DavidLee

Well today I finally did my first century. April of this year I had surgery on my right elbow having 2 screws inserted to repair my radial head. Also had a severely separated right shoulder as well. I was off the bike for 2 months, doctor told me 3 but I came back a little early. I set a goal that I would complete a century in September under 8 hours. I wanted a few months to work up to it after being off the bike for so long. This morning I decided WTF, I'm doing it today!

I had both my Polar Bottles filled from last night, 1 with water the other Cytomax & packed 2 bags of "Cliffs Shot Bloks" & 1 bag of "Sharkies" along with a "nuun hydration tablet". Well when it was all said & done it took me 7 hours & 28 minutes to cover 101.55 miles. I met my time goal & was 1 month ahead of schedule for my first century! I consumed all the "Shot Bloks" & "Sharkies" along with about 130 fluid oz. Those "nuun tablets" are the bomb! Not over powering or bitter just tart enough for some flavor while doing its job with electrolytes & stuff.

Simple numbers:
-- 7 hours & 28 minutes
-- 101.55 miles
-- 30.6 max speed
-- 13.5 mph average (yeah not a new land speed record but it was mostly suburban riding)
-- 130 fluid oz consumed
-- 600 calories consumed
-- 4,724 calories burned!

I feel great!

supcom

Congratulations.

Now go do another next week.

Hezz

Great job David,

Good to see that your back on the bike after your surgery.

I also did my first century in a couple of years today since the fiasco 126 mile 24 hour one I did two years ago. That one was on a 38 pound mountain bike with a 20 pound pack and 10 pounds of load on the bike. That one left a bad taste in my mouth.

This one was better. 19 pound road bike and no pack or load other than small seat wedge for tools. I would have been home an hour sooner but I bonked pretty bad the last twenty miles and had an aweful 15-25 mile an hour headwind on most of the return trip. If not for that it would have been much more pleasent and a faster return.

Stats: 101.30 miles
Course: generally flat with a few small short hills.
riding time: 6 hours 17 minutes 46 seconds.
total time with rest stops: 8 hours 3 minutes
Average speed: 16.09 MPH
Max speed: 26.97 MPH
Fluids: lost track. Consumed at least eight 22 ounce water
bottles of Heed, Perpetuem, water and lemonade.
Temp: 70-90 degrees F.

G-Whacker

Way to go DavidLee!

I was going to start a 'first century' thread myself, but I never got around to it. Since you're from MD too, it seems like fate that I should just add my story into your thread. (not trying to steal your well deserved thunder of course)


I completed my first century on Saturday (7/28)!
Solo, unsupported.
Aside from a couple desperate searches for drink machines in the late morning, the ride was fantastic!
The most exiting moment was around the 85th mile when a bee flew into my face and got stuck between my glasses and forehead! Luckily, it was more interested in escape than revenge and I remained unstung.
It took me 6.5 hours including stops, the last of which was around the 90th mile because the helmet all of a sudden felt sooo heavy! My neck just refused to have any more of it! (I did not expect this)
My recovery was way better than anticipated, I was swimming in the Atlantic with my kids within a couple hours and had a normal Saturday night. My training leading up to this ride was to do a metric every weekend for 4 weeks, so I guess my body was ready for the effort.

I just wanted to brag and thank you guys for letting me lurk and draw inspiration from your various expliots.

The bad news is that I'm now hooked! And want to do this as often as possible.

Again, well done David, I hope to see you somewhere on the Maryland roads someday.

DavidLee

Thanks guys. supcom, 1 a week? Not with my current job but that certainly is a challenge.

Ouch! I'd been a limp wreck on the side of the trail/road somewhere.

Congrats as well on your first century G-Whacker! Swam in the Atlantic afterwards, eh? Must have been a great feeling after completing your century.

Aloyzius

My first organized century was yesterday around Utah Lake. It was quite large, 2000 bikes, so the first twenty miles were very tight and stressful until we could get spaced out.

We hit a horrible headwind at about mile fifty, and I don't even know how long it lasted. It just seemed like a couple of hours, desperately trying to stay over ten m.p.h. The return along the back side of the lake gave us a tailwind that nearly blew us home. It was nice after all that work, to fly along at 27 m.p.h. with very little effort.

It was hot. The Gatorade kept tasting stronger and stronger until I couldn't stand it anymore, and at mile fifty I quit it altogether, drinking water. And the water STILL tasted like Gatorade. The fruit snacks in my pockets all turned to a viscous goo. I spit out the hard candy, when I realized the same piece had been in my dry mouth for almost two hours.

Then the last ten miles I bonked. I was out there, physically and mentally. I couldn't quit, but sure thought about it.

But it was great, and I'm happy to have finished. And I look forward to the next one, which fortunately, is a month away. It was well organized with sag vehicles and lots of break areas and snacks and stuff. Lunch was actually good.

total distance:111 miles.
average:16.7 m.p.h.
max speed:37.6
bike time:6:23
break time:don't know. don't care. but it wasn't enough.

Hezz

Great ride Aloyzius,

I thought about doing the Utah lake ride but those extra ten miles didn't sound wize for me. Nice ride report. I bonked about mile 80 yesterday. By the way at what point did you get flying 37 MPH. Was it with the tailwind or is there a long downhill or two around the lake. I have driven all around the lake in a car and can't think of any hill except the one coming down from Camp Williams.

By the way, I wonder how many of those 2000 bikers finished the race.

mazpr

Can you please post your age when stating you did a century ride?

