Tips & suggestions for a first time century rider?

m1xm0d3

A little back story....

I am a commuter. Have been for 3 years and it's how I get my exercise without it cutting in to my evenings. Obviously with commuting, I ride alone. So basically I have limited myself to these short distance rides between 7-9 miles to work and about 5 hours later for lunch I ride 13-14 miles back home. It's not uncommon for me to take another 20+ mile ride later in the evening.

On weekends, I ride alone. Chalk that up to a short and unmotivated friends list IRL. However lately, I have been extending those rides from 20 to around 30 miles. once I planned the route it was easy enough. (I think part of my problem was knowing 'where' to ride beforehand, zig-zagging for miles through the neighborhood with many T junctions gets old, fast). I have done quite a few 30+ mile rides with hardly a 2 minute stop for water. I've logged almost 2,000 miles this year so I think I am reasonably fit.

Fast forward to now, I have joined the local bike club (still no group rides, yet), they are doing a ride in Sept and I really want to do the 101 mile course but I know there are things I haven't taken in to consideration. And the idea of doing a 'group ride' with all of this production behind it has really sent my mind flying. I'm crazy competitive so I feel like I am gonna try to race everyone around me or try to pace myself with someone more advanced than me.

For the 101 there are 4 rest stops and hydration stations.

A few things that may impact MY ability to complete this ride...

Left knee injury with several surgeries. This shouldn't cause a problem but as FYI
Proper eating prior to start. Do you guys have a large meal that morning or just mini-meal it as you go?
Hydration
Excitement, speeding off from the start line, attacking hills too vigorously and burning out prematurely. Regardless of my day and intent, I tend to push myself pretty good. Cruising is just so hard for me to do. Always want to go fast.
Saddle soreness, overall comfort.
Weather. I commute regardless if it's 80 or 100 degrees outside. I have become acclimated to it without issue. Obviously hydration is the big concern here but 100 miles in 95 degree weather is much different than a 13 mile ride home.

Here is the map but I have no idea the altitude gain. I heard from last years rider that there are a few 'good' hills.




I would like to know from the group that has done these before, regarding preparation and execution, what would you have liked to have known beforehand or done differently? TIA

m1xm0d3

Oh yeah... (can't edit the OP)

REST. Do you guys typically rest the day before or go easy a few days-week before?

sybillabryson

That sounds like fun! I would be horrified to do a century with a group. I did mine with an avg speed of 13mph. But i have some social anxiety i need to deal with. Before my ride i ate a big dinner the night before (pasta) and had a light biking day (like 5 or 6 miles) but i walked for around an hour or so. Two days before the ride i biked like normal.
I had a big breakfast the morning of but started after it settled. I started dragging pretty hard after 60 miles. I kept stopping to eat and that made me feel better. At about 60 or 70 miles I started to lose my mind. I got loopy and giddy and i got terribly lost. I was going in circles. I tried to call people and have them give me directions but i was so out of it i couldnt describe where i was at or which direction i was going. I'm usually great with directions so this was a very crazy experience for me. Honestly i think i didnt eat enough and my blood sugar was so low my brain was shutting down. I felt like i was on drugs. haha. My advice is to take lots of snacks and take breaks. You'll be fine on endurance though you bike constantly.

I did get competitive with other cyclists i was passing on the trail. I regretted this deeply later because i spent my first 50 miles going 17-20mph and my last 50 going 10 or 12. it was stupid of me because they were on short rides. I should have just tried to keep a moderate pace the whole time. It was still fun though.

The next day i relaxed and went on a slow 10 mile ride. I felt kinda panicky and loopy until the following afternoon but i wasnt physically sore which was a big surprise. I'm sure you'll do great and it looks like youll have an awesome time.

sybillabryson

Oh also the easiest part of the ride for me was the last 15 miles. I got a second wind plus i was high on exhaustion. I stopped riding at exactly 100 miles but i felt great like i could have kept going. I think that is pretty common so you have that to look forward to when you start feeling like "uhgh when is this going to end!?"

twofastdogs

Good luck on doing your first century! If you haven't ridden in a group, I would suggest signing up for some shorter rides before the century. That will help you get used to riding in a group more comfortably. Also, if you can learn how to draft off of other riders, it will help you conserve energy over longer distances.

