First Century & Flying Solo

[Momonbikemob]

Sorry I don't have much to say about doing a century (my max ever was 65miles), but I wanted to cheer you on and wish you a wonderful ride! You're an inspiration to all of us who would like to dream of doing a century on our own (and have the time to train for it)! Go for it and enjoy the peaceful solitude! ... Although you'll probably end up meeting lots of new friends

[arielmoon]

Thank you everyone! I feel really good heading into the ride.

I am going to get more Gu to have on hand and I am going to remember my watch so I can time my stops and hydration.

[OakLeaf]

See if you can find out how far apart the rest stops are, then figure out whether you will need water between stops. That's definitely an issue on some century rides. If you think you'll need more water between stops than you normally carry, then you'll either need to plan to carry more water (hydration pack or bottles mounted on the seatpost or handlebars), or find out whether there's a public park or a convenient store where you can refill.

Good luck and have fun!

[arielmoon]

See if you can find out how far apart the rest stops are, then figure out whether you will need water between stops. That's definitely an issue on some century rides. If you think you'll need more water between stops than you normally carry, then you'll either need to plan to carry more water (hydration pack or bottles mounted on the seatpost or handlebars), or find out whether there's a public park or a convenient store where you can refill.

Good luck and have fun!

This ride is on home turf so to speak so I know the area very well. There are 4 stops approx 25 miles apart. I think I will be ok with my two 24oz bottles but I will bring some money just in case!

Thanks!

[RolliePollie]

I'm doing my first Century all by myself this Saturday...so I'll be thinking about you doing your ride on Sunday!

I'm sure you'll be just fine by yourself. Last fall I did my first organized ride (Tour de Tahoe) all by myself...I had no idea what to expect and I was kinda scared...but it turned out great. Then this Spring I did a metric with a friend and I think I actually would've enjoyed it more had I been alone. Then you don't have anyone else's expectations to live up to, you can go at your own pace, stop when you need to, etc.

Good luck (to both of us!). Have a blast

p.s. I'm packing gels, Shot Blocks, a Power Bar, cashews, and extra Gatorade powder just in case I don't like what they have at the rest stops

[arielmoon]

I'm doing my first Century all by myself this Saturday...so I'll be thinking about you doing your ride on Sunday!

I'm sure you'll be just fine by yourself. Last fall I did my first organized ride (Tour de Tahoe) all by myself...I had no idea what to expect and I was kinda scared...but it turned out great. Then this Spring I did a metric with a friend and I think I actually would've enjoyed it more had I been alone. Then you don't have anyone else's expectations to live up to, you can go at your own pace, stop when you need to, etc.

Good luck (to both of us!). Have a blast

p.s. I'm packing gels, Shot Blocks, a Power Bar, cashews, and extra Gatorade powder just in case I don't like what they have at the rest stops

Oh yay!! Best of luck to you too!

[Smilie]

Dried apricots are also good to have in your pocket. You all have a great ride!

[Skierchickie]

You'll do great. Just be on the lookout for someone going the pace you want to go (and be sure you don't go out too hard - know ahead of time what pace you think you can maintain for that far, and don't fall into the trap of pushing harder early on because you feel good). I love riding alone, personally. Then again, riding with new friends is fun, too.

I think nutrition varies from person to person, depends on the weather, etc. I've been doing fine on my long rides with the following: 2-3 Gus, 1-1/2 packs of Shot Blocks (a couple of blocks every hour or so), 2 Power Bars, a bunch of Gummi Bears (gotta have something fun!) and Heed. That is what I've actually been using on rides 90 - 120 miles long - I've been carrying more than that. And most of my long rides have been in the 48 - 65 degree range. The extra Cytomax powder is a good idea. And an emergency $20, just in case. Just don't wait until you feel like you need it to take in fuel.

I definitely agree on the short breaks. I seem to feel better stopping only when I need to pee or refill my bottles, not eating too much at a time, and not stopping for long enough for my legs to need a warmup all over again. 5 minutes if I can do it, and I definitely try not to stop for any more than 10. Last Friday's long ride I probably didn't stop enough - it was raining for a lot of it, and I wanted to get as far as I could before my ride caught up with me. Pretty much slogged on. Then I flatted anyway, and found out my spare tube had a pretty short stem, my new CO2 cartridge thingy didn't work, and I didn't have my patch kit. I muddled through, but ended up with a 23 minute break at 70 miles. Felt awful for a while after that, until I slammed some Shot Blocks.

I hope you have perfect weather!

[Jallora]

Where's the ride, Ariel? Is it in Ocala? I didn't know there was a Century this weekend. Unfortunately, I've been so busy between work and planning my January event, the 2009 Ride Roll Run Relay, that my training has slacked off too much for me to join you. I know we've got another Century on the Withlachoochi in the first quarter of next year that I'm planning on doing.