Don't worry! If you did an 80 mile ride, you can _easily_ do a Century. You have plenty enough training. You also can do nothing, this week, to add more fitness, you can only take away by over-doing it. Rest, do light, short rides if any. Think 30-60 _easy_ minutes. I, personally, wouldn't go to the gym.

Yes, not eating could have caused you to bonk. I would say, definitely. One gel isn't enough to make up the deficit.

So for your Century, eat a good, normal breakfast. Eat small amounts often during the ride. Try to take in about 300 calories per hour. Take advantage of the food stops- eat what your body tells you to. You might be _much_ hungrier than on a normal ride. They will probably have fruit, pretzels, sandwiches- just eat whatever you have an appetite for.

You can easily recover from that leaden feeling, _if_ you have been good with calories up till then (taking in enough, eating breakfast) by having a gel or preferable something with maybe about 200 calories, like a bar, so carry something with you in addition to what you will eat at the stops, just in case. One warning sign of a coming bonk is mental fatigue. Eat something before you feel that loss of energy. Caffeine can really perk you up, too, either in a gel or drink. It will take about 10-20 minutes to feel better, but you will.

If the group is informal and relaxed, drafting will save you a lot of exertion, and you will go faster than when you don't. But I agree, if it's a serious paceline and you are required to pull, that might stress you out. It's a ride, not a race, and you should _enjoy_ your first one. There is plenty of time! If you don't go with your group, you will probably fall in with a rider, or couple that are going _your_ pace. It makes the day go by faster. Also, you will hurt less if you get off and walk around a little bit at each stop instead of thinking you don't need anything, so why waste the time.

Bank your sleep during the week, so even if you don't sleep well the night before, you wil still have had enough all week.

Prepare everything the day before- make a list so you don't forget anything, pack your seat bag (whatever you need to fix a flat), put all your stuff in your car- bike shoes, gloves, pump, computer, sunglasses, sunscreen, cell phone- even put your bike on the rack if it's not going to rain, so all you have to do the morning of is get your drinks out of the fridge and walk out the door. Have a bag of clothes you want to change into, put that in the car. Lay out what you are going to wear- even different outfits if you won't know the weather till the morning. If you aren't pre-entered, print out the entry and fill it out, bring money. Bring money anyway, they might have a little expo with cool stuff. You might want to bring a cooler with a recovery drink for after the ride, something you know goes well in your stomach. I like Endurox R4 or chocolate milk. Something with a 4 or 5:1 ratio of carbs/protein. Not Gatorade.

Good luck!

Nanci