As for eating, you should stick with whatever works for you on a regular basis. If you normally eat a bagel or a peanut butter sandwich, try that. It is important to keep fueling your body throughout the day. Make yourself eat and drink at periodic intervals (10-15 miles). Eat real food as well as quick snacks like Gu or Sport Beans. Rides with regular sag stops are great because you don't have to bring as much with you on the bike. However, bring some money or a credit card with you in the event that you need to stop and get a drink or snack between sag stops. 25 miles between stops is longer than you think.

Stop and walk around for a few minutes at each stop even if you don't think you need to. Stretch a little also.

For hydration, you should get used to whatever you plan to add to your water. I personally like Skratch Labs, but there are a lot of good options. I tend to switch back and forth between water and the Skratch.

For saddle soreness, wear really good bike shorts. Use plenty of chamois cream. And get your bike fitted if you can.

Sounds like you are preparing well and have a good plan. Have a great time!

kcjchang

I stayed off the bike two days before my centuries. Pre-meal was big the night before but not crazy and mostly carbs. Before the ride I normally have 2 cups of strong coffee, 2 cups of oatmeal, 1 cup of yogurt, and a bagel. Also a banana if available. Don't forget the morning constitution.

Pace yourself. Start doing longer rides (60-80 miles) and identify what effort you can muster. Figure out how many matches you have and their duration; extra effort for surges, attack, hill climbs, etc. Study the route and identify likely spots where you may burn your matches. Use Ride with GPS and find out the gain. You need conserve as much of your glycogen as you can and make it last the whole ride; you bonk when they are gone and it's not pretty. Scale that back 15-25% for start of the century. You can always increase the effort toward the end of the ride if you are feeling good.

Get used to ride with the group. Find out who has similar capabilities and who you can suck wheels. Learn to draft (get comfortable riding close and identify who you should leave room) and proper signals used by the group.

Use the 10-20-30-40-50 (in km and adjust to your target speed as needed) rule. 10 - hard effort to remain target, 20 - sightly more effort, 30 - on target, 40 - ease back, and 50 - coast (e.g. don't waste energy pedaling hard down hill). Learn to use RPE objectively and it's correlation to HR if you don't have a power meter.

Get use to eating on the bike and keep eat along the way 200-300 cal per 60-120 min. Stay hydrated. Learn your bodies signals on when to eat and drink. Switch up positions during the ride and stretch when possible. Don't have to long of a rest stop (15-20 min tops). Have some TUMS to neutralize craps and Avail (ibuprofen) for soreness/muscle pain. I don't use chamois cream; experiment and get use to it before the ride if you haven't use it before.

Most of my rides I alone 60-80%. For first 20-30 miles I'm with the group but we lose cohesion when we hit the hills. We regroup at designated rest stops but it get pretty fragmented after the first regroup. I'm in between groups. We have three: A, B, and C. Only As & Bs attempt our century group rides (training for the Death Ride). On rides under 60 miles and <50 ft/mi, I can stay with Bs, ~40 miles and < 50ft/mi, I can hang for dear life with the As (~21mph average) on their easy days. Our centuries are typically 80+ft/miles, so I in no man's land quick. Again learn to PACE.

wesleepuntilthesungoesdown

I just completed my 1st century the other day as part of a 424 mile ride over 4 days (97-104-96-127). I've been cycling for a few years and most of my longer rides are between 30-40 miles - I only did one ride over 40 this year which was 70 miles but as I got closer to the challenge I was averaging about 90-100 miles per week. My rides were a lot hillier and in worse weather than the big ride - obviously luck plays a part with the weather, we had a headwind on the final day but it wasn't all day and we rode in groups - I usually have to tackle the wind on my own. My 70 was over 6500ft climbing, the max on my long ride over the 100 miles was about 4600ft. I also cycled at a comfortable pace with my average heart rate at about 130 as opposed to 145-150 on my training rides.
Main thing for me on the day(s) was eating and drinking a lot - I ate at every opportunity (maybe too much - I actually put on weight!) but that was my main fear - running out of energy or dehydrating (I have passed out in the past after a ride in hot weather). I added electrolyte to my water - I used the SIS Go energy powders so with carbs as well. In summary the ride was easier than my training rides in all but distance, and I took advantage of riding in a group - taking my turn to take the wind/set the pace. I found out I was on the ride in April - so had 3 1/2 months to build up. Oh and I didn't ride for 5 days beforehand (due to the weather/getting my kit ready).

