Author Topic: Seagull Century Everyone???  (Read 1501 times)

meput

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2011, 06:16:40 pm »
Oh, the pressure, I feel the pressure  :D.

Lets see, 1100 miles round trip in a car to ride 100 miles on a bike. Sounds like a good carbon trade off  :o (and I am not even talking about my bike frame  :P).

I will seriously consider it.

meput

midwif

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2011, 01:01:23 pm »
Calling all ToddW's!!

If Meput comes all the way from Maine, you just gotta do this with us! 8)
C'mon my friend. Commit mentally and the physical will follow. ;D
Lynn
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ToddW

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #17 on: June 28, 2011, 11:22:21 pm »
Be careful what you ask for lest you regret receiving it ;D 

I'm shooting for the Seagull Century.  It's a great goal,  but I probably won't know until September if I'm up to the challenge.  (I even pulled up some ridewithgps.com logs and youtube videos to confirm how flat the area is.)  I have no group riding experience either.  Maybe you or Gandalf could help with that later if my prospects look good.

Speaking of Gandalf, is he behaving himself in the off-season or does he fantasize about Mariella and her wayward ways?  I've been worried about the poor man ever since he wrote

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So, focusing on balance and standing on one foot at times while dressing and undressing is probably my most ski-direct activity.

 ;D It's a real challenge to take my panty-hose off while maintaining balance on one foot. ::)



jim-ratliff

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2011, 04:13:12 pm »
Todd:

In general I have a pretty good recall of various topics and thoughts from long ago posts, but I don't remember that one.  You are the man!!

And my "longings" for Mariella have been well controlled.  Focus was on getting Lynn a pair of Progressor 8's and on biking.  Mariella is suffering (silently, I hope) in the darkened silence of storage.

I can understand how concerned you probably are about that many miles on a bike.  It was only my first full year of riding when Lynn and I decided to take up Glenn's invitation to do a Metric Century at his Farm Ride in August.  But she is right, committing to do the ride was the necessary first step, because from there the focus becomes one of "what training do I need to do" in order to even have a chance at completing this, and Lynn was a little bit hesitant as well, especially since in her world of Marathons and Triathlons you always train at longer distances than you are targeting to compete at.  I had aspirations of doing a 50 mile ride prior, never worked out.  Lynn and I did a couple of 40 mile rides (from Central Park across the GW bridge to Piermont and back) that included some hills.  We decided that we felt fit enough after those rides that, given another food and rest break, we could add another 20 miles (and having the bail out option of the SAG wagon was considered a real possibility).

Lynn is very consistent in cadence and speed, and was good about taking the lead and holding me back to a steady pace, and we did amazingly well.  Our group even turned around at one point and rode back into a town to stop at the local ice cream parlor (sort of a self manufactured rest stop).  And, surprisingly, we were in the top 25% of arrivals (multiple ride distances).  Both of us were able to get massages before things got really busy.

Near the end of the ride, Lynn rode up beside me and asked how I was doing. I told her amazingly well, considering.  About that time another woman came muscling by at a slow cadence, and Lynn decided to pace her.  I had forgotten that she had said all along that she wanted to finish the ride strong.  I tried to catch up, but couldn't handle the pace and I don't think I saw her again for the remaining 3 miles!!  It was very good for my humility to see how quickly they dropped me.  -- but she couldn't do that now!! --   ;D ;)


What helped me the most wasn't riding long rides so much as thinking of it as multiple 20-25 mile rides.  So I would ride 20, take a 15 minute break and ride another 20.  And I was amazed to find that I felt that I had enough left that I could ride another 20 after a second 10-15 minute break.  And we did.   Ohhh, and I unintentionally dropped her on the 6 mile ride back to the hotel after the "end of the ride" dinner at the namesake farm.

« Last Edit: June 30, 2011, 07:10:25 am by jim-ratliff »
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meput

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #19 on: June 29, 2011, 07:02:50 pm »
Oh my goodness:

Quote
So, focusing on balance and standing on one foot at times while dressing and undressing is probably my most ski-direct activity.

 ;D It's a real challenge to take my panty-hose off while maintaining balance on one foot. ::)

I may have met a wheel that I DO NOT want to suck!


midwif

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2011, 08:19:25 pm »
Honestly Jim
It looks kinda cute!
L. :P
"Play it Sam"

meput

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #21 on: June 30, 2011, 04:44:08 am »
Lynn,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :-*


jim-ratliff

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #22 on: June 30, 2011, 07:48:16 am »
Honestly Jim
It looks kinda cute!
L. :P


Well Lynn, I'm very glad that you think so.  And I'm equally glad that Jim II doesn't.
And good recall and re-use of the ROTFLMAO icon Meput.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2011, 03:56:52 pm by jim-ratliff »
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jim-ratliff

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #23 on: June 30, 2011, 08:53:05 pm »

Maybe you or Gandalf could help with that later if my prospects look good.


