My First Century (April 17, 2011)

I’ve been riding and running for months now but this day was a breakthrough and seems like a good place to start the narrative the journey.

I had run into Howie Miller at a party and mentioned to him that I was training for the AIDS Ride. I didn’t know that he was a cycling enthusiast. “Oh, you should come with us tomorrow. We’re riding a Century. Meet at Peet’s Coffee on Solano at 7am.” I had never ridden 100 miles. I was intimidated. He said it was mostly flat and not a big deal. I said I’d think it over.

Was this insane?

I suited up in the morning and arrived at 7:04am just in time to see 3 cyclists disappear around the nearest corner. (I guess meeting at Peet’s at 7am does not involve actually drinking coffee). I sped to catch up and they welcomed me. Howie, Morgan and Brian.

I hadn’t ridden the streets of Berkeley on a bike with a pack of guys since I was in grade school. We were heading out to Orinda, via San Pablo Dam Road, some 15 miles away, to meet up with another rider, Dean, a former Category 2 competitive cyclist. This means national racing. Hmmm. Out my league here perhaps. For a hundred miles?!

Older than the rest of us, at 51 I was told, he set a strong pace and I did my best to keep up. They taught me how to draft—stay within a foot or two of the wheels in front of you—which makes the cyclist in front your wind barrier. Quite nice actually. There were a few hills but 3 hours into the ride and we were way the hell out there riding past fields beyond Dublin and Danville. Gorgeous green pastures and rolling hills.

The only humiliating moment came at a stop light in Dublin when I got tangled up as I shifted a gear coming to a stop, couldn’t get my foot un-clipped in time and tipped over into the pavement. This was timed right as another pack of riders rode up to stop at the light. I was the novice in the asphalt amidst a dozen cyclists in their spiffy outfits. They all looked at me with a pitying smile and sped off as the light turned green.

We lost Brian and then Dean by mile 65 or 70 as they had other directions to ride in. I convinced Howie and Morgan to stop for a taco. Damn I was hungry. Very unconventional, they assured me, but acquiesced. After our break we continued on and made it back to Berkeley by 3p where we hit our 100 mile number not far from where we had started at Peet’s (without coffee) at 7am.

Back home I hit a hot bath, (my left hamstring was very vocal), some serious stretching and then PASSED OUT on the couch.

But damn. I rode a hundred miles. Thanks guys.