The 2017 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone

[Jon George]

I have lost count of the times over the last couple of years that I've embarked on a 50k ride, only to get a bit knacked, decide to head home, only to discover that if I just go around the houses I can claim a point. As I did today.
I started out feeling a bit glum, but, as can be seen by this selfie, being out on the bike cheered me up no end.

 

[Katherine]

Should be doing a metric century or Sunday as I'm leading a ride to Jodrell Bank. I've done far fewer 100K rides this year than I'd hoped.

 

[Sbudge]

Should be doing a metric century or Sunday as I'm leading a ride to Jodrell Bank. I've done far fewer 100K rides this year than I'd hoped.

I know the feeling, I've been travelling a lot on business this year and it's wrecking my mileage! The combination of 9 weekends away from home so far this year and jet-lag hitting as many more is a real pain. Still, I should manage another metric century tomorrow with any luck.

 

[NorthernDave]

An unexpected bonus has landed in my lap.

Mrs ND has to work tomorrow, a rare Saturday shift. Which means that the day is mine

I've had a heck of a week at work, to the point where I feel physically and mentally drained tonight, so I think a nice ride might be just what the doctor ordered. Lets hope my legs agree tomorrow...

 

[Saluki]

2 qualifying rides on the bounce mean my legs feel a bit empty today.
I rode yesterday and had a great time. This morning I got soon to be ex-hubs to drop me at Woodhall Spa and I walked back with the dogs. Only 5 miles or so but it was enough as I go off trail for the last mile and a half and the farmer has ploughed the field up but left a path around the edge which is hard going in trainers.
This evening, I couldn't stand the atmosphere any longer so decided on a short bimble. 10-12 miles or so I thought. I rode up to Woodhall again, then to Tattershall Bridge, back to Woodhall and then back towards home. At the top of the town I decided to keep going and headed parallel with the trail but on the road and headed off to Kirby By Bain (or something similar) and back on the A road that runs past the end of my road. It's quiet on a Saturday night. I'd not ride that road for a foot longer than necessary in the day time. 33 miles dead, so I was chuffed with that. It puts my yearly riding up to 1689 miles for the year so far. I've got a target of 2000 for this year. I deliberately set a low on as my depression was keeping me off the bike.
A change of marital status, some flat roads and a riding buddy to chase seems to have done wonders for my mileage.

 

[steverob]

It's been ten weeks since my crash and I finally got to finish the ride that I was supposed to be doing that day! Got the wife to drop me off at RSPB Otmoor so I could skip the first 20 or so miles of the route (not fit enough to do the full there and back yet), although that did have the disadvantage of launching me straight into the hilly bit - 500ft climbing in the first 6 miles, considering the whole 43 mile route only had 1300ft in total!

Had to do some ride down some rather dodgy "roads" (semi-paved bridleways would be more accurate) in order to cross off a few more difficult to reach tiles on my VeloViewer map, but the most interesting part of the ride came when I got to witness a proper road race going past me in the opposite direction. Must have been at least 80-100 cyclists, accompanied by motorcycle outriders, a race referee and equipment cars, plus marshals with big flags at each junction. I stopped to take photos the first time they passed me (they were doing multiple laps of probably about 8 miles each time, so I saw them again later in my route).

Criterium Peloton

• steverob
• 2 Jul 2017

Road race passing by on road between Murcott and Arncott on 1st July 2017.

Made me glad I chose the left turn that I did just after Murcott, because if I'd have gone straight on, I'd have been going in the same direction they were and they'd have caught up with me while going up a 9% hill and I'd have got in their way!

With any luck, next week should see me tackle my first imperial half since Easter. Legs are killing me this morning, but it's getting better...

 

[bruce1530]

A quick trip up the Ayrshire coast this morning - turned back after 25k, so expected to be on a 50 by the time I got home. But came back via a slightly different route, and worked out it would have just been 48k - so added a loop round the town to make it 51k, taking me up to 24 points.

Strong crosswind, sometimes helping, sometimes hindering, never directly in my face or behind me.

