Strategy for a hilly century? Tell me I'm ready!

[fallstoclimb]

UPDATE:

I (more or less) finished! The day was absolutely brutal though. After a mild summer, it was the hottest day of the year -- 95 and humid. A long stretch coming up to the mile 50 rest stop was exposed and riders were being sagged left and right. They added some new climbs on this year's route in the first half too -- a couple short and very very steep sections. Half the riders I saw walked one of the hills -- I zigzagged it but was suffering.

Around mile 64 we pulled off to a grocery store to wait out a storm, but its good that we did because if we had continued on we would have been forced to take the bail out -- for a bit they were sending everyone that way due to the storm. A lot of other riders were bailing because they were just plain done. By the time we hit the bail out the storm was in Thurmont so the volunteers let us continue on. That was the hardest part though...knowing that we would be more or less alone for the rest of the ride and still having 40 miles to go. THANK GOD the climbing was mostly over at that point, and the storm did cool things down.

On the last 10 miles coming in, we were racing another storm. Winds were buffering us all over the place and it started raining again (and man did it hurt when my shorts soaked through and the wet touched my poor chafed behind). With just about 3 miles left to go - at mileage 103, this century was actually 106 miles - I made us pull off and hide in a shed because lightning was hitting way too close to us. While we were in the shed there was actually an electrical current or lightning strike (?) that made a pfzzz noise and jumped from one lightpole to another, directly in front of us. At that point I called my husband to update him -- he had been spending the whole day volunteering so he could see us off -- and he insisted on coming to pick us up because he had been worried sick about us. But I definitely COULD HAVE done another 3 miles, obviously, so I'm still gonna count this one as completed.

Honestly can't believe we made it though, especially with the number of stronger riders getting sagged and bailing. It was ten times harder than I thought it would be and I can't really say it was fun at all, and WORST of all I missed the ice cream!!!!! But I've never been so proud of myself. That was hands down the most physically and mentally challenging day of my life and I kept going when I didn't think I could.

[ny biker]

Congrats on finishing!! 103 miles was more than enough.

The weather was quite brutal on Saturday. I did the metric with a friend. Rather than going into the mountains, our route went south for a bit, circled around to a stop near a covered bridge, then went up through Emmitsburg to an area with a series of short but steep climbs. Our second rest stop -- the Fairfield fire department -- was also a stop on the century route, and from that point on the two routes stay together.

The sweat was literally dripping off my face, which does not usually happen to me, and I had a headache for most of the ride. It was the headache I often get at the end of a ride at the beginning of the summer, not in September and not for the entire ride. We made an additional stop at a nice coffee shop in Emmitsburg because we needed more ice water and a chance to stand in an air conditioned building for a few minutes. At the last rest stop, I put a zip-top bag filled with ice inside the back of my jersey and poured water on the sleeves of my Cool Wings, which helped to cool me down.

We got caught in the first storm as we were heading southwest from Gettysburg back to the start in Thurmont. At first it wasn't bad, just refreshing rain. When the winds picked up and the storm was really on top of us (thunder almost immediately following the lightning) we were lucky to find a couple of empty buildings with front porches, and a bunch of people took shelter there (including me and my friend). We saw some pretty dramatic lightning. After the rain stopped we finished the ride; we were about 6-7 miles away from the end at that point.

We met up at the picnic with a few friends who had done the century. They're faster than me, and I had seen them pass us at the last rest stop. While we were eating and hanging out, three more friends finished the century. One had done the Mountain Mama ride not long ago, and she's done the CWC before, but she actually thought the weather made this year's CWC far more difficult than anything she's done lately. She told me later that if we hadn't been there to greet her at the end, she probably would have sat down and cried.

By this point the sun was out again. We went back for one more scoop of ice cream and then packed up the car. At that point I noticed the sky was getting dark again. The first storm was really just an appetizer, and now the big one caused by the approaching cold front was approaching. We packed everything up, stopped at the High's gas station for drinks and a bathroom with running water to get cleaned up, and headed for home. I could see a very dark sky in my rear-view mirror as we headed south for Virginia. The storm reached my house a few minutes after I did, and when I went out afterwards to finish getting the gear out of my car, it was much cooler. We didn't get much rain but I know that other parts of the area got soaked, and there were a few power outages. I think your husband was wise to insist on coming to get you, even though you were just outside of Thurmont.

Despite the weather, I look forward to doing the metric again. I will never want to do the full century, but my friend does want to try it. I told her I'd meet her in Fairfield and ride with her from there.

Although you missed the ice cream, I hope you were able to enjoy the tomato sandwiches and fresh fruit at the rest stops. The nectarines were especially good this year.

Also if you'd like to visit the area again for a much less hilly ride, keep an eye on the Oxon Hill club ride schedule for a 50-ish mile ride that I'm hoping to lead up there next month.

[fallstoclimb]

Yeah, I think next year I'd like to try one of the shorter routes, so I have a chance of enjoying the ride and eating the great food!! In that heat I could barely stomach anything. It's a hike for us to get out there but it is really beautiful and I loved the lack of traffic on most of the roads!

[rebeccaC]

UPDATE:
That was hands down the most physically and mentally challenging day of my life and I kept going when I didn't think I could.

for me that feeling seems like a reward for the effort!!!.....i have a few of those that i keep in my mind to pull out when needed on a tough climb

congrats on the ride!!!!!