TheBigYin

last (imperial) century I did was in the middle of last years TdF Challenge IIRC, so it certainly wasn't something I "tapered" for beforehand, and I was out on the bike the following day as well...

Prep. was my usual longish ride breakfast - bowl of Porridge with a handful of mixed nuts/dried fruit thrown in, and probably a Bagel with some form of preserve on it (jam/marmalade etc)

2x750ml bottles of fluids - one with SIS Go energy drink, the other with a High-5 tablet dropped in. I generally take along a couple of Torq Gels and a Clif Bar, but other than that, I had a Cheese and Ham Panini, cut into 3 "bite sized sandwiches" and foil wrapped individually to keep them "shirt pocked friendly". Stopped at around 60 miles at a cafe, mainly because I NEEDED a caffeine top-up, where I also scrounged a refil of the 2 water bottles (adding a high-5 tablet to each).

On a organised ride, with refreshment stops, frankly, I'd have done it with a couple of spare gels/bars (just in case the food stops at the end had run out because i'm SLOOOW ).

Best advice I can give is, start off 2-3mph slower than you think is comfortable, try and find a group of people riding along at the same pace, tag along, join in, and have a natter with them - company makes the ride go much quicker/easier. When it comes to hills - if there are bigger ones at least - ride up them at your own pace, don't half kill yourself on the first hill just to stay with somebody you only met that morning. And most of all, Enjoy It!

TheBigYin

Oh - from you're map on screen, I did 5 minutes in map-my-ride and came up with this...

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/785433093

Doesn't look massively hilly to me - 954m of ascent in 100 miles is a fair bit less than I'd expect in a ride around this area - of course YMMV

jharwell58

I completed my first century just last month. I ate more carbs than usual the night before, but no junk! My breakfast the day of was pretty normal but I did eat more oatmeal than I usually do. Make sure you stay hydrated even if you don't feel thirsty. Have fun! It's a great sense of accomplishment....

mkenny5

Build yourself up to it. Try and get some 40/50/60/70 mile rides in prior to the 100. It'll allow you to troubleshoot any issues with longer trips. As others have mentioned, pace yourself. If part of all of the group is moving on, keep to your pace. Last thing you need to do is run out of steam with a lot of mileage left. I use a Garmin 500 on all my rides and it allows me to keep in touch with my stats.

Clothing:
Are you using bib shorts on your rides? When I moved to longer distances, these were a must. Don't cheap out on them either, best pair I have were $100+ and they are so comfortable! I use cheaper pairs (~$20) for my 20-30 minute commute.

Jersey - in that heat, a short sleeved tight jersey would be good. Avoid any bulky jackets.

Gloves - For longer trips I'll wear fingerless gloves as they can ease the impact on your wrists/arms.

Food/Water:

Eat the evening before, not too much and not too late to avoid it affecting your sleep.

For breakfast I will usually go with toast and scrambled egg, with some orange juice and about 500ml of water.

When going on a distance ride like yours I will bring 2 bananas, 2 nature valley oats and honey bars, perhaps some chocolate that will be my last piece of food on the trip - this is all stored in rear pockets in my jersey. I'll also have 2 water bottles (750ml each) and I'll use an electrolyte tablet in each of them. So far I'm liking the High 5 Zero citrus version.

Equipment:

Pump, multitool, tubes * 2, cable ties * 3/4, CO2 canisters * 2, small pump, puncture repair kit, tyre levers.

While I bring CO2 canisters with me everywhere, I still carry a small pump and puncture repair kit in case I run in to too many punctures, thankfully it hasn't happened. I keep the pump in my rear pockets with the rest in a saddle bag.

