Just signed up for my first century ride. Am I crazy?
09-02-21, 03:39 PM
#51
Asleep at the bars
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I'd recommend eating something every 45-60 min, like a gel or some sports drink depending on what's on offer. Ride at an easy pace. Even if you don't need to, stop and walk a little at the rest stops, rehydrate and socialize. It helps prevent saddle pain, catches up on hydration, and breaks the monotony if you're not used to long rides. Even though I don't do organized century rides, some of my favorite routes are well over 100 miles. Stopping to refill my water bottle, have a gel, and maybe exchange a text or two, every hour or so is fine, but at some point it's good to have a bit more of a break. Fortunately in the SF Bay Area I'm never far from a half decent coffee shop, or a soft serve ice cream cone. Lots of quick and easy to digest carbs available. If you do take a longer break, take it easy starting up again - you need to warm up again, if not it's very easy to blow out your legs. And warming up after five hours on the bike and a 20min coffee stop is very different from warming up with rested legs; if you go too hard to fast you'll never get back into it again and will suffer.
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"This 7:48 cycling session burned 5933 calories. Speed up recovery by replacing them with a healthy snack." - Whoop
"This 7:48 cycling session burned 5933 calories. Speed up recovery by replacing them with a healthy snack." - Whoop
09-02-21, 08:46 PM
#52
Senior Member
Okay, I've been riding 40 miles for my regular ride through rolling hills three or four days a week for the last six weeks or so. I've done a fifty on a day I had planned to do thirty and just felt good. What is your first century like? My goal is just to finish and it's a local ride. No times etc. Advice?
09-03-21, 06:32 AM
#53
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You need to learn how to do that stuff yourself. There will be SAG help, but don't depend on it. A century I was on this past weekend, there was someone that needed a pump in the first 2 miles. As we're sitting there pumping up his tire, another rider flats in the same spot. He looks at us and says, "I don't have a spare tube or any tools to fix it. What do I do?" Idiot! I told him to wait for a SAG. Don't be that rider.
09-03-21, 06:52 AM
#54
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Your prep really depends on the course and conditions. These are 2 that I have done this year. They couldn't be more different and require different prep. The first one is a very difficult route for me, and it got hot there this year also. The 2nd one was this past weekend. The route was easy, but the conditions made it difficult. I actually got heatstroke and made the call of shame at mile 99 rather than risk a serious medical issue. Prepare for the ride on that day. Make sure you have the proper gearing, etc. to get to the end. Enjoy yourself and don't worry about your overall time.
https://www.ymcacva.org/storming-thunder-ridge
https://www.hh100.org/
https://www.ymcacva.org/storming-thunder-ridge
https://www.hh100.org/
09-03-21, 02:19 PM
#55
Trying to keep up
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I'd love whatever info you have on learning to get the pdf map I got today (I think an organizer had mercy on the new guy. Sounds like they don't give the map out until the morning of otherwise.) into something I can use on my garmin.
I think I'm fine with going for water, but I've never eaten on the bike before. Maybe there are some cycling products that aren't that tough to open and consume compared to whatever protein bars I'm used to grabbing at the local grocery store. An experience friend said he wasn't that enamored with gels because he didn't like the consistency, but he said he liked chews?
I think I'm fine with going for water, but I've never eaten on the bike before. Maybe there are some cycling products that aren't that tough to open and consume compared to whatever protein bars I'm used to grabbing at the local grocery store. An experience friend said he wasn't that enamored with gels because he didn't like the consistency, but he said he liked chews?
1) I go to Ride With GPS and download the .gpx file to my computer. I find it easier to do on a computer than on the app / my phone.
2) I log on to connect.garmin.com - again, on the computer.
3) Go to "training," "Courses."
4) On that screen, you can hit "Import" (it's down at the bottom of the list of courses you have). Then just upload the file you saved to the computer. Give it a name you'll recognize.
5) I then pull up the connect app on my phone, click on courses, training, and select the route I've now uploaded. You can then select "Send to device." Click on the device you want to sync it to. Next time you turn on the device, they'll sync.
It's a little complicated, but it works for me. I've tried it other ways, but this is normally the one that works best.
09-04-21, 08:02 PM
#56
Newbie
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Went out for fifty today with food. Made myself eat and drink at about 12.5 mile intervals. I've never eaten during a ride before. Usually stop half way for a minute or two and drink half a bottle an then do the return half. Not sure about the bubbling of the nuun tablets yet, but not bad. Glad the honey stingers weren't messy. Salted watermelon chews were a big hit. 50 felt good. Going to go out for another fifty on Monday.
