the century (100 miles) poll

[caligurl]

Go girl! Is this a Brandy-Tiffanie ride? (that's your frequent ride partner, right?)

uh oh! you shouldn't have asked about tiffanie and this ride!

(and PLEASE! whatever you do.... do NOT ask about tim mcgraw!)

[HappyAnika]

I'm doing my first metric in a couple of weeks. I have my sights on a century next June.

Caligurl, I just have to say how much I love your animated emoticons, they always crack me up!

[chickwhorips]

(and PLEASE! whatever you do.... do NOT ask about tim mcgraw!)

ok so you know what that means now...... we're waiting....

[bikerchick68]

yup... done a few now...

good poll Cali. This has become a topic of conversation more than once. I have met people who race who are more about speed than distance... and damn, I admire them. They are crazy fast. Then we'll talk about me and distance and I explain that this is my "niche" in the bike world. And they are always equally impressed that I'm willing and able to sit on a saddle that long and ride that far. I'm not fast, not a natural sprinter, not a natural climber. Heck, to be honest I'm not a natural athlete. To call myself an athlete even now sometimes surprises me.

BUT, I'm determined. Once I "hit my groove" on the bike, I can ride it for a loooong time (fortunate since centuries take me a long time! LOL) You're right to say it's very mental. Yes, you have to build miles to do distance. But if you decide to do it, you just will. And the more you ride the easier everything becomes, due in part to the change in your own perception. What I NOW call a roller may be a climb to a new rider. And what YOU call a hill... I call sick.

[bcipam]

Lets see:

Tour de Tucson
Palm Springs (twice)
Cool Breeze (several times)
Wildflower (several times)
Eastern Sierra Fall Century (hard ride for me but would like to do it again)
Spooktacular (several times)
Amtrak (several times)
Hellweek - Frederick'sburg Texas - 3 days out of 8 (the rest were metrics)
Lighthouse - twice


I tend to stay local. too cheap to travel much.

I also like metrics or even up to 80 - 85 miles after that, my feet are on fire. Legs however always seem to be fine, but my feet give in.

[caligurl]

ok so you know what that means now...... we're waiting....

shhhhhhhhhhhh

uhm.... well.... tiffanie was SUPPOSED to go to cool breeze with brandy... BUT.... she also had the chance to go see tim mcgraw's GORGEOUS tushie in concert..... so.... yep.... tiffanie DITCHED brandy!

brandy held the grudge against her for a while... but fortunately brandy found some new playmates and has forgiven tiff... but i believe it cost tiff... i just forget what???????????

i just don't want the old feelings brought up... ya know.... keep their friendship in tact... why do MEN always come between women friends?????

[caligurl]

good poll Cali. This has become a topic of conversation more than once.

thanx!

i actually asked cuz over in BF someone was saying they (hubby and wife) were doing a century... then a LOT of people came back saying MOST riders DO NOT do centuries! that kinda shocked me... i though (IMO) that most at least wanted to do one! not even a crazy one.... but it seemed like a LOT Of posters were saying.. nope... never did one... never want to... most don't... etc... so i decided to do a poll here!

i also seem to remember that other forum (ahem) that a LOT of people would post at different times that they have never done even one! (nor did they want to do one!)

so far i find the numbers here quite nice! most either have done or want to do! GOOD for ALL of them! WAY TO GO!!!!

[chickwhorips]

ahhh i understand cali.... that is a tough one to choose between.

[PinkBike]

DH and i did the casa grande (AZ) century earlier this year. after fnishing (like 6 hours i think), we swore NEVER AGAIN. but now, time has passed, pains are forgotten, so lately i've been looking for another one in the very near future. what a sense of accomplishment!

[im4smiley]

I just signed up for my 1st century, supposed to be kinda flat. I will do it on Sept 9th. I am curious, when you girls do more than one century (thinking ahead to maybe next year) do you give yourself some time between them. Say maybe a couple weeks or month?

[Aggie_Ama]

I have done one- 102 miles to be exact. It was the Outlaw Trail Century in Round Rock, Texas last fall. The ride was poorly supported, but I didn't have problems until mile 96 or so.

DH and I have done the Houston to Austin MS150 twice and day one is close to a century. This year it was 95 miles and I wanted to head 2.5 miles down the road to get the century. DH would have none of that nonsense. That leg of the MS150 is mostly flat so I felt great by La Grange. Day two is 80 miles of hills, hills and more hills.

I prefer 60-75 miles myself. Somewhere after 80 miles I begin wondering if I hate myself? We will do more centuries, probably one this fall, but I like the Metrics better.

[caligurl]

I prefer 60-75 miles myself. Somewhere after 80 miles I begin wondering if I hate myself? We will do more centuries, probably one this fall, but I like the Metrics better.

my favorite line" "and i PAID to do THIS?????????"

[kelownagirl]

Does riding a century always have to be an organized ride? I have done several metrics but they have always just been long rides with DH that ended up at about 100 km. Actually, both times we got home at about 96- 97 km and rode around the neighbourhood till the odometer rolled. Anyway, we figured it would be just over 160km to ride to the next town and back so that will probably be our first full century. I'd rather do a flat one first though...

[makbike]

I rode my first century last year and absolutely loved it so I rode another the following week. I did not have as much fun on the second one but still felt great about my accomplishment that day.

I've ridden two this year. The first one was very hilly and though I can't say I feeling good at the end, mentally I felt on top of the world because of all the hills I had climbed that day - quite an accomplishment for me.

I rode a century this past weekend and had a fantastic time on the bike. I felt really strong and at the end felt like I could continue riding for some time (guess all those mles I've logged this summer paid off). The best part of this century was I rode with my BF on and off throughout the day.

I would agree mind set is so very important. The days I've gone in smiling and riding my ride I've had a wonderful experience. Those in which I was dreading it and not able to find my rhythm I've had to grit it out and talk myself through the last 20 miles or so.

[jeannierides]

I've done The Great Peanut Tour twice, and the Ride Between the Waters (Chesapeake) once. The Peanut Tour was my fav... lots of cool stops and the town people really got into it.

http://www.greatpeanuttour.com

http://cbes.org/events_biketour.htm