Century survival plans

Well, I'm going to ride my first century this weekend. If I haven't mentioned it much in the last month or so, it's because I haven't really thought much about it. Or trained much for it. In fact, with all the other stuff going on in my life lately, you might even say I completely freakin' forgot about it until this week. So, understandably, I'm a little nervous. However, I do still plan to tackle the 100-mile route, and here's why:

1. It's flat. Katy Flatland Century. They're not kidding.

2. The ride is well supported. I've ridden the shorter routes on this ride for the past 3 years, and it's had plenty of supplies and volunteers every year. If I reach my limits, they'll have my back.

3. It has a very generous time limit. The ride starts at 7:00 am for the century riders, and the shutdown time for the 67-mile stop isn't until 2:00 pm. Even if I stop for 10 minutes at every rest stop until then, I would only need to average 12 mph on the bike to make the cutoff. I'm hoping to average around 14-16 and skip the 2nd rest stop, so I should make it in plenty of time.

4. There are a few bail-out points on the route where I could take the short way back. The decision point (60s straight, 100s left) right after the 26-mile rest stop is the most obvious place, but I could also hang a left onto 529 OR 1458 for a little off-route action, picking up the 60-milers' route back to the finish. There's also an option to go straight past Simonton on 1093, which would make for a shorter finish as well. I think I'll know before the 67-mile mark whether or not I'm up for 100, but it's nice to have another chance to rethink things there, too.

5. I really, REALLY want to do a century this year. I could wait and do the Tour de Pink in September, too, but that one's not as flat. Ditto on the Bike For Sight and TX Cycling Classic, which make the jump from "not as flat" to "um, sort of hilly". This is my last real shot at a flat century this year, and I intend to take advantage.

So, I'm going to do as much of it as I can. It may take me 10 hours to limp my way in, and I may not be the same for a week afterward, but I'm not going to quit unless my body or the ride organizers tell me I have to.

My plan is simple: good breakfast, start out slower than I really want to go, ride steady, take short rest stops, hydrate like a madwoman, and listen to my body. We'll see how it goes.