Other:

Sunglasses? Sun screen? Post cycle massage? Food for when you're finished?

Best of luck with the preparation.

HillOE

My first century was the Civil War Century through VA/PA. Dude, hilly is not the word. I cried, I walked hills, they ran out of everything by the time we finished. Maybe I should have trained.

Go slow, it's hard, but cadence and a good HR zone are key in long course rides. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate and fuel, like every 20 minutes or so you'll want to snack. Drafting is awesome, so play nice and draft rather than attack.

Know what the climbs are going to be, look at the elevation gains and understand what they mean before you go.

DZ Nuts is your friend, so too is sun screen (CVS now sells sunscreen in a squeeze pack - genius!)

tonybalony01

It sounds like you're off to a pretty good start in preparing for your ride.
I would suggest getting in some longer rides: anywhere from 60-70 miles, if not more, before your century.
Definitely get in some group rides just so you get used to being in a group setting. Riding in a group is quite a bit different than riding solo.
The pre-ride meal is completely up to you. Eat too much and you'll feel like you have a boat anchor in your stomach. Eat too little and you'll be passing out before the first rest stop. Do what works for you. For me, I eat a normal meal the night before, and my pre-ride breakfast is usually a couple servings of granola and a fruit smoothie.
Eating and drinking during the ride is essential. I generally plan on going through at least one bottle of water between rest stops and refill at each stop (I also sweat a lot). I also eat something at each rest stop as well, whether it's an energy bar or a pbj sandwich or some fruit, as long as it's something. Also getting off the bike, stretching, and just resting for a couple minutes will help.
Wear some shorts with a nice, comfortable chamois. A good, light-weight, breathable jersey is necessary, as well.
As pretty much everybody else has mentioned: pace yourself. Take your normal ride pace for your longer rides and subtract 2 or 3 mph. Don't kill yourself on the hills just to keep up. You'll need that energy for later. Find some riders going at your comfortable pace and stay with them. Talk to them and have some fun. It will help the miles fly by.
Since you mentioned that you tend to be competitive, just keep reminding yourself that it's not a race. You are not Chris Froome in the Tour de France. There is no prize for finishing first.
Most of all, have fun. I did my first century last year and did one again in May. I had a blast on both of them and can't wait for my next one. Enjoy the scenery, the company, and the thrill of the ride from cruising through the countryside on your bike.
Good luck!

m1xm0d3

Thanks for all of the useful advice everyone. Sorry for the long delay responding. I was out... training for this ride.

I joined 2 weekend group rides Sat & Sun this past week. Both went extremely well with no help needed to fall in line. I rode a B+ group mostly single pace line with about 7 other riders averaging around 17+. We did 38 miles on Sat with a stop around the 25 mile mark. Not knowing where we were going afterwards or how many miles we had left (I was opposite of hungry) I made myself eat a banana, half bagel and a fruit smoothie and felt plenty good for the ride back.

Going back out this evening for another group ride. This ride is actually part of the century course so I will get to preview what is in store in a few months.

Bottom bracket is ticking after riding through a shower the other day. Dropping that off for repair/tuning on Wednesday, prior to getting the bike fitting done which is scheduled for this Friday.

m1xm0d3

TheBigYin wrote: »

Oh - from you're map on screen, I did 5 minutes in map-my-ride and came up with this...

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/785433093

Doesn't look massively hilly to me - 954m of ascent in 100 miles is a fair bit less than I'd expect in a ride around this area - of course YMMV

Thanks for mapping that. I was gonna but had been lazy! I use MMR myself so now I can send that to my phone.

