century 2nd attempt

The biggest things I've learned is to ride at a very mellow pace, especially
at first, and secondly, eat and hydrate early and often. You're in this
ride for the long haul. Burning yourself out by going to fast will
definitely cause problems. One of our friends says that her best century
advice is "Must eat like pig" 🙂 - not sure it has to be that extreme.

The other thing is to make sure you are comfortably doing enough base miles.
Can you consistently ride 50-60 miles now without dying? It seems like a
rule of thumb I've heard is that you can double your "normal" mileage for a
bigger event like this if you ride it right (mellow pace and proper eating
and hydration).

I don't have any really specific plans like how much to eat and when.
Someone else may be able to help with more detail.

Good luck! A century is very doable- it's more the mental hurdle than
anything.
Lyle

<[email hidden]> wrote in message > Can anyone advise me on how to
plan for a long ride like this, how

Quoted message said:

much and when to eat, when to break,when to push and when to take it
easy. There is rest stops every 20 to 30 km. lunch stop is at 60 km.
Ride start at 8 a.m. Just want to plan ahead so the whole thing be
more enjoyable this time.

Quoted message said:

newbie here, try to complete a century coming July 22. It is an easy
course, basically flat. Last year's story, life was good for the first
60 Km(lunch stop). but things went downhill after that, I was
dehydrated, legs cramped a little bit, running on empty but with a
full stomach, the heat was on, head wind picked up, making it a very
tough ride for the next 30 km(rest stop). took an hour break to get
rehydrated and, then took a short cut back to finish total about 110
km in 9 hours.
Can anyone advise me on how to plan for a long ride like this, how
much and when to eat, when to break,when to push and when to take it
easy. There is rest stops every 20 to 30 km. lunch stop is at 60 km.
Ride start at 8 a.m. Just want to plan ahead so the whole thing be
more enjoyable this time.

Full course maphttp://www.bikeclub.ca/library/pdfs/TDA_map_2006.pdf

Slow and steady right from the start is pretty much mandatory. Often
people will get psyched up and go out too hard. You should think of
the first 20k or so as a warm up and ease into the day. Resist the
temptation to ride with people that want to go faster than you should
- no matter how cute or how good of a conversationalist. 😉

As far as the eating and drinking, do it constantly. If you're
thirsty or hungry you're already into the red zone. Pre-emptive
refueling is a must - nibbles and sips the whole way. Don't spend too
much time at the rest stops as your muscles will start tightening up.
Depending on how many base miles you've been riding each week in
preparation, you might want to consider skipping a rest stop or two.
Unless you're out of food or water - and that should _never_ happen -
and have to stop, the rest stop can interrupt your rhythm and be more
of a liability than an asset.

Mentally, you should break the day up into two parts - before and
after lunch - as you'll most likely take a longer break for lunch,
rest and schmoozing with those cute conversationalists. The after-
lunch startup should be approached the same way the day started - slow
and easy.

If you're riding 20 or 30 miles a few times a week, and can ride 60 or
65 miles comfortably, the century shouldn't be a problem. If you're
not putting in enough training miles, the century goal might be a bit
painful to achieve.

You didn't mention what sort of bike you're riding. While there are
people that ride road centuries on mountain bikes, a road bike is a
helluva lot easier. Spinning up those fat, heavy wheels takes a lot
of energy which doesn't make the miles any easier.

R

In article <dhMhi.829$4e5.288@trndny07>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

The biggest things I've learned is to ride at a very mellow pace, especially
at first, and secondly, eat and hydrate early and often. You're in this
ride for the long haul. Burning yourself out by going to fast will
definitely cause problems. One of our friends says that her best century
advice is "Must eat like pig" 🙂 - not sure it has to be that extreme.

The other thing is to make sure you are comfortably doing enough base miles.
Can you consistently ride 50-60 miles now without dying? It seems like a
rule of thumb I've heard is that you can double your "normal" mileage for a
bigger event like this if you ride it right (mellow pace and proper eating
and hydration).

Doubling your mileage seems like a stretch, though some may be able to
do it. I have found that a 50% increase is more realistic for me. so
if my longest ride within a month or so of the century was 65 - 70
miles, then I'll be ok. Anything less than that may make the last 15-20
miles of the century a lot less fun than they should be.

Whatever your training, ease off in the week before the century, so you
go into it fully fresh.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

res09c5t said:

One of our friends says that her best century
advice is "Must eat like pig" 🙂 - not sure it has to be that extreme.

That's bad advice. The *most* you should consume during a ride is
250 Calories per hour. That's about one Clif Bar for every hour.

