My first Century
08-13-18, 07:33 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 308
Bikes: Trek Domane SL5, Raleigh Venture 4.0, Ross Gran Tour II
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 160 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My first Century
Last year I started riding after a 25 year or so hiatus. I participated in a 50 mile supported ride after about 7 weeks and thought - I bet I could do a full century. I started working towards it, but never got to more than a Metric Century.
This spring I signed up for the same supported ride, but the Century version. Figured I'd have plenty of time to prepare. But life got in the way and my first ride was on July 4th. I did some research on the internet and found two similar 8 week training plans. Since I only had 6 weeks I just chopped off the first two weeks and went for it. 3 rides a week - on Speed, one Steady and one Long. Missed a couple mid-week ones but did all the Longs ones, hitting 74 miles one week before the event.
While I would have preferred to have the additional month or so that I originally planned on, I was pleased just to finish. And I didn't even finish last, which I was prepared to do. 8:45 total time, 100.2 miles, and 6,008' climbing.
I was very pleasantly surprised to have zero cramping, and actually did the same hill I did in the 50 miler last year within 20 seconds; last year it was the first hill, this year it was the last. My biggest problem was my butt. Not sure if I need a new saddle, or just more seat time. I had only ridden 400 miles this year before I started.
Now a friend is trying to convince me to do 3/4 of the "200 on 100" (stopping in Weston, 149 miles, 8100' climbing) with him in in late September...
This spring I signed up for the same supported ride, but the Century version. Figured I'd have plenty of time to prepare. But life got in the way and my first ride was on July 4th. I did some research on the internet and found two similar 8 week training plans. Since I only had 6 weeks I just chopped off the first two weeks and went for it. 3 rides a week - on Speed, one Steady and one Long. Missed a couple mid-week ones but did all the Longs ones, hitting 74 miles one week before the event.
While I would have preferred to have the additional month or so that I originally planned on, I was pleased just to finish. And I didn't even finish last, which I was prepared to do. 8:45 total time, 100.2 miles, and 6,008' climbing.
I was very pleasantly surprised to have zero cramping, and actually did the same hill I did in the 50 miler last year within 20 seconds; last year it was the first hill, this year it was the last. My biggest problem was my butt. Not sure if I need a new saddle, or just more seat time. I had only ridden 400 miles this year before I started.
Now a friend is trying to convince me to do 3/4 of the "200 on 100" (stopping in Weston, 149 miles, 8100' climbing) with him in in late September...
08-13-18, 07:56 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,317
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times
in
313 Posts
Good job! Sounds like you are an endurance rider kinda guy. 
08-13-18, 03:19 PM
#5
Let's do a Century
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316
Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times
in
408 Posts
Terrific!!! And some of worry about not having done enough training to complete one. Well done!
__________________
Ride your Ride!!
Ride your Ride!!
08-15-18, 12:10 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,552
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,585 Times
in
2,344 Posts
you timed how long it took to climb a specific hill? interesting
08-15-18, 12:47 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Berkeley CA
Posts: 2,539
Bikes: 1981 Ron Cooper, 1974 Cinelli Speciale Corsa, 2000 Gary Fisher Sugar 1, 1986 Miyata 710, 1982 Raleigh "International"
Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 932 Post(s)
Liked 1,312 Times
in
491 Posts
Great job! A 6,000' century is certainly nothing to sneeze at. IMHO the keys to completing endurance type events are: 1) getting on top of the mental game; 2) acclimating your body to being on the bike for many hours at a stretche; 3) pacing yourself; 4) eating and drinking enough. If you get those things right you can ride almost any century/double century, etc goal that you set for yourself.
08-15-18, 01:33 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 523
Bikes: Trek Domane, Surly Disc Trucker
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 170 Post(s)
Liked 103 Times
in
68 Posts
Only six weeks of training for a century with 6,000 feet of climbing ... really impressive - great job!
08-15-18, 05:40 PM
#10
Full Member
Last year I started riding after a 25 year or so hiatus. I participated in a 50 mile supported ride after about 7 weeks and thought - I bet I could do a full century. I started working towards it, but never got to more than a Metric Century.
This spring I signed up for the same supported ride, but the Century version.
This spring I signed up for the same supported ride, but the Century version.
08-16-18, 06:14 AM
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 308
Bikes: Trek Domane SL5, Raleigh Venture 4.0, Ross Gran Tour II
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 160 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks, yes. It's the Point to Point. Used to be the Harpoon P2P but they moved it and renamed it this year. Harpoon is still one of the sponsors, so you still get a couple "free" beers when you're done 
Here's the 100 mile route, which starts/ends at Ascutney Mountain Resort:
Here's the 100 mile route, which starts/ends at Ascutney Mountain Resort:
08-16-18, 06:35 AM
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 308
Bikes: Trek Domane SL5, Raleigh Venture 4.0, Ross Gran Tour II
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 160 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
08-16-18, 07:26 AM
#13
Full Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: McLean, VA/Burlington, VT
Posts: 346
Bikes: Obed Baseline, Cannondale Topstone, Specialized Roubaix, Cannondale Synapse
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times
in
10 Posts
Really nice ride, especially for a first century. What was the car traffic like along the route?
__________________
Better fred than dead
Better fred than dead
08-16-18, 11:34 AM
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 308
Bikes: Trek Domane SL5, Raleigh Venture 4.0, Ross Gran Tour II
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 160 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There were a few short sections where it was a bit "busy" (by Vermont standards) but for the most part I'd say we saw no more than a dozen to 20 or so cars in an hour (in our direction of travel).
08-16-18, 07:01 PM
#15
Full Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: McLean, VA/Burlington, VT
Posts: 346
Bikes: Obed Baseline, Cannondale Topstone, Specialized Roubaix, Cannondale Synapse
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times
in
10 Posts
Thanks much. I'll keep my eye on Point to Point as a possible ride next year.
__________________
Better fred than dead
Better fred than dead
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bassjones
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
41
10-02-15 08:28 AM