Todd:  I would be up for that.  Finding flat ground north of the Mason Dixon line might be a bit of a challenge.  There is a 25 mile out and back near Lynn's house we call the cemetary ride (because the turn around point is a cemetery.  It's not as flat as the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake (that reminds me of Kansas), but its still very gentle, and what's an incline in one direction is a down-cline in the other.

Doing that 25 miles, then emulating a rest stop and refilling water bottles and doing it again would be a good training ride.  This is usually an early season ride for us and we push each other on the way back, but doing it twice and maintaining a steadier pace would be good.  You might even find that you are more prepared for longer distances than you think.

Of course, you would have to ingratiate yourself with the hostess and try to wrangle an invitation .....
How close are you to Port Jervis where I-84 crosses the Delaware?
Another option would be anything similar in your area??

Jim
« Last Edit: July 01, 2011, 07:06:52 am by jim-ratliff »
"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

ToddW

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #24 on: July 01, 2011, 02:15:08 pm »
Getting to Port Jervis is the easy part, an hour and change.  (I live a few minutes  from the east side of the Tappan Zee bridge.)

I'll work on ingratiating myself with the hostess ... or crashing her party if that fails.

midwif

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #25 on: July 01, 2011, 03:03:01 pm »
Todd
I believe I ALREADY sent you an invite about a month ago!
Jim and I would be happy to tailor the ride(s) to your burgeoning abilities.
Slow and steady is my general motto when faced with a challenging hill/grade/mileage.

Let's set it up.
Have a great holiday weekend.
L.
"Play it Sam"

meput

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #26 on: July 01, 2011, 06:05:29 pm »
Happy July 4 weekend to all forum readers.

I get to lead a local club ride tomorrow. This is the 8th year that I have led this ride. Only a 29 mile ride. Still, I have got to get in my miles so I can consider doing centuries. Things are not as easy now that I am starting my 7th decade. >:(

LivingProof

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #27 on: July 12, 2011, 08:26:04 am »
In another thread, I mentioned last week I rode 145 miles, and, Jim R. asked for additional info. I thought I'd post it here as it's linked to century training.

I ride 5 days per week and rest for 2. There was a Bicycling Mag article about training for a century (there are many, many other such articles) and this one called for riding 3 straight days at distance using a pace typical of a century ride. The thinking is never to overexert yourself on any one day so that you can ride the next. I ride with a heart rate monitor, so I selected an arbitary low rate and did 35 miles per day for 3 straight days. Each day, I finished and felt that I could continue on for another 35. Rode at some very low speeds, got passed a lot.

Took a rest day, then road 2 days at a brisk pace for 20 miles each day. Got off the bike tired, especially the second day when I rode at some pretty high heart rates. I need to shorten rides where I train at high levels.

So, I'm adding structure to bike riding, as opposed to just going out. I agree with Jim's thinking about riding 25 to 35 miles as a base line for century training. Sooner or later, though, you just have to go long, somewhere around 50 to 60, and learn about eating and drinking while doing an extended ride. After 2 hours on a bike, my body tells me I need more than water.  Bonking sucks! If I catch a cool morning this week, I've got a 50 mile ride panned.

My August goal is a Livestrong ride of 70 miles plus 6000 feet of climbing.

jim-ratliff

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #28 on: July 12, 2011, 09:45:39 am »



Thanks Mike.  Good information.
I'm currently looking for ride locations to do 25-30 with a "rest stop" break and then another 25-30 (but as a loop, not just an out and back on rail to trail.  However, I'm thinking that stretching the distance should wait until early September when the temperatures begin to ease a little bit. 


Waiting for a cooler day is a wise choice.  Bonking does suck.  Lynn and I did a 30 mile ride in 98 degree temperatures last year and she scared me.


Of course, the other challenge is controlling the chafe from pedaling on the bike seat for 6-7 hours. Pretty sure I'll have my new bike seat broken in by October.



"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

bushwacka

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Re: Seagull Century Everyone???
« Reply #29 on: July 12, 2011, 12:13:28 pm »
say good bye to charfing

http://www.dz-nuts.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

also high quality road short do help. Goridonna or assos.

Also you guys are on the right track about Long slow speed distance riding. I very rarely ride outside of a race at or near race speed. The reason for this is the amount of recovery time needed to do that and still go to work AND ride the next day is something I do not have and most do not.

as for bonking, with the right nutrition on the bike you will almost never bonk. I personally use one GU every 1 hour, downing with a light mixture of HEED and Perpetuem mixed in with my water. I almost never drink water straight while riding as more than likely straight water makes you have to pee instead of hydrating you.  caffeine as well is a great way to release fat stores from your body and to stop muscle cannibalization.

Lastly I highly recommend taking on huge amounts of Vitamin C in the morning and huge amounts of protein after riding. The C helps your body metabolize  quickly and the protein lets your body recover and for me is the only way I can get to sleep at night.