Ride your ride not the crowd of people you will start with.

If it is chilly in the a.m. try arm/leg warmers for they don't take up a lot of space and can easily be peeled off as the ride progresses.

Drink lots and snack along the way to keep your energy reserves fully stocked. Don't be afraid to eat a good lunch at the lunch stop. Don't hang out at the store stops or SAG areas for too long either.

The last 20 miles or so are the worse so find someone to ride with so you can talk and make those miles click by quickly. If you can't find someone to ride with sing all your favorite tunes.

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy they day for riding your first century is a huge event so celebrate it along the way and treat yourself to something really yummy at the end of the ride.