a century at Festivelo

[pam_in_sc]

Roger Zoul and I rode together at Festivelo and did the English century.
I had done an organized century in my youth--that one was a recreation
of the 100th anniversary of the first 100 mile bicycle ride in the
United States (Boston, mid 1970s). But this was my first century in
nearly 30 years.

I did a metric century in October and trained so well for it that it
seemed easy--I didn't feel like I had accomplished something big. This
time I knew I was undertrained but wanted to push myself and see if I
could do it. I haven't been able to ride as much since October--the
longest ride I've done in the last month was 50 miles on Thanksgiving.

It feels good to have accomplished something hard. I didn't hurt at all
until about 60 miles and then only intermittently, but I almost turned
into the camp at 94 miles instead of going 5 miles out and back to a
rest stop that was scheduled to be closed by the time we got there.
Roger was determined to keep going and at the last minute I decided to
also. It was great to have a riding partner--I don't think I would have
succeeded alone.

More of the story is at: http://deeplanguage.blogspot.com/

Pam

 

[Beverly]

"pam_in_sc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Roger Zoul and I rode together at Festivelo and did the English century.
> I had done an organized century in my youth--that one was a recreation
> of the 100th anniversary of the first 100 mile bicycle ride in the
> United States (Boston, mid 1970s). But this was my first century in
> nearly 30 years.
>
> I did a metric century in October and trained so well for it that it
> seemed easy--I didn't feel like I had accomplished something big. This
> time I knew I was undertrained but wanted to push myself and see if I
> could do it. I haven't been able to ride as much since October--the
> longest ride I've done in the last month was 50 miles on Thanksgiving.
>
> It feels good to have accomplished something hard. I didn't hurt at all
> until about 60 miles and then only intermittently, but I almost turned
> into the camp at 94 miles instead of going 5 miles out and back to a
> rest stop that was scheduled to be closed by the time we got there.
> Roger was determined to keep going and at the last minute I decided to
> also. It was great to have a riding partner--I don't think I would have
> succeeded alone.
>
> More of the story is at: http://deeplanguage.blogspot.com/
>
> Pam
>
Thanks for the report and congratulations to both of you.

Beverly

 

[psycholist]

"pam_in_sc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Roger Zoul and I rode together at Festivelo and did the English century. I
> had done an organized century in my youth--that one was a recreation of
> the 100th anniversary of the first 100 mile bicycle ride in the United
> States (Boston, mid 1970s). But this was my first century in nearly 30
> years.
>
> I did a metric century in October and trained so well for it that it
> seemed easy--I didn't feel like I had accomplished something big. This
> time I knew I was undertrained but wanted to push myself and see if I
> could do it. I haven't been able to ride as much since October--the
> longest ride I've done in the last month was 50 miles on Thanksgiving.
>
> It feels good to have accomplished something hard. I didn't hurt at all
> until about 60 miles and then only intermittently, but I almost turned
> into the camp at 94 miles instead of going 5 miles out and back to a rest
> stop that was scheduled to be closed by the time we got there. Roger was
> determined to keep going and at the last minute I decided to also. It was
> great to have a riding partner--I don't think I would have succeeded
> alone.
>
> More of the story is at: http://deeplanguage.blogspot.com/
>
> Pam
>

Pam,

Whilst wolfing down lunch I visited your blog and read your full account.
I'm glad you survived and made it to the finish. I've gotta hand it to you,
I've never been on a bike for that many hours straight in my life ... and
I've done 100,000 miles or more in the last decade.

I wanted to offer a bit of a suggestion ... something to consider. I know
you've only been back into cycling for 6 months and you've told me your age
before. I'm about the same age. That's background for what I'm about to
suggest.

Work on increasing your speed. Work hard at it. Don't do it by trying to
grind bigger gears, do it by practicing increasing your cadence. If you
ride at a high cadence in easy gears, you can get to where you fly along
rather effortlessly on the flats. In my experience, it's more painful to be
on the bike for a long period of time going slow than it is to ride more
briskly and get done more quickly. Sometimes I go on long training rides
with folks in the winter time and they average 15 or 16 mph which is quite
slow to me. My butt and hands get exceedingly sore and uncomfortable. The
effort to ride at 18 or 19 mph would actually seem less because a) it
wouldn't take so darned long and b) what increased effort I put into the
pedals would remove some of the weight-bearing burden from my hands and
butt.

At the next opportunity, try staying with a group of riders going a little
faster than you typically ride. In the shelter of a group, you should be
able to do this without much difficulty. The benefit of drafting in a
larger group of riders can be HUGE!

The ride you described would have been an excruciating mental ordeal for me.
I truly believe that, if you'll push the pace more, you'll find there are
pleasant trade-offs -- a little more muscle soreness, a LOT less butt and
hand soreness. A little more physical stress, a LOT less mental stress.

It occurs to me, though, that I should ask what you're riding. If you're on
a mountain bike, 14.5 mph is pretty good. If you're on a road bike or
hybrid, on terrain like that in Charleston, I think you could up that pace.

Just a suggestion. The really important thing is, congratulations and keep
riding!

Bob C.

