HELP! I'm riding my first century and I don't think I'll make it

[ACG]

Seriously, this saturday I'm riding my first century. I have been training, did an 80 mile ride recently. Ride every day for 1 to 2 hours a day. Read all the books, etc. But last saturday I rode around 45 or 50 miles. Midway thru a hill, my legs felt like lead. One of the guys talked me up the rest of the hills, another one gave me one of his energy gels. Anyway, I made it but I felt like a whimp. So now that I have a century on Saturday, I'm getting paranoid.

1. I did not eat before I rode on Saturday would that have done it?
2. Am going with a group and they want me to draft behind them, but should I suggest we ride at my pace not theirs?
3. Should I still go to the gym this week? In addition to riding 1 to 2 hours a day?
4. I'm thinking I should not ride the day before?

Any advice you could offer would be most welcome.

[SadieKate]

You could definitely have bonked. Not eating before an 80 mile ride? What were you thinking?

Also, you should be tapering ALL of this week, not just the day before. Don't be attempting to gain any fitness this week, just maintain and get plenty of rest. Good chance you won't sleep well the night before so don't short yourself of rest this week.

If you are not used to drafting, you may find that drafting takes too much mental energy. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, just be prepared to say, "I'm not having any fun riding at this pace or only looking at somebody's butt instead of the scenery or whatever."

You're in fine shape for this. Just don't over do it this week, eat before the ride and don't let somebody else dictate a faster pace than you want.

[betagirl]

I would recommend getting some Gu or other "energy gel" to take on the ride in case you bonk. Centuries are typically pretty well supported with food stops, etc. But sometimes you just crash in between. I've found having a pack of Gu in my pocket helps when that happens.

You totally can do that ride! Just pace yourself and have fun. Might I add I'm jealous you can even do a century this time of year

Good luck!

[makbike]

Not eating certainly could have been a huge factor. Make sure you load up on carbs a few days before and carry something to munch on every 25-30 miles. I rode my first century this fall and followed the advise given to me by my boyfriend (an avid cyclist) - ride your own ride not someone elses. Find your rhythm and settle into it and enjoy your time on the bike. The feelings that will overcome you at the end of the ride are simply wonderful so sit back and enjoy your day.

[makbike]

P.S. make sure you eat a good breakfast the morning of the ride your body needs that fuel.

[Nanci]

Don't worry! If you did an 80 mile ride, you can _easily_ do a Century. You have plenty enough training. You also can do nothing, this week, to add more fitness, you can only take away by over-doing it. Rest, do light, short rides if any. Think 30-60 _easy_ minutes. I, personally, wouldn't go to the gym.

Yes, not eating could have caused you to bonk. I would say, definitely. One gel isn't enough to make up the deficit.

So for your Century, eat a good, normal breakfast. Eat small amounts often during the ride. Try to take in about 300 calories per hour. Take advantage of the food stops- eat what your body tells you to. You might be _much_ hungrier than on a normal ride. They will probably have fruit, pretzels, sandwiches- just eat whatever you have an appetite for.

You can easily recover from that leaden feeling, _if_ you have been good with calories up till then (taking in enough, eating breakfast) by having a gel or preferable something with maybe about 200 calories, like a bar, so carry something with you in addition to what you will eat at the stops, just in case. One warning sign of a coming bonk is mental fatigue. Eat something before you feel that loss of energy. Caffeine can really perk you up, too, either in a gel or drink. It will take about 10-20 minutes to feel better, but you will.

If the group is informal and relaxed, drafting will save you a lot of exertion, and you will go faster than when you don't. But I agree, if it's a serious paceline and you are required to pull, that might stress you out. It's a ride, not a race, and you should _enjoy_ your first one. There is plenty of time! If you don't go with your group, you will probably fall in with a rider, or couple that are going _your_ pace. It makes the day go by faster. Also, you will hurt less if you get off and walk around a little bit at each stop instead of thinking you don't need anything, so why waste the time.

Bank your sleep during the week, so even if you don't sleep well the night before, you wil still have had enough all week.

Prepare everything the day before- make a list so you don't forget anything, pack your seat bag (whatever you need to fix a flat), put all your stuff in your car- bike shoes, gloves, pump, computer, sunglasses, sunscreen, cell phone- even put your bike on the rack if it's not going to rain, so all you have to do the morning of is get your drinks out of the fridge and walk out the door. Have a bag of clothes you want to change into, put that in the car. Lay out what you are going to wear- even different outfits if you won't know the weather till the morning. If you aren't pre-entered, print out the entry and fill it out, bring money. Bring money anyway, they might have a little expo with cool stuff. You might want to bring a cooler with a recovery drink for after the ride, something you know goes well in your stomach. I like Endurox R4 or chocolate milk. Something with a 4 or 5:1 ratio of carbs/protein. Not Gatorade.

Good luck!

Nanci

[Grog]

I agree that tapering is important. Riding more volume this week will not make you stronger for the Saturday century. Take it easy and recover instead, ride little easy short rides just to spin your legs. You'll be surprised how strong you feel on Saturday, provided that you eat just like my wise friends have just explained.

[bikerchick68]

I agree with every one else... if you've done 80 you can do a century with no problem. Yep, you HAVE to eat before riding... especially distance! The morning of a century I eat a combo of carbs and protein... so a hard boiled egg and some oatmeal... or heck, a jack in the box sour dough sandwich if I'm running late and driving to get to the start!

for centuries I utilize every SAG stop. I eat a small amount at each and use the bathroom every time. I skipped one once and ended up in a small shrub at mile 80 while riders snickered and yelled "You OK?" uh... I WILL be... LOL.

