I made the Century!!!!

[Wizzer]

Well, I made it the whole 100miles. Took me 9hrs! The last 25 were grueling into a major head wind but it was an awesome experience.

There were plenty of rest stops on the route, so I made sure to grab my bagel and peanut butter, power bars, water etc etc to get me through.

One thing I would recommend is not stopping at that last rest stop when you only have 15miles to go, man that was a killer. My quads were on fire at that point!

The great news is, my butt doesn't hurt, my legs don't hurt, just my forearms a little and my left hand that I am still waiting for the feeling to come back in to! Ha! Ha!

I also discovered that whilst I like to climb hills, I don't like coming down them at high speed (go figure) I was cruising down on the brakes! Maybe that's why my hands took the brunt of it.

Anyway, I would highly recommend that if at all possible, everyone tries the Century at least once in a lifetime.

Wizzer :D

[maillotpois]

Congratulations on your accomplishment!!! But "once in a lifetime"? Surely you'll do another?? :)

[Nanci]

Congratulations! It gets lots easier the more you do, you know. And apparently the conditioning takes a long time to wear off, and not a whole lot of effort to maintain! Keep doing more!!

My forearms are what hurt the most on me after my last Century, too. Totally from braking on the last descent.

Nanci

[Popoki_Nui]

Awesome!! What a great accomplishment. :) I'm completely in awe of you ladies who can ride such amazing distances!

~Sherry.

[wavedancer]

Congratulations!!! I am impressed that you were able to do your first century so early in the season...Perhaps you will do more this year :D I hope to be ready to do my first one by September...

Linda

[latelatebloomer]

All right, Wizzer!! What a great accomplishment!! And very nice to hear what the first century is like, from someone who's working toward her first. Tell me more - about how you trained, what you ride, what kind of shape were you in when you set this goal, etc.

More importantly - how did you celebrate??

[Tri Girl]

Congrats!!!!:)
I'm so impressed! 100 miles is an amazing distance, and it's still early enough in the season to get in another one... something to think about! You're an old pro now!

[SadieKate]

Congratulations! Which one did you do and a report????

[KSH]

WOW! Way to go! Don't you feel so accomplished?! :D

This past weekend I did 133 miles over 2 days (78/55)... for the MS150. Last year, I only did 65 miles over 2 days. I couldn't believe how far I went!

I think I am going to do 100 miles at Hotter than Hell in August this year. Now, I feel like I can do it!

[DrBee]

Great job! Congrats on the century! I'm working up to one, too - next year. It is so early in the season, I hope you can fit in another one later this year! How did you celebrate???

[Aggie_Ama]

Congratualtions! My first century (well only one so far) wasn't too bad. My back hurt and was tense the next day. You are not itching to do another one? :)

[Geonz]

They are **much** easier when you're not finishing in a headwind. Much!!!

[Jo-n-NY]

Thanks for sharing about your first century. Mine is next Sunday so I was really excited reading about yours.

Congratulations!!!!

~ JoAnn

[Bike Goddess]

1st- CONGRATS ON YOUR 1ST CENTURY! DESPITE THE ELEMENTS YOU PERSISTED! GOOD JOB!!!!:D :D :D :D

Now for some suggestions to make you more comfortable:

We don't talk about it much and I don't see much on organized or other rides, BUT, I highly recommend that you do some stretching at rest stops. It doesn't have to be much, BUT it will make a big difference.

Stretch those quads- I just do it for 10 seconds on each leg a couple of times while holding on to a tree, fence, table, whatever. (This may be a little painful at first so don't overextend the stretch.After a few repeats you should feel much better!) I never stretch before I am warmed up- just during rides. I also do this stretch after the ride and when I get home and am in the warm shower.

Ditto for your hamstrings- I don't do this one as often as I should, but it does help.

Back stretching is good if your back is bothering you on a long ride. I've also discovered that by strengthening my ab muscles, my back doesn't hurt anymore on long rides. I just did a double metric (actually 127.5 miles) and didn't have any problems with my back at all! (I have, at times had to take Ibuprofren to ease the pain). The only thing I've done differently is ab exercises.

[Deanna]

Congrat's on your first century. I remember how great it felt to finish my first. I'm a "cautious descender" so I get the hand and forearm thing on any steep twisty downhill--not just on centuries.

[bikerchick68]

WAY TO GO!!! I am tickled pink for you too! :D sounds like you fueled and rode it very well... 9 hours is great for your first century... especially with a headwind!

descending gets easier and more comfortable the more you do it... like everything else! :D great job...

and JoAnn... I'm excited for you too... be sure to tell us how it goes OK? :)

[Starfish]

Thank you so much for posting! Congrats! I really appreciate all the enthusiasm and energy and encouragement from the group. There is a century in my town next weekend, and although my training isn't where I would like it to be this year, I am thinking about doing the ride anyhow. I have done a century, but not since last year, and it was a very flat one. This one has a lot more climbing, so I'm nervous. But, reading all these posts, I remember what a triumph it is to try hard things and see how it goes, and maybe even succeed!

Good going, everyone. We are all stronger than we know.

[Lise]

Excellent work! I don't remember--what kind of bike do you have? Any pix?

[short cut sally]

100 miles...Isn't that amazing to think a person can go 100 miles with 2 legs and 2 wheels? I find it amazing and congrats on a job well done..Do you have more planned? shelly

[mtbdarby]

Awesome job Wizzer! That gives me more motivation to get out there and get my dupa pedling so I can give it a shot at the end of June. Thanks for the motivation!

Say, who turned on the AC? We went from 67 degrees yesterday to 41 today with 45 mph wind gusts. It's just not right.....

[hirakukibou]

Congratulations! I am hoping to do a century ride sometime this summer, but we'll see. Did you train for it specifically? I am impressed!

[Jo-n-NY]

I just wanted to say that Bike Goddess is so right and I just kind of took it for granted about the stetching. I am just in the habit of doing a few stetches every time we stop during a ride. Rest Stops that is even riding solo. It just feels good to keep flexible.

Thank you bikerchick68. As of now I am hoping that this band for rain that we are getting now and should linger into the beginning of next week is out of here for next weekend and no other bad weather conditions begin. You bet I will report.

~ JoAnn

[CorsairMac]

Congrats Wizzer!! but once??...you know what they say: once you go century you never go back! ;)

[betagirl]

Fantastic! Congrats. :cool: