Time Management
If you're truly shooting for a good completion time for your century, you need to make sure you're chipping away at the route almost the entire time.
Rest stops are fine and helpful, but don't get too comfortable.
"A good goal is 15 minutes off the bike, total," Hughes said. "It's doable. You've got to be organized and multi-task. Don't sit and socialize. Don't think of the stops as rest stops."
More: 6 Tips for Century Ride Rookies
Short-Term Goals
Keeping your mind right goes a long ways. One way to do that is keep your eye OFF the prize and instead divide the 100 miles into little chunks.
"During any rides of 100 miles or longer, It's pretty hard to stay focused," Hughes said. "It seems a long time away. If you focus on getting to the next rest stop or aid station in so many hours or minutes, or something like that, you really start to move down the road."
Don't think about how far it is to the finish, and you'll get there with your mind strong, your legs in tact and a new PR in your pocket.
More: How to Successfully Complete a Century
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