I wanted to go for a century this weekend and I was really really excited to do it. I failed. I planned the route days before, controlled my sleep, and drank lots of water prior to the attempt. Well at 60km there was a sudden steep climb and my legs, never having done this before just gave up. I was cramping EXTREMELY badly.
I was lucky though, a kind stranger stopped by the road and offered me a lift (I was solo) and took me out of that rural part. And I asked my parents for a lift home. There wasn’t even a building in sight. I feel so down. Why can’t I do it??
by Ok_Advance9021
16 Comments
First, there’s nothing wrong with trying & failing. It’s how we learn, and most folks don’t even get off their asses to try.
That said, if you want help to succeed another time, we need more information.
What’s the most you’ve ridden before? How often do you ride, and what riding did you do to prepare? Fuelling? Electrolytes? Water on the way? How fast were you going?
That’s such an awesome challenge! Good on you!
The answer is almost certainly one or both of two things;
1: fuelling. You need to be taking in WAY more energy than you thing.
2: training. A century off the couch is no mean feat. Ramp up slower next time, do 60, 80, 100.
But seriously. Fuelling will get you there.
>Why can’t I do it??
Because you’re weak both physically and mentally.
I’ve added few hours on some of my rides because I couldn’t make it up a hill in the middle of nowhere or I had to stop because I was exhausted. I proudly get off the bike and walk.
I would say eat more and if it’s really taxing on your leg, walk.
Cramps point to electrolytes depletion. Make sure you pack two bottles for your long rides: one with clean water, and another one with water mixed with salt. Keep salt also available in your pocket in case you need to refill the “dirty” bottle.
That should prevent the cramps altogether.
Source: I am a heavy salty sweater and suffered from that so many times. Learned my lesson along the way.
You didn’t fail at all- you succeeded in gaining experience
Did you eat? You mention drinking a lot of water, but I don’t see any mention of food. Number one rookie mistake before attempting long rides is not bringing enough food.
60k is excellent. Be proud of yourself.
You ”bonked”. You “hit the wall.” You used up all the free carbohydrates in your bloodstream and your metabolism switched over to burning fat. That is far far less efficient. It hit your leg muscles and your cognition. We’ve all bonked a few times. Bonking sucks. Don’t bonk.
You need to think about nutrition and hydration when you ride for more than an hour. Carry some energy food. Some people like Haribo gummies. Some like boiled potatoes. Some like Clif bars. Some like supermarket own-brand fig bars. Some like bananas. Eat at least 100 cal per hour. (Notice that protein-rich food is harder to digest and doesn’t have the free carbohydrates you need.)
Carry sports drink with electrolytes and carbs mixed in. Gatorade works. There are various powdered concoctions too. Drink a gulp or two a few times an hour.
I carry a couple of energy gels with my spare tire tube. If I bonk I suck one down and wait five minutes.
See you on the road. I’ll be the guy in the roadside shop trying to choose which candy bar is best to resist bonking.
What kind of training did you do? What’s the longest you’ve ridden before? I see you bonked at 60km so I assume you’re going for the 100km century. It appears you need to do a few more 65km rides or more before you can do 100km.
Sometimes the shit just happens. Even pros have bad days. You can do it. Try again when you are mentally up for it.
Next time.
Did you bonk?
What country are you in? Nice scenery
Electrolytes, gels for fuel, food too on longer rides in addition to lots of water during. Get back out there and feel the benefit
Basically what everyone else said, did you properly build up for a century ride? Did you also pack enough water and fuel? I did 75 miles before my first one
A successful person is just the person who has tried one more time.
Dang, that sucks. I’m assuming you were going for a metric century?
I’ve done two imperial centuries, one solo and one part of a group.
On both rides, I stopped every 20 miles and probably breaked longer than I needed to.
If you attempt this route again, break before this climb and after.
Also, eat alot of carbs the day before.
Aim high & own the results + be grateful for them – tough to swallow but super healthy