1st 82 Mile Ride! Need Tips!

[jobob]

When I do ride distance rides with my husband we keep about a 15 mph pace so I am hoping I can keep it up for that long.

Just don't start out too fast. It's really easy to get caught up in the excitement at the start and head out too fast. It might seem like an OK pace at first, but you do want to keep your energy in reserve for the long(er) haul.

So try to pace yourself. It might be good to head out a bit slower than your usual pace at first. If you find you have have lots of energy left for the last, say, five miles or so, you could crank it up some then.

And don't worry if people pass you, especially at the start of the ride. (You never know, some of them might be heading out too fast for themselves, and you might eventually catch up to them as they fade out. Just sayin'. )

[malaholic]

+1 to what everyone else has said. Also, since you're riding with your husband, try taking turns drafting off of each other and get into a rhythm where you switch off every once in a while, say every 5 miles or so. Have fun, and let us know how it goes!

[RolliePollie]

I'm sure you'll do great! And like other folks have posted, don't worry if other people pass you. I did a big ride last weekend and I'm sure at least 500 riders passed me on a four mile long hill. I decided to focus on the 20 or so people that I passed . Just relax and remember that the goal is to have fun.

Total thread hijack here...Malaholic, your dogs are beautiful! I think you have my friends' malamutes' twins! She has a girl with the black and white markings and a boy with the lighter markings. The only difference is her light boy has the mask markings and her girl doesn't.

[malaholic]

Total thread hijack here...Malaholic, your dogs are beautiful!

Why thank you! The problem is, they *know* just how cute they are, and they use that to their advantage to get out of trouble for the loads of mischief they get into. They'll smile, and make their eyes as big & round as they can go...who could be mad at those faces?

[jeniwoodley]

I can't believe I actually did it. We rode from Humble to Beaumont in the Tour Du Rouge and it was AWESOME!!! 82 MILES never seemed so long. It took 6 hrs and 15 minutes to complete.The last 20 minutes were grueling on the legs. We got rained on a couple of times and the wind was really bad in spots, but I can now say I accomplished something I never thought I would. I feel like I can do anything now if I put my mind to it.

Thank you for all for all your tips, I used every last one on this ride. I can't wait to do it again.

[jobob]

That's great to hear, congrats!

[Pedal Wench]

That's wonderful!!!!

And in the future, don't worry about being the last one in. Someone has to be - do it with style!