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Are You Ready for Your First Century Ride?
By Keith Edwin Renninson
You’ve been training all summer for the long rides and worked yourself up from 25 miles to 35, then 45, then 60 and finally, just recently, you pedaled for 70 long ones. Congratulations!
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Your ultimate goal, as is the case with most cyclists, is the century ride or 100 miles. And rightfully so, because it is a lofty achievement, sets you apart from the recreational weekend warrior and demonstrates your grit.
Let’s go over the checklist of things you should have learned by now, and then add a few things for the upcoming long haul.
First, you’ve learned to carb up the night before a long ride with spaghetti or baked potatoes or both. You’ve learned to be fully hydrated and drink plenty of water the day before. You also avoid alcohol in all forms several nights before you ride.
Second, you have your clothes laid out for the weather you’ll encounter, including your energy bar preference, and energy drink in one of your two water bottles.
Third, you have cleaned and lubed you bike, pumped up the tires, have extra tubes, tire-changing tools, tire pump, computer, heart rate monitor and sunglasses and sunscreen.
Finally, the night before, do some mental and physical preparation. A mental checklist of your abilities is always a good thing…reassure yourself that you have trained for this and are ready, make sure all of your gear is prepared for the early departure to add additional confidence, and then do some light stretching before you go to bed. Above all mentally plan on having a great ride, without any complications and enjoy yourself because you are prepared.
The morning of the event take a hot shower if possible because it will warm up your legs, don’t eat a large meal, consume enough to get you going and have energy bars in your jersey to satisfy your hunger before you get to your first rest stop.
At the first rest stop, consume a banana, a PB & J and pick up a couple of energy bars to replace what you have already eaten. When you get to that first rest stop do you need to urinate? If not, are you drinking enough? If you are well hydrated you’ll need to go at the first or second rest stop.
On really long rides like a century, if it is a summer ride you will sweat more, so make sure you are replacing your sodium through the bars or drink. I use a tablet with electrolytes to supplement them because I sweat profusely when the weather is warm and I ride hard.
Now, go out and play, because cycling is fun, don’t make it too serious. Good luck!
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Keith Edwin Renninson is co-owner, along with Jeffrey Forman, of Golden Years Videos, LLC a production company dedicated to offering exercise videos for those over 50 or of any age who are rehabilitating from an accident or illness.
Renninson is an avid exercise and yoga enthusiast. Now in his late 50’s; he still races bicycles and regularly skis the black diamond runs in Colorado where he lives. For many years, a bona fide gym rat, Renninson still loves to lift free weights and use exercise machines.
You can contact Renninson or read more about his company and the videos they have available at: http://www.goldenyearsvideos.com
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