I was 25 the last time I did a century and I did it for pretty much the same reason as I did when I set out on the roads of Southern Maine the last Sunday. That is, during the summer I got the notion that the best way to offset the sting of my advancing years was to pedal my bike 100 miles in a single day. I admit, that was a melodramatic notion for a 25 year old, yet the hills around Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts nearly broke me – cramps, dark times, lactic acid induced existential grief.
This time, the ride was easier on the body. I rode a better bike and chose a less hilly route. (No doubt wisdom is the best part of aging.) And while I must admit turning 40 does give me pause, it is neither a particularly dreadful nor worried pause. Life is going well, and now I can say, “When I turned 40, I could ride a bike 100 miles in a day and not suffer.”
I couldn’t say that when I was 18, or 25 (unless I lie). I intend to say the same thing about turning 50. And,while I’m on the numbers, here’s how the ride breaks down. There’s nothing particularly epic about these numbers, but they tell some of story.
Total Distance: 103.48 miles
Avg. Speed: 15.8 mph
Max. Speed: 42.7 mph
Time Pedaling: 6 hours 31 minutes
Total Time Taken: 7 hours 40 minutes