

There's a memory. Sometime back in the eighties I rode from New Orleans to Houston and somehow spent a night camping in the middle of Oak Island. It's a little tugboat town on Galveston Bay. I hardly remember it except that there was one bar/restaurant/store and people really partied.
Should be a fun ride around, I don't get the competition thing,just have fun!
Marc

I don't really need to know my time, but I think it would be cool if the leader of the ride is in my sight when I finish. But, I may be thinking unrealistically. Disappointment is not going to enter the ballgame on this one. I am really excited about sharing the weekend with everyone.

Agreed that this is not a race. Don't worry about the time. Just have a good time.
To conserve some energy try riding the first 40-50 miles in a slightly easier gear than you usually ride in. It worked for me when I did my first metric.