Savannah Century

Hello All,

This is no IRONMAN report, but I wanted to share with everyone my experience with my first century. 

I was up at 5:30am, could not sleep. My wife came out with me so we could enjoy a mini vacation in Savannah the day before and after the race. I had a half a bagle wih Peanut Butter for breakfast at around 6:30am. Got to the race start at 7:15 met some other entrants and stood around talking for a little while. There was from what I was told 750 pre-registered applicants and they thought that another 200-250 signed up the day before the race and race morning.  As I mentioned in a previous post I am scared to death of heights, so I was apprehensive of the "Bridge Ride" which started out the race.  For those who don't know the bridge in Savannah it is approximately 185 ft off the water at it's center.

The race began pretty close to on-time and we were off. The bridge was coming up quick and I felt a twinge of panic. I was in amongst other riders so I focused on them for the ascent up the bridge. I finally started to relax and started to enjoy the bridge ride a little before the apex of the bridge,and the ride down the other side was magnificent, by far one of the heighlights of the day.

So, I started back in the pack around midway, and as people started to slow down climbing the bridge I started moving up the line. I was feeling fantastic. We came up on rest stop #1 and I felt strong so decided to blow past and keep on going. Ride was going well and I found myself easily falling into an avg 17.6 mile pace. Hit rest stoop #2 and picked up a half a banana and some watered down gatorade. Spent maybe 4 minutes at the stop and pulled out.  The next 15 miles or so were going well I was still in about a 18 mph pace, and legs were strong. Hit rest stop #3 at about the 45 mile point give or take and legs and breathing was still awesome. Felt strong at this rest stop I picked up a 1/2 of a PB&J sandwhich (they were pre-made) and filled the water bottle with gatordae and water. At this point I have taken in the following foods over the 45 miles (1/2 banana, 1 Hammer Gel, 2 bottles of liquid, and 1/2 of a PB&J).  So spent about 5-8 minutes at rest stop #3 due to the line, and then hit the road again. I hit mile 50 smiling and said to myself half way home, and legs are still going strong, My time at 51 mile mark was 2:52. My pace has dropped to about 17 mph pace. I took in another Gel. I am riding pretty much alone, there are a few race teams that are in pace lines that are hitting about 20-21 mph, but I can't hang with them. Feels like the wind no matter which direction I headed was always in my face. I come to rest stop #4 at mile 67 in the race, and for the 5 miles prior to getting to rest stop #4, my stomach is killing me and I know what I have done to myself (too much sugar). I am down to about 13 mph. I guess between the gatorade and the PB& J I had brought "doom" upon myself. The first time this has happened in almost 6 months. I pull up at rest stop #7 at make use of the Porta-John. I was in it for awhile, and I could here a line forming outside, and I am pretty sure I could here one rider say I could finish the race before this guy gets out. He may have been correct.  I came out, and waited in line to use it again.

Okay so out of the Porta-John finally, there was a hose at the rest stop so threw some water on my neck, and off I went. I took in some peanuts, but at this point was afraid to take in anything else. I was doing fine through mile 75, but then I hit the WALL. Legs felt good, but I think I let what happened to me the last 15 miles or so get in my head. I struggle through in my head afriad to take in my fluids for fear there was too much gatorade and not enough water, and at mile 80 I "BONKED", about 1 mile or so from rest stop #6. Twenty miles to go. The taste of finishing looming in my head knowing that I do 20 miles in my sleep during training, I rested at 80 mile marker for about 15 minutes, saying one more mile damit one more mile and you can get fresh liquid. I got on my bike to start moving again and a waive of dizzyness and a cold chill ran through my body. I get off the bike before I fell over, and waited some more, at this time a women and her husband pulled up next to me and she said she was done, she had hit the wall as well.

The husband looked at me and asked if I were okay, I am not sure what I looked like, but it must not have been pretty. They called for a sag wagon and to my shame I took the ride back into town as well. I called my wife and took the walk of "shame" to my car.

I went back to the hotel room, took a shower, and stayed in the shower thinking that I should have kept on going, but knowing at the point in time going was not an option. There are a ton of positives that came out of the race, and some negatives which I will share below, but I plan on doing this again in the near future, and I enjoyed the hell out of the ride and the experience.

Okay so the food and liquid intake for the (80 Approx) mile distance ( I lost some mileage and time with a garmin user malfunction just after mile 50 where i pressed stop instead of lap) and 5 hours 22 minutes on the bike (as you can see I did not do well):

- 2 Hammer Gels
- 1/2 banana
- palm full of peanuts
- 1/2 PB&J
- 72 oz of fluid

Positives:
1. I rode 80 miles, the longest ride I have ever done.
2. I was in the top 100-150 people 80 miles of the race.
3. I had a PR of 5:22 minutes at mile 80, when I shut down my garmin.
4. I got over the bridge, faced my fear of heights.
5. I put myself out there and took a chance. Had the best time I have had in a very long time thinking about the days accomplishments still gives me goosebumps.