One loony driver who decided to lean on his horn as we passed through an area with lots of central traffic islands. Yes, I know you’re behind me, yes I know you can go faster than me, yes, I know I’m in the middle of the lane, and yes, I’ll move over when it’s safe for you to pass, and not before.

And a small milestone - 1000 miles since the turn of the year, and 2500 since I got the new bike just over a year ago.

 

[Katherine]

Should be doing a metric century or Sunday as I'm leading a ride to Jodrell Bank. I've done far fewer 100K rides this year than I'd hoped.

I did it. The longest ride that I've led too.

 

[bruce1530]

So.... since I started doing the 50 challenge, I’ve been finding that many of my rides are coming in at 50/51/52.... I guess that I’m extending shorter rides by just enough to make them count - last year, my average trip would have been in the 40s. This year, very few trips around the 40 or 60 mark....

Is anyone else seeing this pattern?

 

[NorthernDave]

So.... since I started doing the 50 challenge, I’ve been finding that many of my rides are coming in at 50/51/52.... I guess that I’m extending shorter rides by just enough to make them count - last year, my average trip would have been in the 40s. This year, very few trips around the 40 or 60 mark....

Is anyone else seeing this pattern?

Yep - you've got half-century-itis. The unavoidable need to round your distance traveled up to just beyond the magic 50.

I've lost count of the number of rides where I've ended up adding on a few extra miles just to push myself over the line.

 

[steverob]

Yeah, same here. In the past 12 months, I have a lot fewer rides between about 35-49 miles and again between 53-62 miles!

 

[Sbudge]

Same here...but then I've always had it, even before joining the challenge. Business travel this year has meant I've had to be extra diligent in grabbing challenge opportunities whenever they appear, even if it's just extending the ride home.

 

[Domus]

Missed out on a 50 K in Portugal, even though I was out before 06.30 in the mornings my navigation let me down badly even with the Garmin. Still I did a little exploring over 4 rides with very nice coffee at the end. Back on home turf now been to see mum this morning and had a nice lunch in Rivington Barn in the warm Lancashire Sunshine.

 

[Saluki]

Last night's 50 miler was meant to be a 50km but it was such a lovely evening, that I just kept going.
Ride buddy is back next week, which I am pleased about, as it seems that cyclists on that trail are not working hard enough if they have the energy to chat me up and try and get me to go for a drink with them. Either that, or they feel sorry for me and think that I need cheering up. Somehow, when out riding with a man, people don't feel the need to engage me in conversation and mention that I have nice legs/boobs/smile etc. Funny that. Maybe I should eat more?
I hit a new record last night. 6 chatter-uppers. What is wrong with people? I just want to ride my bike and comments of "ere, you're fit, wanna come for a drink" do fall on deaf ears. One chap paced me, until he ran out of steam (most gratifying). It seems that a woman in lycra must be chatted up. It's nice, from time to time, but was really getting on my pips last night.

Anyway. I had a nice ride apart from the pests. I did hurl myself off my bike while undoing my helmet to get the bug out of it. I am not sure if it was a dragonfly or a helicopter. They make a similar noise. I just knew that there was a big bug in my lid and I needed it out ASAP. It wasn't a stinging bug, so it's all good. I stopped to watch the Lancaster flying past. Nice to see it all fixed and in the air. (Cue some bloke saying "That's a Lancaster Bomber darlin', a military aircraft" and then offering to tell me all about them over drinks. I decided that I'd seen enough of the Lanc and moved off, at a bit of a lick.) It must be the heat or something!

I did stop and watch some mayflies dancing about over the water's edge. I took a few pics and generally enjoyed the evening sun.

 

[Jon George]

After an aborted attempt on Saturday I went out today. In the heat. In the humidity. In a slightly less-than-perfect state (I had just lost about a pint of fluid doing some gardening.) When I got I home I got into a bath of cold water to lower my core temperature before a gasket blew.
It appears I may be approaching some degree of normality. (And now it's finally raining.)
Oh, during the ride, some kind of largish insect got caught up in my hair. It stung me on the finger as I freed it. Monday's going well ...