Bikerchickmomma

I have ridden a 96 mile route to our summer cottage 25 times over the past 10 years. I usually ride solo. My (successful) routine works like this: The night before, I'll have a double serving of oatmeal for supper with fruit. The morning of the ride, I may have just a banana before I start. I can't ride on a full stomach. And you always want to have a decent B.M. before you start. I take my first stop at around 33 miles at a gas station. I take a restroom break and buy a medium cappuccino. I eat some of my nuts and dried fruit and refill my water bottle. My break lasts no more than 15-20 minutes. Less if I can swing it. If you break any longer than that, you may start to stiffen up. My next stop is at the 65 mile mark at another gas station. Restroom break, snack, water, refill, and sometimes another cappuccino. (Great energy drink: caffeine and sugar.) It usually takes me around 6 hours to do the actual riding, excluding the breaks. I try to average around 15 miles per hour. Speed and direction of the wind plays a big part of my overall time. My best time, I averaged almost 19 mph. I had a sweet tail wind and I rode 50+ miles of the route in the pouring rain. Nothing to make you go faster than the thought of getting dry and warm when you're done. Longest time was battling an absolutely wicked north wind. Took an hour and 1/2 longer. If it's really hot, you want to make sure you drink enough. Try to take a swallow every 2-3 miles. I had a few of these rides where when I reached our cottage I had nothing in me left to pee. The best tip I can tell you is to enjoy yourself. It's not a race. You are only competing with yourself. You can make it as easy or as hard as you choose. Have fun!!

TheBigYin

m1xm0d3 wrote: »

TheBigYin wrote: »

Oh - from you're map on screen, I did 5 minutes in map-my-ride and came up with this...

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/785433093

Doesn't look massively hilly to me - 954m of ascent in 100 miles is a fair bit less than I'd expect in a ride around this area - of course YMMV

Thanks for mapping that. I was gonna but had been lazy! I use MMR myself so now I can send that to my phone.

No worries - literally 10 minutes work, and at least it showed that it wasn't exactly a hilly route... seeing all the "creeks" "Swamps" and rivers it was only ever likely to be a "rolling hilly" type of route rather than something silly mountainous... It's a big country you've got over there, and to be honest, it's sometimes difficult to get a handle on the terrain in areas that are unfamiliar...

m1xm0d3

Got the bike fit (new shorter, taller stem) and got a tune up so afterwards I went out and did 50 miles yesterday relatively easy. Averaged about 17.5 mph @ 1214 ft gain.
I ate something small (140 cals) at about 28 miles and that was just enough to get me home before I was pretty drained. 2 full bottles of water were barely enough.

Today 2 of us went out and did 38 miles all of which I led. I took more food and fluids this time I still felt great when we finished.

In particular, there is one hill that climbs 128 feet within about 1km and it's tricky because there's 3 parts to it and it gassed me bad the first time I rode it but approaching it slower and steady this time kept me from cracking and kept the miles after much more enjoyable.

Just_Ceci

Sounds like a great couple of days, @m1xm0d3 and I wish I could hold a 17.5 pace for a 50 mile ride!

Archon2

Excellent - I think you are well along in being prepared for the big one in September!

veloman21

Sounds to me like you are in god shape to do this ride. As centuries go it's a very flat route so should be a relatively easy ride. I imagine you would take about 6 hours to complete it. It will be much easier if you are in a group with a each rider doing their fair share of work, especially if it is windy.

The main thing I think for you will be to stay hydrated and to ensure you eat while on the bike. For endurance rides I aim to eat between 200-300 cals per hour depending on how hard I am riding and to consume 1 x 20-24floz water/nuun mix per hour. I find that setting my alarm on my Garmin to beep every 20 mins helps me to remember to eat frequently.

Most of all enjoy the ride!!

m1xm0d3

Thanks @Just_Ceci and everyone else.

Confidence is getting much stronger. I think the biggest things for me to overcome now is the hydration, which I have 2 bottle cages and a 1.5L hydro pack so with the SAG stops I should be ok on fluids. I would like to hear recommendations for water supplements. Nunn, Skratch. I've never used any of them before. Last few long rides I just drank Gatorade.
Food, bonking from not enough food intake is probably my biggest concern. I will def need a reminder to eat as I am very far from hungry during my rides and have to force food down my throat.
I think I will be ok on the distance but riding last week, very close to 50 miles, my left foot started hurting right where the cleat sits and it was far from comfortable. At the time I wanted to pull over and take my shoes off for a few minutes. Once I got home I adjusted it some but I sure hope that doesn't plague me later on.