 

[pam_in_sc]

psycholist wrote:
> Pam,
>
> Whilst wolfing down lunch I visited your blog and read your full account.
> I'm glad you survived and made it to the finish. I've gotta hand it to you,
> I've never been on a bike for that many hours straight in my life ... and
> I've done 100,000 miles or more in the last decade.
>
> I wanted to offer a bit of a suggestion ... something to consider. I know
> you've only been back into cycling for 6 months and you've told me your age
> before. I'm about the same age. That's background for what I'm about to
> suggest.
>
> Work on increasing your speed. Work hard at it. Don't do it by trying to
> grind bigger gears, do it by practicing increasing your cadence. If you
> ride at a high cadence in easy gears, you can get to where you fly along
> rather effortlessly on the flats. In my experience, it's more painful to be
> on the bike for a long period of time going slow than it is to ride more
> briskly and get done more quickly. Sometimes I go on long training rides
> with folks in the winter time and they average 15 or 16 mph which is quite
> slow to me. My butt and hands get exceedingly sore and uncomfortable. The
> effort to ride at 18 or 19 mph would actually seem less because a) it
> wouldn't take so darned long and b) what increased effort I put into the
> pedals would remove some of the weight-bearing burden from my hands and
> butt.
>
> At the next opportunity, try staying with a group of riders going a little
> faster than you typically ride. In the shelter of a group, you should be
> able to do this without much difficulty. The benefit of drafting in a
> larger group of riders can be HUGE!
>
> The ride you described would have been an excruciating mental ordeal for me.
> I truly believe that, if you'll push the pace more, you'll find there are
> pleasant trade-offs -- a little more muscle soreness, a LOT less butt and
> hand soreness. A little more physical stress, a LOT less mental stress.
>
> It occurs to me, though, that I should ask what you're riding. If you're on
> a mountain bike, 14.5 mph is pretty good. If you're on a road bike or
> hybrid, on terrain like that in Charleston, I think you could up that pace.
>
> Just a suggestion. The really important thing is, congratulations and keep
> riding!
>
> Bob C.

I did fully loaded touring in college, so it seems like a pretty fast
pace to me. But I am interested in getting faster, because I don't have
time in my life at present for long slow rides. I'm riding an Orbea
Aspin (http://www.glorycycles.com/orasbi.html)--a fast bike. I'm still
somewhat overweight (BMI 26.6), so that may make me slower. I was
riding at a heart rate of 70% to 85% of my maximum heart rate, probably
mostly 75% to 80%. What percent of your maximum heart rate do you ride
at--are you actually exerting yourself a lot more or is it just that I'm
not that far back into shape yet?

From my earlier experience I tend to fall into bicycling in the style
of hiking and don't find it a mental ordeal at all (and I have the right
saddle for me--a Brooks Team Professional S). I've ridden alone as far
as 7 hours and found it peaceful and meditative. In the case of
Festivelo, Roger Zoul and I had a good time talking and some quiet
peaceful times as well.

I keep up a decent cadence on the flat--I can't remember what I checked
it to be riding over Thanksgiving but it was over 80 anyway. So I think
I need to concentrate on pushing harder as well as on spinning faster.

This was really my first experience with riding with others--in Ride for
the Raptors I rode alone almost the whole time. I did enjoy it, so I
should try riding with a group. It is the wrong time of year to decide
that. Was it you that gave me the link I can't find now for the upstate
ride calendar from some internet based independent group (not the
Greenville or Electric City clubs)?

Pam

 

[psycholist]

Pam,

This is the link I have for Cyberspinners ... the group I was probably
telling you about.

http://spinners.clemson.edu/site/site?cx=spinners-1-0

It wasn't working last time I tried it. Send an e-mail to [email protected]
and tell Chris that I referred you. Ask him for the correct link. He's
the founder of the group. I know they're doing rides all the time. I get a
weekly e-mail from them and it always includes 3 or 4 different rides ...
all in the Pendleton/Clemson area and all for "mellow" riders.

I just assumed, based on what you said happened after the ride when you got
back to camp, that it was a mental ordeal for you being on the bike that
long in Charleston. Perhaps I misunderstood.

You asked what percent of my max heart rate I ride at. I haven't got a
clue. I rode with a heart rate monitor for a season and then chucked it. I
have a crazy-low heart rate. I sometimes check it in the morning and it's
32 or 34. There was a health fair in Pendleton. I parked my car at the
bottom of a hill, walk up the hill, walked into a tent, sat down and had a
blood pressure cuff put on me. My pulse was 43. I don't remember what my
bp was, but the nurse was kinda freaked out, 'cuz she saw me walk up. I can
hardly run since I got hit by the car two years ago. But I had a stress
test this summer. They had me running like I hadn't run in years, with the
treadmill cranked way up and the incline really high. I went for 13 minutes
like that and my hr was 135. Long answer. Sorry.

Have you ever thought about an indoor trainer or set of rollers? I use
rollers a lot. They're great for your form and for improving your cadence.
They can also give you a great aerobic workout. I rely on them heavily this
time of year and I think they make me a much stronger rider in many ways.

Gotta run.
Bob

 

[pam_in_sc]

psycholist wrote:

> I just assumed, based on what you said happened after the ride when you got
> back to camp, that it was a mental ordeal for you being on the bike that
> long in Charleston. Perhaps I misunderstood.

I enjoyed almost all the ride--there was a stretch around 90 miles I
didn't enjoy but I did enjoy the last 3 miles. I had an odd emotional
reaction going back into the camp, but it was just a sign of fatigue.
Couldn't cope with anything going wrong.

Thanks for information on cyberspinners--that is what I was thinking of.

Pam