A Century of Riding

No, this is not a gross exaggeration of the amount of time I recently spent on some drawn out, exhausting bike ride. Rather, it is the actual number of miles I rode last Saturday (and therefore it was, indeed, drawn out and exhausting)! That's right, a week ago I was successful in completing my first 100+mile cycling event!!! (And when I refer to my means of transportation I am referring to bikes of the no-motor sort). I've been excited by the idea of riding a century (or 100mi.) bike ride over the past year and considering a very limiting schedule for our family I chose an event in Virginia as my best opportunity to do so. Since beginning my attempt at training 6 weeks ago my bike has, for the first time since moving to NYC, thanked me for spending more than a day outside of the attic. Although, sadly I think it will soon be heading back to the attic; a place I vow to never keep my bike again. Now back to my attempted 6-week training. It was exactly that... attempted. An example of the great disparity between theory and reality. Theory said I could ride 2-3 times per week working my way up to a 70mi. training ride before the real deal. Reality said nu-ugh; 1 ride/wk if you're lucky with a max training ride of 52mi., sick kids, a crash (minor, don't worry), flat tire... no 2 flat tires... in a single ride, and so forth. So as you might predict, with such a resume waves of fear started to set in by Thursday night and took over my thoughts by the time I approached VA Friday night. "Why the heck am I doing this?" frequented my thoughts that night. I was still excited to do it, too, but unsure how it would all pan out. I was luckily blessed with fantastic weather and a riding partner as I started that next morning. I was fair and gave him ample warning that this is my first century, I didn't train well, and the like, but when I told him my average speed I was shooting for he was sufficiently encouraged to partner up. Perhaps I was a little optimistic in my prediction but it worked out SO WELL! We rode the entire course together and somehow were never passed by another rider in the entire 105 miles! Granted, once the headwind off the Chesapeake set in at 45 miles he was leading me nearly all the way to 75 miles. So I gotta give him credit for the draft he provided me at no charge (And I mean draft as in breaking up the headwind. Don't worry, I'm not talking about any post-ride celebration draft here. That one I turned down.). By the time we headed back south to our starting point we had a side wind that was still strong but more tolerable and enabled me to finish surprisingly strong and comfortable. Sore, definitely, but at the finish I felt good enough to ride another mile just to make it an even 105. It was on the long drive home to NYC that the cramping set in, as did the need to frequent almost every convenience store restroom along the first 1.5hrs of the drive. I don't know if my tears at the finish were due to pain, relief, elation, or exhaustion. I think it may have been all of the above, although I think the elation predominated now. I don't know if any of you experience this when running, cycling, etc. but I feel like a cry baby after events like these. Shannon wasn't with me so I first called her but fought through tears to talk. Thank you for your support, Shannon!!! Yes, this was an accomplishment for me, but with 2 kids at home and little time at home with them as it is, without Shannon's willingness to let me realize this goal it would not have happened. Thank you!

Total Distance: 105 miles
Total Riding Time: 5hrs 45min.
Total Time: 7hrs 20min.
Average MPH: 18.1

(Kudos to my riding friend. Ok, yes, I got shown up by an older man. But he's completed 7 other century rides before this one. Here we are at the finish:)