I see too many people stuffing their faces on longer rides. I get by
fine with about 150 Calories per hour, even on very long rides.
Better advice is "must eat like squirrel". Lots of nibbles.
--
terry morse - Undiscovered Country Tours - http://www.udctours.com

Terry Morse said:

res09c5t said:

One of our friends says that her best century
advice is "Must eat like pig" 🙂 - not sure it has to be that extreme.

That's bad advice. The *most* you should consume during a ride is
250 Calories per hour. That's about one Clif Bar for every hour.

I see too many people stuffing their faces on longer rides. I get by
fine with about 150 Calories per hour, even on very long rides.
Better advice is "must eat like squirrel". Lots of nibbles.
--
terry morse - Undiscovered Country Tours -http://www.udctours.com

This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating, nausea,
and other discomforts. High concentrations of sugar in the stomach
from for example shoving down too many chocolates can also contribute
to dehydration issues. The body diverts water that is sorely needed
elsewhere to the gut to get a proper dilution for absorbtion of all
these sugars. The 250 calories per hour is perhaps a good starting
point, but I think this could be adjusted up or down based on body
size, effort level, and fitness level.

The OP might well aim for a hearty breakfast 1.5 hours before start,
nibbles along the way, enough fluids to replenish and aid absorbtion
but not so much that he must urinate all the time, and a decent size
lunch at the half-way point followed by nibbles on the way back in.

A key point is as others have suggested that a reasonable pace be
adopted from the very start. Avoid the temptation to go faster than is
maintainable. Suffering down the road is almost gauranteed otherwise.
Think tortoise vs hare. Sometime for long rides to minimize the
potential for suffering the objective shouldn't be so much to ride
fast, but to avoid riding slow. There is a big difference. And a wish
to ride (relatively) fast is not just for racers. Anyone who spends
more time than the really need to ride a given distance is opening
themselves up to discomforts of various sorts that can be avoided by
less time on the bike.

Joseph

Quoted message said:

This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating, nausea,
and other discomforts. <snip>

The advice to endlessly drink is pretty much B.S. as well. It means more
trips to the cornfields than you want to make.

Mike Kruger said:

Quoted message said:

This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating, nausea,
and other discomforts. <snip>

The advice to endlessly drink is pretty much B.S. as well. It means more
trips to the cornfields than you want to make.

Who said to endlessly drink?

R

RicodJour said:

Mike Kruger said:

Quoted message said:

This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating,
nausea, and other discomforts. <snip>

The advice to endlessly drink is pretty much B.S. as well. It means
more trips to the cornfields than you want to make.

Who said to endlessly drink?

Ah, trick question. It was you:

"As far as the eating and drinking, do it constantly."

I'm not saying your advice isn't basically sound, applied reasonably. It
most certainly is.

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

Mike Kruger said:

RicodJour said:

Mike Kruger said:

[email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating,
> nausea, and other discomforts. <snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The advice to endlessly drink is pretty much B.S. as well. It means
more trips to the cornfields than you want to make.

Quoted message said:

Who said to endlessly drink?

Ah, trick question. It was you:

"As far as the eating and drinking, do it constantly."

I'm not saying your advice isn't basically sound, applied reasonably. It
most certainly is.

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

Which is why my next two sentences were:
"If you're thirsty or hungry you're already into the red zone. Pre-
emptive
refueling is a must - nibbles and sips the whole way."

It's tough to overdo it if you're taking nibbles and sips. The OP
already experienced dehydration, which is a far bigger problem than
drinking a bit too much and having to stop and take a leak, no?

The OP's century wasn't a group ride death march. He took breaks,
took a short cut at the end due to the problems. I think it's safe to
say that he's charting his own course and that's why he asked the
question. The number and frequency of his breaks has nothing to do
with a leader. You're projecting.

R

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

As a member of the itty-bitty-bladder-committee, I'd like someone to invent
the equivalent to the camelbak, only for out-flow, as opposed to in-flow.
It's worse for us gals, who can't look like we're casually surveying the
undergrowth by the side of the road. Having said that, the upside to a
construction boom in our area is that exurbia is littered with what my
friend terms, "blue rooms" - Honey Bucket must be making a fortune. Thus, we
can be riding along on some woodsy road, and usually in a mile or two, a
blue room appears, saving one from having to squat in the ditch.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

On Jul 3, 9:59 am, "Claire Petersky" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

As a member of the itty-bitty-bladder-committee, I'd like someone to invent
the equivalent to the camelbak, only for out-flow, as opposed to in-flow.
It's worse for us gals, who can't look like we're casually surveying the
undergrowth by the side of the road.

That's the first mistake. You're supposed to look up in the trees to
distract people. They'll start looking up too hoping to see a bald
eagle instead of my...errr...nevermind.

