how hard IS a century?

[indysteel]

Others may have different approaches, but on the longer rides I've done, I've tried to keep my stops short. On hilly rides especially, my legs tend to get really tight and heavy if I stop for more than a few minutes. At the Horsey Hundred, I made the mistake of stopping at every rest stop and hanging out for a bit. Not only did it make the day really long, but it made the next few miles after the stop pure torture. Since then, I get in and get out in as little time as possible. A lot of organized rides have very frequent SAGs. It's nice to know that they're there, but you don't necessarily have to stop at each of them IMO.

[Wahine]

Others may have different approaches, but on the longer rides I've done, I've tried to keep my stops short. On hilly rides especially, my legs tend to get really tight and heavy if I stop for more than a few minutes. At the Horsey Hundred, I made the mistake of stopping at every rest stop and hanging out for a bit. Not only did it make the day really long, but it made the next few miles after the stop pure torture. Since then, I get in and get out in as little time as possible. A lot of organized rides have very frequent SAGs. It's nice to know that they're there, but you don't necessarily have to stop at each of them IMO.

I agree with Indy, but I'm a horse of a slightly different colour. I'm training for IM right now and as part of my training I've done more than 6 rides in the last 2 months that were at least 6 hours in length. That has translated to as little as 75 miles (hilly and windy 6 hours) to as much as 107 miles (hilly but not wind and 7 hours of riding time, 7.5 hours total). My biggest problem is getting grumpy after a certain number of hours in the saddle. So I like to keep my day as short as possible by limiting my rest breaks. Having said that, I can ride a fair pitch for a long time and still be riding at a conversational pace. When you're riding at this intensity you don't need to break as often. If you're on a hilly ride and not used to it, you'll need your rest more often.

As for food and hydration, I have nothing to add there. I think everyone has covered the essentials. Set a eating schedule and stick to it. I eat 100 cal every half hour and drink nothing but electrolyte replacement. I take in at least one bottle of fluids per hour.

[wiseowl]

Thanks SO much to all of you. Super helpful. After reading these, I think I will scale back to train for 75 miles, but know that if the terrain is hillier than anticipated, I can bail to the 50 mile length. This particular ride has 25-50-75-100 mile loops. 6+ hours in the seat sounds like too much for me for this year, given the lateness with which I am starting real training, and this is a really scenic ride where I will probably be tempted to stroll along more than is good for a reasonable finish time. There is always next year...based on your replies I think I am certainly capable of a century in the future, just not this season.

[DDH]

I learned a lot from this thread too. Thanks for posting it.

You girls who can ride all these miles just ROCK!! You know that right.

I so want to get to the point to be able to do this someday. I just think a lot of weight has to come off first.

[Geonz]

One thing from the position of somebody who's been at those sag stops: if there's running water there, fill up the ol' camelBak... if not, try to do that somewhere where there's running water. A few of the big drains and suddenly you're running a rest stop with no water, calling the sag wagon and hoping they get there soon...

[lynnepin]

The goal is to consume about 40 – 60 grams of carbs/hour when riding.

Normally, this is about 1 or 2 helpings of goo/hour.

A cliff bar has about 48 grams of carbs.

A Gatorade has about 40 grams of carbs.

In addition, consume 1- 2 bottles of water/hour. More if it is very hot.

[Starfish]

On nutrition, I would also add that a little fat can help for the LONG haul of the day. The trick is to take it in VERY small bits so it doesn't slow you down. I like a couple bites of a payday bar, which has higher fat than energy bars. I also like to have a few almonds here and there.

[jobob]

I learned a lot from this thread too. Thanks for posting it.

You girls who can ride all these miles just ROCK!! You know that right.

I so want to get to the point to be able to do this someday. I just think a lot of weight has to come off first.

Hey Donna, we all have to start somewhere!
Here's a post of mine from Jan 1, 2004, with my goals for that year:

- Ride a metric century, either the Cinderella Classic at the end of March, or perhaps sooner than that, do the full length & back of the American River bike trail near Sacramento.

- Get to the point where a 50-60 mi ride isn’t a big deal for me. I'm about at that point with a 30 mile ride, so there's hope.

