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“Warning, LONG”<br>
I did a century ride on Saturday. 100 miles +. This was my first and farthest ride ever by more then double. Let me set this up for you.<br><br>
4 years ago a woman I work with was telling me how well she thought I would fit in with the bike club. I’ve always owned a bike but all I had now was an ancient 10 speed and didn’t really want to spend a lot on a new bike. I bought a hybrid. But…..it was heavy. I went on a 3 day weekend trip to Cape Cod with the bike club. Had fun but it was very hard keeping up with the others on their sleek road bikes. I only went on one other club ride that season and didn’t ride with them again till the following year on Cape Cod. I didn’t really mind as I preferred running anyway and the club rides entailed me driving a half hour. I had become friendly with a few members of the club though and went skiing with them. Still, didn’t really desire a bike that badly. That spring I underwent a serious surgery and come Cape Cod weekend was just getting back into exercise. I was happy to be able to ride with the group at all but didn’t push it too hard. Since surgery I just have not gotten my running back to a level that is satisfying though I keep plugging away at it.<br>
This year, a week before the Cape trip I called my friend John and said I am ready to buy a bike. He called his favorite LBS and we went over there together. Doug, the mechanic and co-owner sized me and Linda, the other owner went to work making phone calls to find me a bike.<br>
I had given her a price range and she called me the next day saying she could get me a Cannondale 08 WSD Six 13, carbon fiber. She said it was black, if I could live with a black bike. I told her to order it. I was leery of a black bike but anxious to have something new to ride. I waited impatiently for it to arrive in time for my trip on Thursday morning. It came Wednesday and after work I went there for the fitting.<br>
It was beautiful, prettier then I could even have imagined! Off I went with it and drove to the Cape the next morning.<br><br>
All my riding buds admired my new bike and congratulate me. I enjoyed the weekend so much more now that I could actually keep up without struggling so hard. I do 12, 51, 25 and 35 mile rides. I couldn’t wait to ride again when I got home. I rode the following weekend and the one after. I rode with the “B” riders who do a 14-17 mph pace. Everyone tells me I am a strong B rider and they are happy I am riding with them now. The club was having a century ride from Massapequa Park to Montauk Point. It’s called The Ancient Mariner. I asked a few of the members if they thought I could do it and they said go for it. So, with 190 miles under my belt I showed up for the ride Saturday morning at 7 AM in the train station parking lot.<br><br>
The forecast is low 70’s with nothing but Sun. It’s a little chilly to start, just hitting 57. We left the lot with Fred, the ride leader about 7:45. His wife offered to take my backpack with a change of clothes out in her car. 16 or so of us started out together.<br>
It’s real flat on the South Shore of Long Island till you start getting farther east.<br>
As we got into Fred’s neighborhood we stopped at the firehouse for a potty break and 6 people said they were going to go on as we were a little fast for them. So there were 10 now. One guy was clearly not keeping up so at the next stop where we met up with the previous 6 and another large group, him and his wife decided to stay with the slower group. We had some lunch and then 11 of us took off. Ed decided to take the lead for a while and we picked up the pace for awhile. I was keeping up but my HR was up pretty high, in the 160’s and not recovering on the downhill’s. Again, a potty stop at a firehouse.<br>
Fred has to stop a lot <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy"><br>
Ray, who is YOUNG, says we are going to fast for him and he is going to wait at the corner for the C group. So now we are 7.<br>
I felt OK, but my HR is not going dropping back to normal like it should. I get a little concerned but figure if I have to I can drop back and wait for the C group. We go off again. I bonk a bit and drop back, having a hard time keeping up with the group and HR is still high. I suck down the Gatorade. It’s not hot out, but we are close to 60 miles and that is farther then I have ever gone. I tell Eric maybe I bit off more then I could chew. He says maybe I should eat something but I don’t want food. I drink more.<br>
I start to feel better and manage to keep up now. HR has dropped back to 140’s and lowers on the easy parts. Phew.<br><br>
The scenery is getting really pretty out here. Farms on one side and beautiful homes on the other side. The drivers are considerate too. We pass a duck farm with nothing but white LI Ducks covering a field and we all quack and say “aflack” as we ride by.<br>
