Date: Sunday June 25, 2023
Weight: 185 lbs.

Battling temperatures in the low 90’s and tackling a total of 4,400 feet of climbing, including the notorious 2 Sisters, I completed the metric century. The Big Sister, a challenging climb measuring 0.5 miles long with a 6.7% grade tested my endurance as I ascended 189 feet. Then, undeterred, I powered through the Middle Sister, a steep 0.2 stretch with an 8.5 % grade and 103 feet of climbing. Finally, I conquered the Little Sister, a 0.6-mile ascent with a 2,4% grade, adding 84 feet to my climbing total.

Completing the entire metric century, 65.9 miles in 4 hours and 49 minutes. Throughout the ride, my average heart rate maintained a steady rhythm at 142 beats per minute. To try and prevent leg cramps, I had been spending more time, everyday leading up to the ride, stretching. I also had purchased SIS a sports energy supplement – which is an isotonic energy gel. My prep seemed to have help for a while but around mile fifty I started to get some pretty bad leg cramps. The muscles that seemed to be affected the most were the Gracilis, Sartorius and the Rectus Femoris. The cramps never got so bad that I had to get off my bike to walk and try and stretch the cramps out like I had to do during the Three Rivers Metric Century ride.

This is my second time riding in this particular charity riding event and the organizers and volunteers way always done an exceptional job. The check-in procedure was easy and fast, the roads and maps were easy to follow and the rest stops well managed with plenty of food and drinks.