First metric century

[jobob]

Well, first of all, congratulations! You should be very proud of yourself. That's a great achievement !

What was your longest ride prior to that? Four and a half hours is a lot of time in the saddle - I don't mean to imply that *you* took a lot of time, I'm just saying that it's a long time to be in that sort of position. Perhaps your body just isn't used to that kind of abuse yet. The fact that you recovered so quickly bodes well.

Just some thoughts - did you take occasional short breaks during the ride to strech and move your back and shoulders a bit? While you were riding, did you vary your riding position from time to time (sit up more, that sort of thing)? I find that if I stay in the same position over a long period of time my back gets a bit creaky, so I try to vary my position during the ride (hands on the top of the bars for a more upright position, hands on the lower drops for a more streched position). Also, did you eat and drink regularly during the ride itself ? [oops, sorry, I see from your post you did - nevermind]

Is your bike set up in an "aggressive" position, with your handlebars much lower than your seat? Being streched out like that can play havoc on one's back and shoulders over a long ride. You might want to consider raising your handlebars to see if that improves your comfort over longer rides.

Finally, you might want to look into an exercise routine for strengthening your "core" - particularly your lower back and abdominal muscles, which are very important especially for longer distances. People in this forum have recommended yoga and pilates. Coincidentally, I'm taking a pilates class starting tomorrow, for that very reason.

All in all though, I think you're doing fine.

- Jo.