Negatives:
1. I did not go the entire 101 miles.
2. My training was not adequate enough.
3. I attempted a 100 mile race to soon. I should have done the 61 mile distance for my first race.
4. I set my goals too high for only starting riding 3 months ago, and being out of shape for the last 20 years.
5. I ate wrong, for me, on the ride. I should have made my own sanwhich to bring or stuck with my training supplements of granola and raisins. (This was the giant killer)
6. I did not hydrate correctly during the race. After the race I was down approximately 7 lbs from when I started (by mile 80 I had only taken in approximately 72oz of fluid, I know better than that, but I was afraid after what happened to drink anymore of the gatorade and I did not make it far enough to swap out with plain water. The second giant killer.)
7. My pace was too fast in the beginning, and I did not find a group to share pace duties with.

I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to live the new lives and the second chance at being healthy to the fullest. A person on the forum asked the question, "Am I an Athlete". Well I know that I was an athlete and I am an athlete again. Setbacks happen, but not putting yourself out there and taking a chance is one event you do not ever want to have as who you are. Don't let them put on your grave stone, "He/She watched as others did". So to all of you who have read the above don't feel bad, feel excited, that an attempt was made, and major effort was put forth, a PR was made, an understanding was obtained, and a thirst to do the whole damn thing over again will happen shortly, and this time it will be to completion and success.

Thank you for reading, this post.

Thanks for posting. FInish or not, you had a great ride out there, and you've learned a lot for the next one. 80 freaking miles is amazing! Congrats!

GREAT job out there!!!!! I know you will get the whole 100, especially considering all of the valuable info you learned on this go around... Recover well and enjoy your achievement.

 awesome job.  80 miles is no small accomplishment, and you did it with a great time, and you learned a lot for the next time.  Nutrition is really one of the hardest things to figure out as you get into longer distances, and it takes some practice.  What I have learned is to keep it simple and boring (i.e. not too much variety) (I strayed from this on my IM and I paid as well..)

Hold your head up high, HUGE props to you for putting yourself out there.  Like you, I had 20+ years of being utterly out of shape.. 3 months of riding to get to the piint you are is HUGE!  I did my first century after more than 10 months, so this is REALLY impressive!  

Congrats - you'll get the 100 next time for sure.. keep riding hard!

 Thanks guys, I actually have a friend who is going to give me some swimming pointers. So I will be looking to do some TRI's as well. I need to work on getting my head right as well. Long distances allow for it to start straying and you can't afford that at those distances.

Jay

Great Accomplishment getting to 80! I didn't get to 80 until shortly before the ironman, and didn't do a century until 3 weeks before the ironman. You had the guts to get out there and try and that's HUGE! Hope you enjoyed Savannah, its an hour away from us, and even though we have lived here for 3 years, my husband and I will go out there for a date night and discover something new every time.

Jillian, the whole trip including the ride was a blast. We travel to Savannah about twice a year, and love it every time we go. My wife would like to live out there some day. 

I can honestly say, that if they offered to start another Savannah century tomorrow I would do it again tomorrow. I might veer off and hit the 61 mile trip though until I am better prepared. 

Jay

Nutrition is a *****!  I am struggling with this a lot while working up to my first marathon - I can't imagine you going all out with only 3 months of training!

You did an amazing job - and learned a whole lot of stuff!!  Congrats on a great attempt and coming out of an event with so many good lessons!

that is a great accomplishment!  way to go.  you've learned a valuable lesson that a lot of us have about nutrition.  especially for long distance/time endurance events, nutrition is an entire area of discipline that needs as much attention as your endurance training plan.  one of the keys is to train with your plan so there are no surprises on the event/race day.  i've learned that one as well first hand when i had major problems with full-sugar gatoraide on my first century.  there is no shame in attempting something big and falling short, the shame would be not attempting it at all, and when you dust yourself off and get it on the next attempt, the success is just that much sweeter as you know how hard you had to work for it.

are you in the *******alpharetta area?  i live in north forsyth and work and workout in alpharetta.  if you would like to meet up sometime to go over some bike tactics and training i would be more than willing to help out.  just let me know.

 I would like to get together and learn from someone with some great experience. Let me know what time works out best for you. I work from home so I can meet anytime in the Alpharetta area.

Thanks,
Jay