We did it! We did it!
We may not have been super fast; it might not have always been easy (there was definitely a moment when I openly sobbed into my handlebars); and it was definitely not always pretty, but Jenna, my Dad, and I had an absolute blast riding 100 miles through Napa Valley, California.
The race morning started off like the other 26 races I’ve completed… my alarm was blaring at 5 AM. I rolled out of bed, pulled on my race gear, and ate a stabilizing breakfast of banana and English muffin with jam.
Then, Jenna, my Dad, and I piled into my Dad’s van for the 1-hour haul to Napa Valley. I was a little concerned because it was absolutely FREEZING outside (for a Florida girl like me!) and decided to wear three layers – an undershirt, a long sleeved shirt, and a bike jersey – as well as awesome thigh-high socks that I had purchased the day before. $5 spent well!
Packet pick-up went smoothly, and then we met up with the rest of my Team Awesome. We raised a ton of money together for cancer research – together, we raised more than $5,500. Pretty awesome!
Before gearing up at the start, I inhaled a PB bagel…
And then we lined up at the starting line. I’ve never been to a bike race this size and got VERY nervous. I was a little intimated by how professional and collected everyone else seemed – I was shaking in my boots just IMAGING 100 miles.
With a little fanfare, we started the race at 8:45.
There were 3 groups – a 30 miler, a 60 miler, and a 100 miler. I felt congested and tired at the starting line and told myself I could bail from the 100 mile group if I needed to and switch to the 60 mile group. However, the groups split at mile 24 or so, so I’d have to make that decision soon.
Luckily, I had the scenic Napa Valley countryside to distract me:
The first aid station was at Mile 20, and I was so excited to see it! I really wanted to eat DONUTS, but alas – they didn’t have any. Apparently, in Napa Valley, they are fancy and serve croissants and brie cheese.
I opted for cookies and Gatorade. I tried to keep track of what I was consuming over the 100 miles to tell you about it, and here’s a rough guesstimate:
- 1 Goo shot
- 1 Clif bar
- 12 Fig Newtons
- 5 Oreos
- Fruit
- Goldfish
- Licorice
- Multiple Gatorades
- Pringles
I easily burned 4,000+ calories on the ride, and when you’re experiencing that kind of calorie burn, you just need GLUCOSE – fast.
Following the first aid station, I had a tough decision to make: 60 or 100 miles?
Since Jenna decided to do the 100 miler (she was originally signed up for the 60), I also decided to stick with the Century distance.
But I almost immediately doubted my decision because that’s when the massive hills started.
It was like torture! There were TWO major climbs in the course (and multiple smaller climbs), and the first one was pretty rough.
Jenna said this part of the course was the hardest for her, but I handled it pretty well. After all, what comes up, must come down… right?
Nothing feels as good as GOING DOWNHILL after climbing for 1 hour straight!
At the second aid station, we realized we were running pretty slow and would have to work hard to make it to the third station before it closed down, too. I know we didn’t do the FASTEST Century or even a medium-paced Century, but in my opinion, they were too quick to close the rest stops. It put a lot of pressure on the riders in the back, and it made me feel frantic.
Unfortunately, my anxiety would only grow because we hit the second climb around Mile 55.
It… was… grueling. I cannot explain to you how hard this climb was. It was 4 miles long, and the elevation increased more than 1,500 feet. I consider myself to be in good shape, but the atitude + elevation + sickness did me in. I got off my bike MULTIPLE times to walk, and two miles in, I had a complete breakdown. I got off my bike and just openly cried. I knew it wasn’t going to be over anytime soon, and the task ahead of me seemed so insurmountable and scary.
But then….
Jenna’s boyfriend came to the rescue! He drove to our location and brought us food + drinks so we didn’t have to worry about missing the aid stations. Just seeing his smiling face + truckload of food lifted my spirits! I really don’t know what we would’ve done without him.
And he came bearing Pringles!
At that point… it was truly all downhill. Although we had another 30+ miles to go, the course changed dramatically. No more major climbs! We spent a lot of time just coasting down the mountain at 30 mph or more.
The minutes ticked by, and before I knew it, I was calling out, “Mile 95!” And just a few miles later, we coasted into the finish line.
- Distance: 100 miles
- Duration: 9 hours, 30 minutes on the nose
I cannot believe I worked out for 9 hours and 30 minutes. I don’t even SLEEP that long! It was insane.
I was SO proud of Jenna for working so hard. She kept a smile on her face the entire ride, and she truly blew my expectations for her out of the water. She’s a tremendous athlete!
After the ride, we grabbed pizza at a cute restaurant in Downtown Napa:
I had 6 slices of veggie pizza.
