Originally Posted by
ooga-booga
nearly everyone focuses on nutrition but an overlooked aspect is saddle time, foot and body feel. if your body/feet/undercarriage is/are sore as hell after 4 hours and 60+ miles in,
you'll only be thinking about that. get plenty of prior saddle time and loosen the shoes a little. don't forget to stand for 15-30 seconds every 5 miles or so to relieve pressure; keeps
certain muscles fresh and to give certain muscles a little break. if on a descent, look to unweight the saddle as much as possible and ease back on when you've gotta start pedalling again.
try to give equal time to the contact points of the feet, seat and hands. the seat usually takes the brunt of affairs.
^This is excellent advice. Maintaining comfort in the saddle is crucial to "mental happiness" during your century ride. I can deal with aching muscles and general discomfort just about anywhere, but if my butt is killing me it really wears on me mentally. A quick 5-minute break usally does the trick. It gets me off the bike long enough to relieve pressure, to let the blood circulate and to reset my brain.
There's no rule that says you have to ride 100 miles straight through. There's also no rule that says you have to suffer (more than you have to). A few short breaks along the way will dramatically increase your overall comfort.
Yes, a century is still hard. It's not supposed to be easy. However, there are ways to make it less painful and more enjoyable. Have fun!!!
