First Metric Century (and then some) Today
 

I rode my first metric century for an MS Charity Ride. The ride itself was 66 miles and I rode to/from it to log a total of 73 miles. This exceeds my previous longest ride by 18 miles!

All in all it was a great ride.

The highlights:
*Great route around a nearby lake on rolling hills
*Well supported with multiple (4-5) rest stops complete with tasty snacks
*Held on to the first pack (~21mph) for 15 miles before getting dropped
*Met and rode with some new people

The not-so-highlights:
*First encounter with being chased by dogs (couple of big German Shephers)
*Cramped up pretty bad 1 mile from home and had to will myself to make it the last mile rather than call swmbo to pick me up


Looking forward to some more longer ride, but not sure a full century is really for me.

Congratulations! I did my first metric late last year, and am doing centuries (1 per month) this year. They are addictive. :)

Nice work! Thanks for sharing. Don't be surprised if you get a desire to do a full century before too long.

You've probably already figured this out, but these two tidbits are directly related. Don't get seduced by the fast riders into riding over your head at the beginning of a long distance ride. It will come back to bite you in the nether regions! You know how fast you can comfortably ride; ride that pace, alone if necessary. Exception: If you find a group riding less than two mph faster than your pace, hook onto them. Two mph is about how much advantage riding in a paceline gives you.