"Century Challenge" Sun 18/5 Central Coast NSW

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This has been an annual charity event for many years. This year due to a washaway of a section of the Old Pacific Hwy the route of the last couple of years has changed. If you're looking for a good workout & you don't mind a few hills :D then get yourself to Kariong for an 8am start for the 100k or 8.30am for the 50k. Early bird $25 entry closes the 9/5 otherwise it's $30. More details including entry forms in the below link.
http://www.rotaryerina.org.au/cycle_route.php

the route of the last couple of years has changedOK now I understand, when you were talking about the big hill at 50 k I was wondering, because it was always early on. This might be a bit harder, better get up a few more hills!

One thing's for sure, nobody is gunna overheat on Sunday unless they are ridiculously overdressed. Predicted max temp is 16 & it won't reach that before most finish. I find it much harder to gauge fluid intake at that kind of temperature than when its 30. The 1.5 L I'll be carrying will be more than enough :)

The 8am start was accompanied by a cool breeze & soon warmed to a pleasant riding temperature.
I removed my leg warmers on the start line leaving my arm warmers on for the duration. I never actually felt to cool or to hot at any time. I started about half way in the pack & tried to get toward the front before we hit the open road. The 2nd k or so was a bloody disgrace rough as guts surface & anything that you didn’t tighten on the bike would have fallen off for sure. Water bottles tend to bounce out here & if you don’t notice you find out a couple of ks later as you go for your first swig.
I could see single riders a hundred metres or so in front & I knew I had to make contact sooner rather than later or wait hopefully for others to come along to pick me up. I got onto the 2 guys in front so the 3 of us shared it around. We could see others way up front & eventually picked up one of them 10ks further on.
We worked well enough together & picked up 2 more after another 10ks. Now we had a group of 6 & I was told there was only 1 other in front. Apparently that guy though had disappeared into the distance long ago.
On the steep decent toward the turn around we spread out as per usual. We lost 1 before the turn around, 1 stopped for water & another was enquiring re my ‘dinner plate’ big cog thinking it was a 30. I told him it’s a 27 which is my standard equipment. He was probably wishing he had it because he said he had a 23. I know the hill heading north out of Mooney isn’t as steepest hill around but it sure is steep enough to get the heart rate up.
At the top 1 guy was 200m in front of me & 1 other, not the bloke with the 23, he was gone. We were closing in on the solo rider till my catching partner dropped his chain. I slowed to wait for him as another from our previous group came along. The 3 of us took 3ks or so to peg the other guy back
The group of 4 soon became 2 & stayed that way for the last 25ks. We were both happy to finish, albeit with tired legs 102ks after we started.

The 8am start was accompanied by a cool breeze & soon warmed to a pleasant riding temperature.
I removed my leg warmers on the start line leaving my arm warmers on for the duration. I never actually felt to cool or to hot at any time. I started about half way in the pack & tried to get toward the front before we hit the open road. The 2nd k or so was a bloody disgrace rough as guts surface & anything that you didn’t tighten on the bike would have fallen off for sure. Water bottles tend to bounce out here & if you don’t notice you find out a couple of ks later as you go for your first swig.
I could see single riders a hundred metres or so in front & I knew I had to make contact sooner rather than later or wait hopefully for others to come along to pick me up. I got onto the 2 guys in front so the 3 of us shared it around. We could see others way up front & eventually picked up one of them 10ks further on.
We worked well enough together & picked up 2 more after another 10ks. Now we had a group of 6 & I was told there was only 1 other in front. Apparently that guy though had disappeared into the distance long ago.
On the steep decent toward the turn around we spread out as per usual. We lost 1 before the turn around, 1 stopped for water & another was enquiring re my ‘dinner plate’ big cog thinking it was a 30. I told him it’s a 27 which is my standard equipment. He was probably wishing he had it because he said he had a 23. I know the hill heading north out of Mooney isn’t as steepest hill around but it sure is steep enough to get the heart rate up.
At the top 1 guy was 200m in front of me & 1 other, not the bloke with the 23, he was gone. We were closing in on the solo rider till my catching partner dropped his chain. I slowed to wait for him as another from our previous group came along. The 3 of us took 3ks or so to peg the other guy back
The group of 4 soon became 2 & stayed that way for the last 25ks. We were both happy to finish, albeit with tired legs 102ks after we started.Al
great report
I didn't make it due to some sort of stomach cramps that came on Friday night and Sat morning very disappointed but there's always next year

stomach cramps It's amazing how the mention of a coupla little sand dunes can effect ones health :p :D