Saturday 18 October 3008 - Salton Sea Century Ride

I finished my first century ride today. It was in the Borrego Desert and it took 6 hours 52 minutes to complete the 102.5 miles, including about 20 minutes for 4 stops. My bike computer says I averaged 15.8 mph (including stops) and had an average heart rate of 135 (again, including stops) and burned 4528 cal. I have not stopped eating or drinking since I finished 5 hours ago.

It's not a big surprise but I learned a lot from this ride.

• Get advice from someone who has done one of these things before (like Mrs Laz!)
• Clip turn-by-turn directions (a.k.a. the cue sheet) to your bike somewhere that is visible as you ride. And carry a map! This will help prevent you from going the wrong way and having to back track if the course is not well-marked.
• Study the course, including elevations, during the week before the ride. Then you won't be surprised at how gnarly various "little hills" are.
• Apply sunscreen to ALL exposed skin.
• If you're a guy it's a good idea to apply Chamois butter to your, ummm, sensitive parts.
• In training to go 100 miles, try to get in at least one 75 mile ride and 2 shorter rides in the same week so that all your rides total well over 100 miles. And,
• Just like a marathon, you've reached the "half way point" when you've completed about 75% of the distance (not 50%).

The ride broken into 3 "laps".
Lap 1 was 28.25 miles with an ~1200ft climb from mile 13 to ~17.5. - 1:39:25 (max speed 41.8 mph)
1 min break to refill water bottle.
Lap 2 was a pretty flat 17.22 miles with a total of about 200ft elevation change. - :52:55
Lap 3 was a 55.16 mile ride, though I probably rode 57 miles with an almost 1000ft climb over 12 miles that was more difficult than lap 1's climb - 4:18:33, including 2 stops of 3+ minutes to replenish fluids, and a 13 minute stop at the overlook for fluids, to relieve foot pain, and a potty stop.The last 25 or so miles were tough going. It was hot and dry, the road was rough in places, an RV tried to get as close as he could and honked to scare me, and the climb to the overlook/stop almost did me in. And everything hurt: my neck, shoulders, triceps, butt, back, knees (only slightly), and the outside balls of my feet were hurting and burning hot. Because I ride a triathlon bike I have about 4 riding positions, none of which is sitting straight up. How's that for complaining?!

Now I've done a 3 mile rough water swim, a 100 mile bike ride (with difficult terrain), and a 26.2 mile marathon. An Ironman Triathlon is 2.4 miles/112 miles/26.2 miles long. The question is how to be able to put it all together.