Century Ride Training -- Part 1

Kathlyn and I started training for a century bike ride (a 100 mile supported ride) two months ago now, around mid August. We created a training schedule that gradually (at times...) ramps up the "long ride" we do each week during the weekend, when there's adequate time for such things.  

I'm proud to report that yesterday we did our longest ride yet--61 miles--from San Francisco to Santa Cruz on a gray, overcast, chilly day. It took a whooping 7.5 hours leaving us at an average of 8 miles/hr. That's s-l-o-w! In our defense, Kath was nursing a cold and I wasn't pushing it due to a hamstring pull from 2 weeks ago that I was still feeling. It's not worth getting injured even more! Note: that time also includes our crab melt lunch, and two other longer breaks to stretch and stuff our faces with Cliff Bars. 

If we were to do the Davis Century in that time it would take us 12.5 hours--waaaay too much time. We'll attempt to increase the speed next weekend in our West Marin 75 mile ride. Wish us luck!

~Santa Cruz Ride Summary~

Ride Highlights--the delicious lunch, watching good sets of waves come in outside of Santa Cruz, and meeting members of the band Blind Pilot who are biking, instruments towed behind them, to gigs down the entire coast of America. They were nice guys. 

Ride Lowlights--Feeling like the cars were too close on Ominous Devil's Slide, the constant car traffic in general through the ride, the cold, and miles 50-60.  

What I learned: 

Stef is amazing (duh) she met us at the finish line in Santa Cruz with a cold beer, poweraid, and a cupcake from Miete Bakery for me and drove us back to San Francisco. 

On cold mornings I should duc-tape the vents on my bike shoes shut so my feet don't go numb.

I should install my bike computer already, so I know how far we have to go and can pace better.

Save the breaks for the later half of the ride when the body needs it the most. 

Until next week...