Baron - Katy Flatland 100 Mile Century - Sub-6:00 hour time!
 
5 hours, 59 minutes and 57 seconds to be exact! It was VERY FLAT! Only 476 feet of climbing for the 100 miles. At the start I managed to latch on to the second fastest pace-line group and hold their tail for the first forty miles for an average elapsed speed of 19.4 mph. After that high speed run (for me) I had to slow down and recuperate. Nine miles from the finish (on a pace to finish just under 6 hours) I get a flat tire! Spent 9 minutes changing the tire and was a little depressed because I thought the tire change time would push me past the 6 hour mark. At 5 hours, 59 minutes and 10 seconds I can see the finish line ahead - I push it as hard as I can (considering I've just ridden 100 miles) and manage to cross the finish line in under six hours - by 3 seconds.
 
At the start I meet a guy (Brady?) on a Catrike Pocket. Brady is 57 and just got his Pocket - he used to do marathon running. Brady says he is going to try for a sub 6 hour 100 mile ride on the trike! I figure good luck with that on the trike. Well Brady and I ride together for the first forty three miles before he latches onto another passing pace-line and I get dropped. He disappears into the distance I'm thinking I won't see him again. Well, when I'm changing my tire at the 91 mile marker Brady rides past me on the trike! He must have spent some time at the rest stops were I just kept riding. I finished a few minutes after him and we got to gab awhile after the ride.  
 
~3,000 riders? Lots of bents and trikes at the ride and one velomobile!
 
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/202169604
 
--- Things I did wrong ---
 
After carefully programing the Garmin GPS for turn by turn directions I forgot to turn route turning on. Fortunately I did not get lost. Had one missed turn were I had to backtrack about 100 feet.
 
Forgot to put on sunscreen before the ride. Fortunately I carried a small tube of sunscreen which I put on at the 55 mile marker rest stop.
 
Had the WRONG SIZE TIRE TUBE for the front tire again! This is the fourth or fifth time this has happened in the last few months! I know I carefully check tube sizes when packing my tools bag. I think from now on I'm going to fully unwrap/unfold the tube and lay it out next to the tire before packing it in the tool bag to make sure the tube is the correct size for the tire. I just folded over the extra long tube about four inches and watched carefully for correct tire seating of the bead while inflating.
 
Did not eat enough. For some reason I have a hard time eating at least 250 calories per hour on long rides. I think I'm going to try switching to liquid calories for long rides.
 
Carried too much weight in the Radical Designs Solo bags. For some reason I think I need to take everything and the kitchen sink when riding a century. The bags probably weighed at least 15 pounds (mostly food I did not eat).
 
--- Things I did right ---
 
Managed hydration really well. Kept hydrated. Stopped once at 55 mile rest stop to refill 70oz camelbak. Ran out of liquid just as I saw the stadium lights of the finish line a half mile in the distance. Took endurolytes every hour. Mild twinges of cramping at 55 and 80 miles but was able to relax and stretch and ride through them.
 
Actually used a CO2 cartridge to inflate my front tire and it worked! I've tried three or four times on rides to use a CO2 cartridge for a flat tire but each time something goes wrong and I end up having to use a pump to inflate the tire. I was getting tired of carrying both a pump and CO2 cartridge (pants belt and suspenders anyone?), but now I think I can remove the pump from my tool bag and just use the CO2 cartridges.
 
Manage my effort pacing plan pretty well keeping my heart rate reasonable throughout the ride.
 
Had a lot of fun!
 
--- By the numbers ---
 
98.72 miles
5:45:47 riding time
5:59:57 elapsed time
17.7 average moving speed
3,339 calories
134 average heart rate
72 rpm average cadence
80.8 degrees average temp
93.2 degrees max temp
 
Next week's ride - Goatneck Bike Ride – Cleburne, TX (assuming I've recuperated)

I always enjoy the great write up   I feel like rbent reports are right up there with a lot of the bike mag.s  

That's about the same amount of climbing as HHH....

Quote from FlyingLaZBoy on Jul 24^th, 2012, 9:20pm:

 
I show Hotter than Hell last year at 1439ft. That's why I like the Houston area so much, if you do a ride south and east of Houston it's usually about 150-200ft