Also, I start hydrating 2 days prior... I drink a little more water, and a little less caffeine so my body has plenty of fluid! I have also found that for me, having one bottle of water and one bottle of sport drink (I like the grape flavored Cytomax but whatever works for ya!) really helps my ride... just that little bit of constant carbs makes a difference in how I feel... as well as replacing lost salt when it's hot out...

have fun and I'll look forward to hearing about your success!!!

[caligurl]

yep.... not eating before an 80 mile ride definitelty coulda done it!

i'm assuming, since you are in socal.. that you are doing the tour de palm springs? you will have NO problems finishing that!

and like everyone else said... stop at the sags and eat... even grab some food to take along on the bike!

i don't ride the day before a big ride.... it's what works for me.... i do continue my daily morning workouts though... however i'm careful of what i shedule for later in the week (i.e. no heavy weights.. especially legs wednesday or after! mondays and tuesday i pretty much do the same intensity i always do... so this morning i did my hard kickbox/leg drills.... gives my legs plenty of time to recover before saturday!)

i take some gatorade with me when i leave on the ride.... not sure if it helps or not.. but i like the flavor of it!

the carb loading ahead of time is a myth for women (bikerchick may still have the link to the article about that!) so i don't change my eating habits before a big ride... just eat normal... i do eat oatmeal the morning of the ride (heck.. the morning of ANY ride... i just LOVE oatmeal!) we've even stopped at denny's on the way to a ride (nothing else is open that early usually) for pancakes, eggs, etc! a good meal before the ride is IMPORTANT! (as is snacking and lunch during the day!)

as far as a paceline... do what YOU feel is good for you! if you can't keep their pace.. then ride your own pace! don't burn out early in the day... pace it out so that you finish! (which you will! if you can do 80... you can do 100!) i've done every single one of my past centuries without drafting/pacelining... and i've finished each of them... it's more important to me that i finish.. than try to keep up with people that are faster than i am (i'm NOT fast at all!)

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[archibella]

everything here seems like super advice! I did one of the ms150's last fall, where our first day was 90 miles. Not quite a century, but fairly close-- and a friend gave me the most helpfull 2 bits of advice I got before the ride: make sure and hydrate for at least a day or two ahead of time (although I see that one was already mentioned) and while you're riding, move your hands and kind of swing your head from side to side every so often to prevent your arms/hands and neck from stiffening up. Looks goofy, but at mile 75 I appreciated it. Good luck! you can do it

[Nanci]

Write the alphabet with your nose if you _really_ want to look weird!

Nanci

[SimpleCycle]

You'll absolutely make it. It sounds like you bonked on your last ride. Eat a good breakfast that you know agrees with you and bring some form of energy -gu, clif blocks, gummy bears, whatever.

I rode El Tour de Tucson in November - 109 miles. A few weeks before I had an absolutely awful ride - I could barely make it 60 miles. I was ready to give up then. But the next few weeks I improved and I felt better about it. Then the week before I had another awful ride, just like you. But the actual event went great!

There's no doubt in my mind you can finish the century. Don't put too much pressure on yourself about speed or finishing time and you'll be fine. You have PLENTY of training under your belt.

[SnappyPix]

ACG - can't really add anything to the excellent advice you've already been given, except relax - take it easy - enjoy - and let us know how it went!
Don't panic, rest your body, your training will get you round 80% of the course and adrenalin will have you flying the other 20%!

And on the day ...

Some people will pass you; good luck to them - you may well see them later, in the SAG wagon, or by the roadside having bonked! Pace yourself and the fuel you take on board.

Some people will ride with you. Great stuff - people to chat to - and you get to talk bikes all day long!

Some people will struggle to keep up with you - that sweet, rewarding feeling as your powerful legs push on and leave them far behind.

You're going to have a great day. Just make sure you enjoy it as it'll whizz by so fast!

[Pedal Wench]

I'll start by saying that last year, I did a ton of centuries. Okay, not a ton, but at least 20. So, I should know what I'm doing - right? WRONG!

I rode about 50 miles on Saturday. Sunday, I had a late start. I had a bagel around 10am, but didn't start riding until around 1pm. Rode for a while, did a hard, all out effort for another 10 miles, rode a while more. On the way back, I knew I had a tailwind, but I was just dragging. Why, with as much as I've learned about nutrition, does it still take me about 3 miles to realize I'm bonking. I had only ridden about 45 miles, but because it was now about 4:00, and all I'd eaten all day was a bagel, I bonked. Shoot - I would have bonked sitting at my desk with only a bagel all day! I forget what my point was, but there's one in there somewhere...

[caligurl]

Some people will pass you; good luck to them - you may well see them later, in the SAG wagon, or by the roadside having bonked! Pace yourself and the fuel you take on board.

lol! LOTS of people pass me.. heck... MOST people pass me... but i keep peddling.... i'm not in it for a race... i don't race... i'm in it for the ride... the fun (well.. OK.. sometimes it's not fun ) and i'm in it to finish.... so far *knock on wood* i've always finished.... not the fastest.. and actually.. not last either (thank goodness! lol!)

eat and pace yourself.... eat and pace yourself... eat and pace yourself!

(so is your century palm springs????)