Just_Ceci

I have 2 bottle cages. I usually fill one with water and one with some kind of gatorade or such. On longer rides with SAG, I refill one bottle with water and the other with whatever sports drink they have. I have my usual breakfast (either a breakfast taco or a peanut butter sandwich and coffee). I usually carry an energy bar with me just in case, but also grab a piece of fruit, nuts, or half a pbj sandwich if they have them at the SAG stops.

Unclip and wiggle your toes when you think about it. That might help with the foot. Take your shoes off at the rest stops and walk around a little if you want. I have to remind myself to relax my shoulders on longer rides to prevent issues 50 miles in.

cccorlew

Start slow (slow and comfortable for YOU) and don't get excited. You only have so many matches. It will be hard to watch people zoom away from you, but relax and enjoy. If at mile 80 you feel good, that's the time to hammer.

m1xm0d3

Still chipping away at my concerns. Here recently it's been the hills. However, since last week I have been targeting hills and the strategy to climb them. Last evening we did a ride and hit a very steep hill. I was in my lowest gear creeping up the hill. But instead of cringing, I actually enjoyed it! Now that I know HOW to approach them and pace myself to the top instead of going hard and burning out half way up. 6 weeks to go.

kcjchang

Water is all one needs unless there is a medical necessity (see http://sportsscientists.com/sports-science/fluid-heat-thermoregulation/). Mix carbohydrate for a quick pickup; that the only active ingredient that counts in most sport drinks. I tried Nuun on one century and that was enough. I was dehydrated for the latter half of the ride and drink like a horse for the next two days. Never touch stuff like it when I was racing (some 25 years ago) but my mileage was shorter (60-70 miles tops). Was wondering why I reacted opposite to the advertised virtues when I came across studies cited in the post. Besides being a poor college student back then, we scoff at needing Gatorade and such. Even when I was in the army when we were given the choice only the lazy ones drink them and call it quits after 30-60 minutes. Imagine working in 110+ deg F and wearing EPA level C type protection that consist of 3-6mm butyl rubber thick apron, gloves, and gas mask over heavy cotton jumpsuit for four to six hours. Mask was on about half that time (ambient air not SCBA like the fireman uses). Fun times.

faugsu

I like Nuun!! Don't pass rest stops unless you are an animal!!

m1xm0d3

Still clocking the miles. This past weekend I rode 40 miles with a group @ 18.5 mph avg. Then yesterday evening I went out alone for 51 miles. Consumed a banana before leaving, and took with me a bottle of gatorade and a cliff bar along with plenty of water. I took 3 small 5 minute breaks to drink and eat part of a snack. The 51 miles I finished much stronger than my previous 50+ from a week or so ago. My 10 mile splits showed a surge on the last 10 miles which is awesome. Still had fuel in the tank but it was far too close to dusk when I finished up. And afterwards, my left foot wasn't as sore as before. Progress!

However, my ride in to work this morning was sooo slow. Low energy. There was a headwind but I swear it felt like my brakes were dragging! lol

m1xm0d3

The ride is complete. I did 104 miles in 6:04 riding time so just over 17mph avg and 3,400 feet of climbing. Almost all solo miles too. Other riders were either faster or slower than me so no drafting. Being a supported ride really helped as 4 rest stops along the way had all the provisions one would need to keep energy levels up. The worst part about it was starting in the midst of a thunderstorm. For the first 15 miles, hard wind driven rain. It was terrible! But once it cleared, it made the rest of the ride much better by comparison. Ate the house down afterwards. Even went for a 26 mile ride yesterday and felt strong. Little soreness. Same for the commute to work this morning. Looking forward to the next one in October!

Archon2

Congrats; nice recap too. How was the saddle issue?

m1xm0d3

Archon2 wrote: »

Congrats; nice recap too. How was the saddle issue?

Tolerable... I tried a new saddle last week and it was too firm so I went back to my old one, lubed up good with butt'r before the stop then with antibiotic ointment at each rest stop. Still some rubbing in the one particular spot but for 104 miles it wasn't bad at all.

I know you've seen it, Joe. But here is the ride recording for others if they want to see.

https://www.strava.com/activities/390805591


Anyone else having trouble with Strava app not auto-pausing? It's set to ON but still will not pause when stopped.