the century (100 miles) poll

[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

[Nanci]

First one, Santa Fe Century, Gainesville, FL, October 2005

Horrible Hundred, Clermont FL, November 2005
200k Brevet, Gainesville, FL, January 2006
300k Brevet, Gainesville, FL, February 2006
Great Valentine Century, Sanford, FL February 2006
Personal Century (scouting 400k route) Alachua, FL February 2006
400k Brevet, Gainesville, FL March 2006
600k Brevet, Gainesville, FL April 2006
TOSRV 2-Day 200 miles, Quincy, FL and Cairo, GA April, 2006
3-State 3-Mountain Century, Chatanooga, TN May 2006
200k Brevet, Tampa, FL May 2006
200k Brevet, Clermont, FL June 2006
200k Brevet, Clermont, FL July 2006
200k Brevet, Tampa, FL August 2006

********************

Planned:

200k Brevet, Satellite Beach, FL September, 2006
(Six Gap Century, Dahlonega, GA Sept 2006- I will probably do 50 not 100)
200k Brevet, Okeechobee, FL October, 2006
Santa Fe Century, Gainesville, FL October, 2006
(Horse Farm Hundred the following day, I will probably do 50, not 100)
200k Brevet, Cape Coral, FL November, 2006
Horrible Hundred Century, CLermont, FL November 2006
200k Brevet, West Palm Beach, FL December, 2006
200k Brevet, Gainesville, FL January 2007- this will complete my R-12 Series of 1-200k certified ride per month for 12 months!

[GLC1968]

Cali - that post on the other forum that got you thinking? Yeah, that was my husband!

We've had some discussions about the responses over there as well. Most of the people I know who ride (IRL) somehow think centuries are way out of their league...and I happen to know that they aren't!!

It's all in the attitude!

[Fredwina]

Well, let's see:
Past
2002
ad hoc - was riding with some friend in Harrisburg ,pa. We were going to do 75, but made a wrong turn and ended up with 85, so we did another 15. I was on a Specialized Sirius Hybrid
Harrisburg Bicycle Club Three Creek Century
2003
Lebanon (PA) No Baloney
2004
MS150 City to the Shore Century option. my pr 17.1 mph!
2005
Amtrak
2006
January Stagecoach -Octotillo, CA
February Tour of Palm Springs
March Solvang - real Fun,
April Hemet
May Cruising The Conejo
June Ride Around the Bear
July Windmill
Future
I need to can cell my Amtrak registration don't the shoulder will let me do it,
I'm signed up and paid for El Tour De Tuscon, an d have a Hotel Room for the Las Vegas century, but haven't registered yet> Form what the Orthopedist said, My Fracture should be healed, but it's a small event, so I'm going to wait.
Still debating whether to make the two lost centuries this year.
2007 - Brevets - not sure if I'll do the San Diego or San Luis Obispo Series

[Bad JuJu]

Whoa, Nanci--you're my new hero! I've never even done a 100-mile century, though I've done two metric centuries and a half-century.

As some others have said too, I really like the metric century--it's a challenge but it's not as daunting as the full century. And I'm so sllloooowwww that it would probably take me all day to do 100 miles.

So, tell me, Nanci, why is the Horrible Hundred so horrible?

[Geonz]

I've done some centuries - some we create (there's a spring ride 20 miles from town, so we ride out and do their supported ride and ride back; comes out to 90-100 miles, depending on where you live). I'm not a slave to the number 100 - if 95 miles is what I've done and I'm *done,*, well, I'm done. Too many people break bones on that last ski run.
Centuries take a long time - I know many devoted riders who just haven't done them just because it hasn't come around on the guitar, so to speak. I know one guy who did one on a brutally hot day, so now he says he can't do them. Argh.
I've also done a double metric and the Ride Across Indiana - it's a good feeling to be strong enough to do that. It so didn't happen overnight, though it did sneak up on me- it didn't happen because of grueling discipline either, just getting out and having fun riding.

I *love* the Peanut Ride. [long reminiscence coming:]

I've even driven there from here for it twice. I arrived at dawn at the motel where my friends were staying and a cop followed me into the parking lot... but once I got out and looked at Clyde's car, which had some encryption that was supposed to tell me which room they were in, he drove away. I took an hour's nap in the front seat and then we rode my longest ever ride then, the Lake Gaston ride. I was so afraid that sleep deprivation would propel me to bonkville that I paced myself really carefully... so I was fine.
THe next day we did the metric (63 miels) and I'll never forget realizing jus thow much progress I'd made. My first and second metrics were both at the Peanut Ride in subsequent years; the second time we at least got back in time to meet the 3:00 official "Peanut Ride" halfway... but both times I was pretty pooped and it was definitely a ride from one rest stop to the next (never more than 12 miles). I'd averaged 11 and 12.5 mph respectively and proud to finish. (Oh, and I wasn't alone back there, either ;-))
This time we came out of the 50-mile rest stop and we were on a crowded hill ... I didn't like it! So I pulled out and charged to the front... and heard a women say in something almost like awe, "Oh my G*d!" I looked down and I was going 17mph... uphill after 50 miles (on a heavy hybrid, too, but I didn't realize that added to the effect)! It wasn't a big hill, and I didn't have a *whole* lot left... but it was there

[caligurl]

Cali - that post on the other forum that got you thinking? Yeah, that was my husband!

We've had some discussions about the responses over there as well. Most of the people I know who ride (IRL) somehow think centuries are way out of their league...and I happen to know that they aren't!!

It's all in the attitude!

isn't is WAY different here than the responses over there! i was really surprised that so many people over there were saying that most riders don't even think about it! i mean... i know that the beach cruiser riders most likely don't even know what a century is... much less want to ride one... but from this forum and even (until i read that post) at BF... i thought that once you became a roadie... even a recreational roadie... that you had aspirations to do at least one!?

and i really DO think that the biggest part of a century IS mental!!!! you can be superfit... but if you don't think you can do it... and start talking yourself out of it at the first sign of pain... it's not gonna happen!

so if that was hubby's thread... i can't remember... have you done your century? are are you still in training for it?