Riding the Stagecoach Century with Dave and John. Got to John's house at 4:40, loaded up all the gear, and we were on the road around 5:00. It takes about an hour and a half to get there. We arrived just as the parking lot was filled up, getting one of the last spaces. I registered at the event and waited in line for the bathroom. Definitely better to register beforehand and probably make a pit stop on the way to the event to avoid the lines. It left me about 10 minutes to get geared up, and that was a push to be ready. The day was just slightly cool, so I wore my lightweight long-sleeved jersey and was fine. We took off, and I set a pretty fast pace from the start, climbing up to the first rest stop and waiting for the others to catch up. The downhill section was fun. It's about 3 miles total, then there is a flat section where the wind was neutral and we were able to make good time. The tough early part of the ride for me was the gradual uphill stretch, which lasts from mile 15 to mile 25 at the rest stop. I was in a pack and not everybody was pushing the pace and willing to lead, so I took more than my share of turns at the front. It wore me out. After the rest stop, we had another 13 miles or so of uphills, with two steeper sections. I was really slow on the Campbell grade, particularly the early, steeper part. I also was slower on the final, gradual grade to the turnaround point. At this rest stop, my left toes were cramping up (uh-oh). We headed back, and the downhill sections were okay. Not really pushing the pace, just staying with John and Dave, mostly me and John leading out. On the climbing section, I got in a pretty decent groove with a couple of other riders, trading leads for quite a while. Two of us left the third one behind on the last, steeper section, then he and I traded leads until the rest stop at mile 64. I waited for the others to catch up and stretched, noticing that my left quad was dicey. Had a hammer gel and electrolyte drink while I waited. We rode together on the long downhill section back to the rest stop at mile 75. John and I traded most of the leads, and we were going pretty fast. I stretched and rested at the rest stop, knowing that the last stretch was going to be trouble. The wind wasn't helping us, and it seemed that it was in our faces at least part of the time. We rode in a group that built up over time, and I couldn't ride out in the lead for very long with this group. When we started going uphill around mile 87, I slowed down, knowing I would need my energy for the climb. It was fairly slow but my legs held out without cramping (surprise!). The part after the turn, the final climb up to the last rest stop, wasn't bad at all, not as steep as I had feared. I waited for the other two at the rest stop, drinking water and eating a couple of snacks. We did a final, small climb, then started the last section, which is mostly downhill on some really bad roads. John and I were trading leads, with Dave having fallen a little back. There is a part that's about a mile long that is just awful. After that, it smoothed out for the final finish, and I had enough at the end to "sprint out." My legs felt okay at the end, but my seat was sore and I was definitely ready to be done. We had a quick sandwich lunch, then headed back home, listening to the Steelers-Ravens playoff game on the way back. It was a good thing that the game was on the radio, because it kept me awake and alert during the drive. I've had better century rides and I've had worse, but all in all it was a fairly good time and a decent accomplishment for me.
Avg. speed = 17.2 mph. Total mileage = 100.0 mi
Avg. heartrate = 152 bpm
Total elevation gain = 4040'
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/13098422
