Rode my first half-century!

This is the farthest I have ever cycled, after 6 months of training. I feel really terrific about it as it was on super hilly/challenging terrain. I had done 40 miles before but it was on a flat road.

I am pretty sure that with another rest stop at the 50 mile point I could have probably made it to 75 miles but 100 is seems still out of my realm (at least on a really hilly route like that). I am going to try to do a long ride once a week, gradually increasing my miles because I'd like to attempt a century this fall.

What I noticed was that I was not really physically all that tired after 50 miles, but my body ached. My shoulders were really tense, my hips hurt, the saddle was bugging me, and I had hot spots on my feet where I was clipped in. Makes me think some tweaks to the bike may be in order, or maybe I just need to get used to doing longer rides?

It was also my first huge group ride. There were maybe 200 other cyclists from our local touring club. The energy of a big ride like that is just amazing.

Leah, I have never done any long rides but your experience sounds amazing. I hope you work out the small pains and aches you had. I'm sure some of the experienced ladies will advice you. What an accomplishment!:D

Congrats- I can remember my first 50 mile ride and how accomplished I felt after completing it! Way to go.

:D CONGRATS!!! :D What a great accomplishment!

You can so do a century this fall. You are right to add distance a little at a time once a week. Don't focus on speed, just get the miles in, maybe five extra miles at a time until you get to around 70-ish. You don't have to ride a full 100 to "train" to ride 100. But the more long rides you get in before it, the stronger you'll be on the century and the more enjoyable it will be.

If you have never had a professional bike fit, I HIGHLY recommend it. If your seat is even a half inch too high or low, it can make a big difference . . . as well as how your handlebars are positioned, etc.

As for the soreness, some of it is bike fit, some of it is getting used to riding long distances, some is proper position on the bike (not putting all your weight on your handlebars for one) and some of it just happens no matter what you do. If you can afford it, massages are great. My husband and I have a membership at Massage Envy (not sure where all they are located, but they're all over the place in California). Members get massages at significantly cheaper rates than a typical massage would be.

When I was training for my first century in 2008 (well, technically I had done one on a tandem with hubby, but this was my first on my own bike) . . . I built up to about 60 miles and was dying on that ride. My body was in a lot of pain and I couldn't imagine riding another 40. I decided during that ride that instead of the century, I would do the metric. I also went and got a bike fit and what a difference! That changed everything. I still did the metric, but was much happier with the overall ride than I would have been. However, I used it as a training ride for a century, which I did three weeks later. (The same one I did with hubby on the tandem, so it was kind of special . . . two "firsts" on that century.)

In between your weekly "long ride", do some shorter rides. If you want to build your speed, use one of those to work on that. Do maybe 20 miles at a pace that pushes you a bit. There are many ways to build speed, though. Intervals, tempo rides, etc. You can research that stuff if you are interested.

It's also good to do recovery rides after your long rides. Go and spin your legs at a super easy pace the day after a long ride and it will help your muscles recover quicker and you'll be fresher the next time you ride.

Anyway, congratulations on your accomplishment and big encouragement to train for your first century. It's very doable, especially if you felt you could have kept going after your 50. That's a great way to end a ride. A few months before that metric I did, I did what was supposed to be a half century, but my husband convinced me to do a 65 mile route. I wasn't really as prepared for the 50 as I should have been, let alone 65 and those last 15 miles were KILLER! The better prepared you are, the more enjoyable. It's all about getting those "base miles" in.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!! :D

Proud of you!

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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

Congratulations! I only just managed two miles shy of that, and I've been riding for 3 years...

+1 on getting the bike fit.

Woot! Sounds like great fun. Congratulations :)

It's hard to tell from your aches and pains. Could be fit, could be conditioning. It sure wouldn't hurt to have someone go through your fit before you start ramping up the mileage much more.

Hot spots could be a lot of things too, but one easy culprit is just shoes being too tight. Your feet will swell over a long ride - you might just try loosening the straps a bit about halfway through. Still, a lot of people do better with pedals that have a large platform like Look or SPD.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

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Hot spots could be a lot of things too, but one easy culprit is just shoes being too tight. Your feet will swell over a long ride - you might just try loosening the straps a bit about halfway through. Still, a lot of people do better with pedals that have a large platform like Look or SPD.

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Yes, I meant to mention that. Particularly when it's warm out, I almost always have to loosen my shoes midway through a long ride. I don't think this is typically an issue for me when it's cool, though, and only on longer rides. I don't recommend you loosen them to begin with, because your shoe should fit fairly snug. I had SO many issues with my feet before I finally got a pair of shoes that fit my very narrow foot well. A loose shoe can give you blisters, etc.

I use Speedplay pedals, which allows my heel to move slightly left and right. I don't know that it is "necessary" for me to use them, like my friend who's right heel naturally tends to stick out just a bit when she rides. When she got a bike fit she was told she had the right pedal for the way she rides. A pedal that had no float would give her problems (cause pain somewhere.)