uxrider

I have signed up for my first century, Aug. 28 (Scugog Circle Century, Oshawa Ont. area).
My problem is this: I travel a lot for work and while I've put about 1700km on my LeMond Reno since May, I will be travelling extensively for the next few weeks and will be unable to ride Mon. to Thurs. How can I keep my level of fitness up? I routinely use hotel gyms and fitness clubs while away. I usually ride about 40km to 75km at around 27km/hr average. Do I have a hope of finishing this ride?

Blackberry

Sure you do. Lots of people are in the same boat you're in. If you're not in tip-top shape, my advice would be to ride steadily without pushing too hard. Stop breifly at the rest stops for some food, water/sports drink. Don't spend all day looking at your computer or worrying about speed. Find companionable people to spin along and have fun with. Before you know it, you will have completed your first century, and you will have earned the right to tell your co-workers about your accomplishment. In turn they will pronounce you completely insane. Good luck.

Machka 

https://www.machka.net/century.htm

Yes, of course you can finish the century. A good part of long distance riding is the mental ability to get you through. If you are reasonably fit, then all you need is the determination to finish!

Take a look at the article in the above link ... it'll give you some tips to make the event more comfortable.

brinstar

goodluck! how long have you been riding?

dfw

I've been working on the same goal. Yesterday I went out and tried to do a 60-70 mile ride. I made it to 56 miles, but felt pretty bad at the end. By bad I mean physically exhausted. I was getting a few aches here and there, but nothing I couldn't deal with. I can do between 30-40 miles pretty comfortably. I don't think it had anything to do with nutrition. I took the previous day off and ate plenty of carbs. During my ride, I ate one cliff bar per hour, and I was getting plenty of fluids which were half water, half sports drink. I didn't have any huge climbs, but there were lots of rolling hills and few flats, so most of the time I was either going up or down.

My plan is to just keep working at it until I can go 75 miles reasonably comfortably. Once I can do that, a century shouldn't be too far out of reach.

cyclebutt

great reply blackberry. just thought i'd add that on my first century I trained 3 days a week 40 miles each ride and I was afraid it wasn't enough to do the big ride. I to travel alot for work bu found that most hotels have work out rooms with at least one bike. The day of the ride I made a mistake of eating pbj's and whatever else they offered at the rest stops, later my stomach did not like that. Also rest stops offer gatorade that is watered down since they fill the cooler with ice and then the gatorade(at least here in florida) from now on I bring little baggies pre-measured with powdered GA and fill bottles with water,mix and shake, no more leg cramps at85 miles .bring power or cliff bars , maybe some gu gel oh and when you get a flat, if you haven't found the cause of the flat on the outside of the tire be sure to check inside. I went through two tubes and had to ride 2 miles on a flat rear tire to the next rest stop where a nice fellow gave me another tube(if it wasn't for him I never would have finished). Don't forget sunscreen and you'll do just fine. My first century was 6:10 on the bike and I consider it one of my defining moments since as a kid I was a sedentary twinkie eating flintstone watching couch potato.