We stop to discuss how everyone is, and we all agree to cut a few miles off the route.<br>
Ed says he needs to stop at the next available bathroom. Everyone is getting tired and stiff, but we only have another few miles to our last big stop in Water Mill. Now there is traffic, we are going faster then the cars. We pass a pumpkin farm where families are picking HUGE pumpkins. Fred stops to check his tire and says he will have to change it. Next thing we know he is walking.<br>
But only .10 of a mile to the village green. Fred goes to work on his tire and we all go to the deli to stock up on water and Gatorade. My friend John from the beginning of this saga is driving out to pick his GF up and knows the route we take. He just happens to be at the green at just the right time and Fred gets to use a real pump for the tire. Now the A riders show up. How we are ahead of them and they ride 17-20 MPH is a mystery to me.<br>
They do their deli thing and we all lay around in the grass stretching and talking. Everyone in my group is tired and ready to be done. Finally, off we go for the last 20 miles. It’s a straight shot up a gradual incline on Montauk Highway but we are lucky to have the wind at our backs and we maintain a 17 mph pace easily. We are two and three abreast on a wide shoulder. One final rest/potty stop at Hither Hills State park and on leaving my bike computer hits 100!!! I want to call a cab now. But it’s only a few miles, albeit on two of the biggest hills yet. Good thing they are short hills. I lose the group but I don’t care now. I am looking out at the ocean and enjoying myself. Beth was behind me but passes me on the last hill. Soon, I am pulling into Montauk, I pass the famous Memory Motel, you know, the one in the Stones song. There, Beth is pulling off to the village green. I pull of and I am DONE!! I finished a Century plus!! My computer says 104.47 in 7.20 hours.<br>
Avg pace 14.1 HR monitor says avg 141. 3333 calories.<br><br>
Some of the A riders go on to the Montauk Lighthouse, the end of LI. That’s another 12 miles RT. Most of us go to eat. Some people were picked up by friends of family, the rest of us take the LIRR train back with beers, sodas and snacks and a lot of laughs.<br>
Our bikes go back in a moving van protected my blankets. A tiring but fun fall day.<br><br>
Thanks for reading<br><br>
Barb<br>
I
I did a century ride on Saturday. 100 miles +. This was my first and farthest ride ever by more then double. Let me set this up for you.<br><br>
4 years ago a woman I work with was telling me how well she thought I would fit in with the bike club. I’ve always owned a bike but all I had now was an ancient 10 speed and didn’t really want to spend a lot on a new bike. I bought a hybrid. But…..it was heavy. I went on a 3 day weekend trip to Cape Cod with the bike club. Had fun but it was very hard keeping up with the others on their sleek road bikes. I only went on one other club ride that season and didn’t ride with them again till the following year on Cape Cod. I didn’t really mind as I preferred running anyway and the club rides entailed me driving a half hour. I had become friendly with a few members of the club though and went skiing with them. Still, didn’t really desire a bike that badly. That spring I underwent a serious surgery and come Cape Cod weekend was just getting back into exercise. I was happy to be able to ride with the group at all but didn’t push it too hard. Since surgery I just have not gotten my running back to a level that is satisfying though I keep plugging away at it.<br>
This year, a week before the Cape trip I called my friend John and said I am ready to buy a bike. He called his favorite LBS and we went over there together. Doug, the mechanic and co-owner sized me and Linda, the other owner went to work making phone calls to find me a bike.<br>
I had given her a price range and she called me the next day saying she could get me a Cannondale 08 WSD Six 13, carbon fiber. She said it was black, if I could live with a black bike. I told her to order it. I was leery of a black bike but anxious to have something new to ride. I waited impatiently for it to arrive in time for my trip on Thursday morning. It came Wednesday and after work I went there for the fitting.<br>
It was beautiful, prettier then I could even have imagined! Off I went with it and drove to the Cape the next morning.<br><br>
All my riding buds admired my new bike and congratulate me. I enjoyed the weekend so much more now that I could actually keep up without struggling so hard. I do 12, 51, 25 and 35 mile rides. I couldn’t wait to ride again when I got home. I rode the following weekend and the one after. I rode with the “B” riders who do a 14-17 mph pace. Everyone tells me I am a strong B rider and they are happy I am riding with them now. The club was having a century ride from Massapequa Park to Montauk Point. It’s called The Ancient Mariner. I asked a few of the members if they thought I could do it and they said go for it. So, with 190 miles under my belt I showed up for the ride Saturday morning at 7 AM in the train station parking lot.<br><br>
