Originally Posted by GhostRider62

I got the centenary medal medal today on NJ's 300K, it is an old route. The 15th route approved by RUSA. It is a lovely route but very hard. Today's brevet was so professionally run that it is almost embarrassing or maybe the correct word is humbling. The weather was near perfect with 60F at the start and maybe 73F tops all day with overcast skies. I had no plans to do a fast ride but I kept hearing voices from the 1922 randos, "Allez allez and soupless when I would bog down on the innumerable hills, the steepest registering 21% on my Garmin but I think it was only 16.5%. The overall elevation gain might have only been 12,000 feet but almost all of it came a 200K section. The first 50K from Princeton to the bagel shop is nicely rolling with a deft selection of roads to escape the suburban sprawl into the countryside proper. Then the route goes over steep ridges with around 600-800 feet gain at a wack and then there is Jenny Jump, a pretty hard climb after almost 100 miles of already being beat up. 10 controls and one secret control. I did it in a little under 13 hours beating my previous best time by an hour although I am not sure I ever rode it hard but a 12:XX on such a course, after recovery from a bad crash recently, is a good sign. 197 watts was also positive.

The course is a mix of rolling farm terrain and goat hills but generally very low traffic. One long stretch along the black river was so beautiful and the road twisted and dipped with just enough gradient to make it really fun (and no pedaling).

There was a young lady who I understand races crew in college. She blew by my like 6 times after getting bonus miles due to a faulty GPS device. Well, the last bonus miler was 20 miles. I am sure she finished nonetheless. She was astonishingly strong but then again, I ain't no spring chicken. A first brevet for her and a tough one. It was nice to see younger riders. The first finisher was also relatively young, it was his second brevet. What is a little hard on a course like this? It is kind of impossible to ride with others, the terrain makes brutal selections. I could ride flat terrain fast enough to keep up but was getting torched in the hills but then again I am 40 pounds over my PBP weight and 30 pounds over my happy weight.

I experimented with really concentrated powdered drink, Skratch Superfuel (400 cals per bottle) to which I added 120 calories of fructose. Six bottles plus two bottles of just water. No stomach issues. Superfuel uses cyclic branched dextrin IIRC, very low osmolality...not sure about the glycemic index. I also kept some Peanut M&Ms in my top tube bag and snacked on them. I had half a sandwich at lunch and ice tea. I also did not wear gloves and don't think I will ever go back. I think I got two flats on my tubeless tires. I heard Pfft and then nothing. The rear tire was a little softer but the front seemed normal.