Century

I crossed one goal for the year off the list yesterday when I rode a century ride on the bicycle. I ended up doing 100 miles in 6 hours 9 min in conditions that were less than perfect. The next time I go for it the conditions are going to have to be optimal because my goal is to get under 6 hours. When I finished riding yesterday I looked on the computer to see exactly how strong a wind I had been fighting and found out it was running at 18 to 22 miles an hour.
When I started the conditions were fine, a little bit of a breeze but nothing too extreme. It stayed that way for the next 60 miles and then I noticed that things were changing rapidly and a front was moving in. By that time I had made up my mind that I was going to finish, high wind or not. One of the benefits of this was that I got lots of practice in riding in the most aerodynamic position that I could. I could watch the display on the computer and see if the speed was picking up as I changed position.
Things to consider if you want to ride long distances are, get your bike in optimal condition because even a little extra drag in an out of adjustment component goes a long way, ride in a REALLY GOOD set of bike shorts, pay close attention to eating and drinking enough while you are riding or you will pay for it later on. A friend of mine who is an endurance racer told me that at 75 or 80 miles drink a regular Coke and he was right. The combination of the sugar and the caffeine really hit the spot. Be aware that at the +70 mile mark you have to be even more careful on the road than usual due to fatigue.
I learned some valuable things yesterday and I am looking forward to the next time I give it a go. But you can be sure that next time the wind will be calm. See you out on the road!

Progress Report

It was not a new years resolution but more of a couple of goals that I set for myself this year. The first is to ride a total 0f 5000 miles this year on the bicycles and the other is to do 2 century rides(100 mile rides).
5000 miles breaks down to 13.69 miles a day and I am doing a miminun of 14 to add in a little cushion. So today I did the math and and on three bikes I have ridden a total of 900 miles for the year. Actually when I first added it up I was at 899.61 so I jumped back on the bike and rode another four tenths of a mile to bring it to an even 900. ;-)
I have ridden a lot of miles over the years but never at this pace and I can tell already that I am stronger on the bike than I have ever been. By the time summer gets here I will be ready to tackle the second goal.
So I dare you, set a goal for your self that is a little ambitious and out side the old comfort zone. You might suprise yourself.