The forecast is low 70’s with nothing but Sun. It’s a little chilly to start, just hitting 57. We left the lot with Fred, the ride leader about 7:45. His wife offered to take my backpack with a change of clothes out in her car. 16 or so of us started out together.<br>
It’s real flat on the South Shore of Long Island till you start getting farther east.<br>
As we got into Fred’s neighborhood we stopped at the firehouse for a potty break and 6 people said they were going to go on as we were a little fast for them. So there were 10 now. One guy was clearly not keeping up so at the next stop where we met up with the previous 6 and another large group, him and his wife decided to stay with the slower group. We had some lunch and then 11 of us took off. Ed decided to take the lead for a while and we picked up the pace for awhile. I was keeping up but my HR was up pretty high, in the 160’s and not recovering on the downhill’s. Again, a potty stop at a firehouse.<br>
Fred has to stop a lot <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.kickrunners.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Very Happy"><br>
Ray, who is YOUNG, says we are going to fast for him and he is going to wait at the corner for the C group. So now we are 7.<br>
I felt OK, but my HR is not going dropping back to normal like it should. I get a little concerned but figure if I have to I can drop back and wait for the C group. We go off again. I bonk a bit and drop back, having a hard time keeping up with the group and HR is still high. I suck down the Gatorade. It’s not hot out, but we are close to 60 miles and that is farther then I have ever gone. I tell Eric maybe I bit off more then I could chew. He says maybe I should eat something but I don’t want food. I drink more.<br>
I start to feel better and manage to keep up now. HR has dropped back to 140’s and lowers on the easy parts. Phew.<br><br>
The scenery is getting really pretty out here. Farms on one side and beautiful homes on the other side. The drivers are considerate too. We pass a duck farm with nothing but white LI Ducks covering a field and we all quack and say “aflack” as we ride by.<br>
We stop to discuss how everyone is, and we all agree to cut a few miles off the route.<br>
Ed says he needs to stop at the next available bathroom. Everyone is getting tired and stiff, but we only have another few miles to our last big stop in Water Mill. Now there is traffic, we are going faster then the cars. We pass a pumpkin farm where families are picking HUGE pumpkins. Fred stops to check his tire and says he will have to change it. Next thing we know he is walking.<br>
But only .10 of a mile to the village green. Fred goes to work on his tire and we all go to the deli to stock up on water and Gatorade. My friend John from the beginning of this saga is driving out to pick his GF up and knows the route we take. He just happens to be at the green at just the right time and Fred gets to use a real pump for the tire. Now the A riders show up. How we are ahead of them and they ride 17-20 MPH is a mystery to me.<br>
They do their deli thing and we all lay around in the grass stretching and talking. Everyone in my group is tired and ready to be done. Finally, off we go for the last 20 miles. It’s a straight shot up a gradual incline on Montauk Highway but we are lucky to have the wind at our backs and we maintain a 17 mph pace easily. We are two and three abreast on a wide shoulder. One final rest/potty stop at Hither Hills State park and on leaving my bike computer hits 100!!! I want to call a cab now. But it’s only a few miles, albeit on two of the biggest hills yet. Good thing they are short hills. I lose the group but I don’t care now. I am looking out at the ocean and enjoying myself. Beth was behind me but passes me on the last hill. Soon, I am pulling into Montauk, I pass the famous Memory Motel, you know, the one in the Stones song. There, Beth is pulling off to the village green. I pull of and I am DONE!! I finished a Century plus!! My computer says 104.47 in 7.20 hours.<br>
Avg pace 14.1 HR monitor says avg 141. 3333 calories.<br><br>
Some of the A riders go on to the Montauk Lighthouse, the end of LI. That’s another 12 miles RT. Most of us go to eat. Some people were picked up by friends of family, the rest of us take the LIRR train back with beers, sodas and snacks and a lot of laughs.<br>
Our bikes go back in a moving van protected my blankets. A tiring but fun fall day.<br><br>
Thanks for reading<br><br>
Barb<br>
I