Quoted message said:

Having said that, the upside to a
construction boom in our area is that exurbia is littered with what my
friend terms, "blue rooms" - Honey Bucket must be making a fortune. Thus, we
can be riding along on some woodsy road, and usually in a mile or two, a
blue room appears, saving one from having to squat in the ditch.

I hope you leave them as clean as you found them! Blecch! I'd rather
squat in a ditch.

Johnny On The Spot is a good name. Porta Potty works. But Honey
Bucket?! Nothing like over-reaching with the euphemism.

R

In article <[email hidden]>,

RicodJour said:

Johnny On The Spot is a good name. Porta Potty works. But Honey
Bucket?! Nothing like over-reaching with the euphemism.

Honey Bucket has a proud history, according to the OED it's been
part of North American slang since the 1930's at least.

_ Booker C. Bense

Booker C. Bense bbense+rec.bicycles.rides.Jul. said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

RicodJour said:

Johnny On The Spot is a good name. Porta Potty works. But Honey
Bucket?! Nothing like over-reaching with the euphemism.

Honey Bucket has a proud history, according to the OED it's been
part of North American slang since the 1930's at least.

I was unaware of the usage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_bucket
It's still an unfortunate choice of words.
The smell in those things is enough to turn you off of _anything_ that
is associated with them.
It's just plain wrong.

R

Claire Petersky said:

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

Cycling in a "committee" has many drawbacks. .... Experience has taught
me that if you aren't stopping to pee, you're not drinking enough.

Quoted message said:

As a member of the itty-bitty-bladder-committee, I'd like someone to invent
the equivalent to the camelbak, only for out-flow, as opposed to in-flow.
It's worse for us gals, who can't look like we're casually surveying the
undergrowth by the side of the road.

http://www.femalefreedom.ca/ (The P-Mate)

And then there is always the Josie Dew cycle-cape-portaloo (squat while
wearing a poncho - There's a photo in "The Wind at My Wheels."😉

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************

"RicodJour" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Johnny On The Spot is a good name. Porta Potty works. But Honey
Bucket?! Nothing like over-reaching with the euphemism.

Tell that to the Honey Bucket company, the dominant supplier of these
facilities around here: http://www.honeybucket.com/

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

RicodJour said:

Mike Kruger said:

RicodJour said:

On Jul 2, 9:57 pm, "Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> [email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> This is a very important point. Overeating can cause bloating,
>> nausea, and other discomforts. <snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> The advice to endlessly drink is pretty much B.S. as well. It means
> more trips to the cornfields than you want to make.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Who said to endlessly drink?

Quoted message said:

Ah, trick question. It was you:

Quoted message said:

"As far as the eating and drinking, do it constantly."

Quoted message said:

I'm not saying your advice isn't basically sound, applied reasonably. It
most certainly is.

Quoted message said:

But neophytes can carry anything to extremes, and it's no fun leading a
group which has to stop for a potty break twice an hour after mile 50.

Which is why my next two sentences were:
"If you're thirsty or hungry you're already into the red zone. Pre-
emptive
refueling is a must - nibbles and sips the whole way."

It's tough to overdo it if you're taking nibbles and sips. The OP
already experienced dehydration, which is a far bigger problem than
drinking a bit too much and having to stop and take a leak, no?

The OP's century wasn't a group ride death march. He took breaks,
took a short cut at the end due to the problems. I think it's safe to
say that he's charting his own course and that's why he asked the
question. The number and frequency of his breaks has nothing to do
with a leader. You're projecting.

R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks for the many good advise, I think the 'nibbles and sips' will
work for me and I will pace my own stop and just load up my pocket and
bottles at the organizer's stop. It's not a death march so I'll take
my time, but 20 km warm up seems a bit long. By the way, I ride MTB
with slick last time but since I switch to a road bike.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the many good advise, I think the 'nibbles and sips' will
work for me and I will pace my own stop and just load up my pocket and
bottles at the organizer's stop. It's not a death march so I'll take
my time, but 20 km warm up seems a bit long. By the way, I ride MTB
with slick last time but since I switch to a road bike.

Switching to a road bike will certainly make it a lot easier on you.
It's amazing how cycling fads influence people. When people ask me
for advice on what bike to get, half the time I'm trying to convince
them - not always successfully - that it's more important to get a
bike that suits the type of riding they'll be doing rather than how
they think they'll look on the bike!

When I said to think of the first 20K as a warm up, that's more or
less what it is regardless of how you look at it. It takes about a
half hour of mild effort to get the body loosened up and hitting on
all cylinders. You might feel like you can rip a phone book in half
at the start, but you should still take it easy. Ease into the day
and you'll ease out of it too.

Have fun!

R