The Six Gap Century is in 3 days and I am just about ready to “roll”. But, before I start the ride at 7:30AM on Sunday there are a few things I still need to do in order to complete my preparation.
The Riding
I have really cut back on the riding this week in order to be rested for the ride. I rode a moderate 10 miles on Tuesday and another fairly easy 16 miles tonight. I plan on taking a very easy ride on Saturday to just get my legs moving, maybe a total of 10 miles. I will do a couple of “spinups” on the ride in which I will go at a high cadence (110-130) for a minute or so just to get the blood moving and the heart rate up a little.
The Resting
I have tried to get to bed on time this week and get at least 8 hours of sleep. I’ve got two more opportunities to do that before Saturday night when I will get 6-7 due to a very early wake up call.
The Fueling
I have tried to eat as normally as possible this week and concentrate on getting a good mix of carbs, protein, and fat. For me that works out to 60% carbs, 20% protein, and 20% fat. My typical daily calorie intake will be 2500-3000 based on light riding. I will burn 4000-5000 calories during the century so I will make sure to have my ziploc bag of Hammer Perpetuem and Heed to fill my water bottles at rest stops. I will also carry a flask of Hammer Gel (6oz or 600 calories) as well as a few Clif Bars. My goal is to consume 350-500 calories/hour while riding. If I do that I should be OK energy wise.
The Equipment
I will go over the bike tomorrow and lube the drivetrain, check all of the connection points (seat, handlebars, stem, etc) for secure connections, and doublecheck the tires for wear and replace if needed.
I feel ready to go and am looking forward to the challenge that this ride will provide. It looks like the weather will cooperate with temps in the 50’s at the start going up to the mid 70’s. As long as I pace myself and fuel properly I should be fine and be able to enjoy the experience as much as possible.