DavidLee

Congrats Aloyzius, sounded like a great ride. I bet the scenery was fantanstic! Headwinds can suck the life right out of you but you caught a nice tailwind on the homestretch so that was nice.

I'm 34, took up cycling a little under a year & a half ago.

spyder

Thats awesome. I'm hoping to cycle my first century sometime next year (The Hancock Horizontal Hundred)

G-Whacker

The water does the legs good! I always try to jump in a pool after a log ride- but the salt water is really nice ! (did it again yesterday after a metric, the water was really warm in OC)


37

I'm going to try for another one next weekend by bookending a 65 mile charity ride (my first organised ride- the addiction grows!)

kokomo61

I'm 46, and did my first solo century a month ago. I did another one last week, and for some reason it felt much harder (it was 10 degrees warmer, which probably explains it). I'll be doing one a month in Sept. and October, hopefully November, and possibly one in Dec, until it gets too cold.

In January, I'll be doing commuting and indoor intervals, along with building back up for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell next June. I still have to lose about 20 lbs, though...I don't want to do all that climbing at this weight.

G-Whacker

If you do one in August and the ones you listed, you're halfway to the century a month challenge...

Aloyzius

Awesome thread, guys.

I'm 36, and finally got back on the roadie last year, after many years of t.v., beer, Winston Lights, and griping about not being able to afford a decent bike.

But, yeah, that tailwind was kickass on the way back. It was when we started heading North, on whatever highway that is on the other side of the lake, the one that eventually goes past Camp Williams. But it is a little hilly, nothing big, just small ups and downs. But those downs with that huge wind pushing along, put me up that fast a few times, with very little effort.

I was mostly impressed with the other riders. Yeah, there were a couple snobs, but mostly people were cool, and I had made a new riding buddy every fifteen miles or so. One guy made fun of my touring shoes, but so what, I made fun of most of the people that passed me calling them, "DOPER!!!" It cracked up most of them.

I have no idea how many people actually finished. But I did see a lot of flats, and a TON of people getting sagged up the course.

Aloyzius

Oh, so where was the century you rode, Hezz?

Hezz

Not an organized one. I started at my house in Bountiful and rode up Main street into Farmington and west on Shepard Lane to the east freeway frontage road. Then over the Burton street bridge to Sunset drive and then north to Gentile Street in Layton. Then I go west on Gentile. Once I get out on the west side of Davis county I stay on the lesser traveled roads up into Hooper and then Plain city. I get on highway 134 which ends up going far north and then turning east through the Farr West/Pleasantview/I-15 freeway exit. Then I continued east towards the mountains. About a mile and a half past the freeway my speedo hit 50 miles so I returned in about the same way with a few small variations. The country roads in west Weber county are really nice.

I'm thinking about doing an overnight credit card tour up to Logan from Bountiful and now I know a good route to get there. I will follow my century route and then from Pleasantview I will go north on 89 up past Honeyville and then into Cache Valley.

senlanhu

seems cool...

congratulation

biffstephens

Congrads David!!!! I hope many more to come!

EdT

I was hoping to do my first century this week on the outer banks of NC. Nags head to the Ocrakoke Ferry. I just started road riding this summer. On an old Shwinn that I converted to a fixie - 52/16. I figured the long flats would make it possible given I am stuck in a big gear. I was only able to do 80 miles. But was quite satisfied. Started with a head wind and averaged about 18 mph for the first half and finished with a tail wind with an average speed of about 21. I head out at 5 AM cause I didn't want to ride in the August heat. A ten minute rain storm in the middle cooled stuff off nicely but took out my odometer (hence the estimates).

I'm not sure why I like to ride and ride and ride. But, wow, I do! I'll get to a century before the summer is over.

G-Whacker

EdT
80 miles on a fixie is no laughing matter, well done!
If you need a way to estimate you mileage, try mapmyride.com
I've found that the mileage is a little low on that site, but reasonably close.

wibs

hey everyone, my first post and this seemed like a good place to do it. Congratulations to everyone on their rides, it's a great feeling.

I've been doing almost all my local commuting on a bike for the past 3 or 4 years, but just over the last couple weeks started taking it seriously. I've been riding a nearly mint Windsor Carrera Sport (hecho en mexico) but just now got around to really learning how it all works by tearing it apart and putting it back together again. A month ago I had never done more than 30 miles in a day, but just this past week I did back-to-back centuries, riding from Santa Cruz, CA up Hwy 1 to San Francisco and across the Golden Gate, then back home the next day. It was absolutely amazing, a gorgeous ride on a nice mix of flats, steep San Fran hills, headwinds, tailwinds, and shoulderless roads through construction on a nasty turn going by the name of Devil's Slide. I can't believe how long I've put off taking biking seriously. Now all I do is think about bikes, bikes, more bikes.

On headwinds and tailwinds though, crazy the effect they can have. Going north, into the wind, I struggled for 10mph on the flats. Going south, I was coasting at 25. Great feeling to have that speed going home, but I think I'm going to stick to the mountains for a while and skip dealing with the wind altogether. Next big goal: Santa Cruz Mountain Challenge, 100 miles with 10,661 feet of climb!

Aloyzius

Holy crap. That's quite a challenge. Good luck with that, man, it sounds like an awesome ride, if you live to tell about it.

JohnKScott

Congrats on the firsts guys!! I'm planning on my first on 9/1. Been riding 4 months and I'm 44. I'll let y'all know when it's over

geofitz13

I'm 56, started riding in April of 2006. Did my first century on Aug 4 this year (actually 110 miles) followed by 78 miles on Aug 5. Pan Mass Challenge, fully supported, fantastic ride.