- Go by the 15 mph speed limit signs on the paths I ride without wistfully thinking “yeah I wish!”. At the very least, I'd like to be able to keep up with my husband (or maybe even start pushing *him*, heh).

- Meet the Bay Area members on this list (and, if I'm really lucky, learn from Kim how to tape handlebars)

- Maybe, maybe, maybe do a 100 mile century ride this year. A girl can dream.

Happy new year,
- Jo.

Some of these things took me more than a year to accomplish (like, getting faster than my husband), but I did, eventually.

[li10up]

One more opinion on hydration packs-
If you are going on a well supported ride it's my opinion that you don't need the Camelbak. Why carry all that extra weight when you don't have to. If the rest stops are spaced 10 miles apart then 2 bottles should be plenty to get you from one stop to the next. Now, if you don't want to stop that's a different story. But taking 3 minutes off the bike every 10 miles after the first 30 miles is a good idea IMO.

[KSH]

One more opinion on hydration packs-
If you are going on a well supported ride it's my opinion that you don't need the Camelbak. Why carry all that extra weight when you don't have to. If the rest stops are spaced 10 miles apart then 2 bottles should be plenty to get you from one stop to the next. Now, if you don't want to stop that's a different story. But taking 3 minutes off the bike every 10 miles after the first 30 miles is a good idea IMO.

I do that if I don't care about having cold water.

I have been on some supported rides where they have ice at the rest stops, and I pack my Camelbak (CB) with ice and water. I have cold water until the next rest stop. Cold water on a 100 degree day is a life saver!

Although, all of my long rides this year have been non-supported, so I needed it to carry the extra water.

[sundial]

If you are going on a well supported ride it's my opinion that you don't need the Camelbak. Why carry all that extra weight when you don't have to. If the rest stops are spaced 10 miles apart then 2 bottles should be plenty to get you from one stop to the next.

I really don't mind cycling with my CamelBak because I would rather drink my cold water than whatever is available at the rest stops. Also, I would rather carry my own fuel than gamble on what's available--or not. I like to be organized and prepared for stuff.

[maillotpois]

Wow - Jo, reading your 2004 goals is fantastic (since I didn't know you then, and only know you now as the long distance queen you've become!)

I've gone both ways on the Camelback. There's a 110 or so mile race we do where I use it so I don't have to stop and re-fill bottles. Aside from that, I find bottles generally sufficient and a Camelback can get cumbersome. When I was first learning to ride a road bike, I did like being able to drink from a camelback without messing around reaching for bottles. Now it's just second nature.

ETA: And yes, I did notice the comment about the haagen dasz bar and yes: EEEWW!! I love ice cream but not DURING a ride!!!

[Blueberry]

I learned a lot from this thread too. Thanks for posting it.

You girls who can ride all these miles just ROCK!! You know that right.

I so want to get to the point to be able to do this someday. I just think a lot of weight has to come off first.

I agree - this is a great thread!

I just wanted to give you some encouragement on the weight issue - I won't admit how much I weigh, but I need to lose a LOT. I waited trying to lose weight and holding off riding. I'm doing MUCH longer distances now. I've not really lost weight (a lot of it has to do with my job), but I *am* meeting my distance goals. Our very own runningmommy is the one who got me to stop waiting and just get out there, and it was GREAT advice. I don't weigh what I want to, but I'm living my life!

[sundial]

I so want to get to the point to be able to do this someday. I just think a lot of weight has to come off first.

Don't let your weight stop you from training for a century. You would be amazed how many miles you'll log in a matter of weeks. Riding is such a release for me, a real stress buster. I really enjoy starting the day with a good ride. It keeps me balanced and prepared for the demands of the day.

[dex]

Don't let your weight stop you from training for a century.

I second this. I took all 225 lbs of me (on my 5'4"ish body) on a 2-day, 200 mile ride last month after about three and a half months of riding. If *I* managed it, I'm pretty sure anybody can.

And I'm now completely addicted to long distances. One day, I hope to get addicted to hill climbing...erm, that day may be a long ways off.