And after I said goodbye to Dad (I love you, Dad! Thank you for riding with us!), Jenna and I went back to her boy’s place, we drank wine, and sat in the hot tub. Bliss.
I am utterly EXHAUSTED! I cannot believe I rode 100 miles today. I’m proud of myself for sticking it out even though I was under the weather and the course was hard. It was truly an experience I’ll never forget! In a word… it was epic.
Our plans for Monday include WINE TASTING in Napa! I’m so excited – a relaxing day is exactly what Jenna and I need.
Thank you for your support! 
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{ 246 comments… read them below or add one }
:O OH my gosh girl, you are AMAZING!! I seriously admire you so much – 100miles! Such an incredible achievement, especially as it was obviously so hard; you have amazing mental strength AND physical strength!!
I hope you have a fab night’s sleep now, you deserve it 
Seriously, biggest congrats ever
WOW! You are amazing! What am achievement this is. I seriously admire you and Jenna and your dad for doing this. I knew you could do it as you prepared so well. You must feel great!
Jenna’s bf is a lifesaver! I hope you have a great sleep and a well deserved relaxing day tomorrow.
OMG! You are totally my new idol! You rock wait ago! I was seriously starting to become worried when I didnt see you post anything all day and kept checking back, thinking oh no! I hope shes okay! And when I finally saw this post I was like she DID IT! You did it for a good cause and all in all YOU ROCK MY SOCKS OFF! LOL
CONGRATS DEAR! Your AMAZING!(Coming from a cancer survivor, thank you!)
SO SO proud of you both! You guys are amazing, and so is your dad!! Such an outstanding achievement. I kept checking twitter and the blogs for updates and this one was so fun to read. Congratulations!
Major congrats are in order! well done Caitlan, you realle aced it! Even through the hard times you remained postive and focused and made it through, you are a fantastic athlete and really should be so so proud of yourself, Now i think a massage and a ton of food to replenish yourself are totally in order!!
Hi! I found your page from a link on Fitnessista, and I was drawn to the TNT jersey. Which event did you do? I’m totally addicted, coming up on my second event this October!
this wasn’t through TNT, this was for the livestrong foundation. but i did TNT for disney marathon – it rocks!
it truly is, there’s nothing that compares to hearing GO TEAM when your legs are about to fall over…
and congrats on the century ride! maybe one day i’ll get there!
You are amazing! Congrats on finishing the 100 miler!
Congratulations Caitlin! What an amazing accomplishment. I’m just fantasizing that I will be able to do the same thing some day! You are SO impressive (and EPIC!) and I’m always inspired by reading about your athletic achievements.
AMAZING job!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! it’s been so much fun following your training for this race. you’re seriously an amazing and inspirational person, caitlin! what an accomplishment — i’m in complete awe. enjoy the wine tasting and the beautiful weather we’ve been having as of late…you TOTALLY deserve it! way to go!
Congratulations!! My first charity bike ride was the same way with the aid stations…we caught the last one RIGHT before they shut it down entirely; I’m glad Jenna’s boy was able to bring you refreshments so you didn’t have to worry about the stations.
Oh my gosh, what an amazing experience!! Congrats Caitlin! (and to Jenna! and your Dad!) You make me want to hop on a bike right now! I’m so glad to hear you felt better this morning, and hopefully you’ll be back to 110% soon.
Caitlin! Wow! Ah-Maz-Ing! Wow wow wow is all I can say. You did it. 100 miles is nothing to sneeze at, but I don’t need to tell you that! You are truly inspirational to women everywhere! Congrats! Rest up and take care of yourself now. Lots of pampering!
Congrats, Caitlin!!
That’s an amazing feat. You must feel so invigorated. 
Such cute socks!! 100 miles… wow.
Jenn
Wow wow wow!!!!! This is AWESOME!! Reading yours and Jenna’s race recaps gives me the chills!! I don’t even bike, but I want to do a Century! haha You are such the inspiration!! Enjoy wine tasting!
Congratulations on a fantastic race and wonderful outlook! A real inspiration!
You (and Jenna too) are EPIC!
You amaze me one race after the other.
It must have been nice to have the comfort of your Dad there all 100 miles : )
You are a true inspiration Caitlin, well done to you, Jenna and your dad. I absolutely loved reading every second of this race recap.
Congratulations
good on you caitlin. you guys rocked it. awesome.
Congratulations!!! You did great but then again I knew you would!
Must have been great to have your dad there with you! Enjoy you well-deserved time off and wine tasting tomorrow
You girls did so well! Well done!
WOW! What an impressive effort! The course looks truly brutal
I’ve been riding and doing triathlon for ages, but this is making me want to do a century!
Congratulations Caitlin! 100 miles is absolutely amazing!
Congratulations! that is such a tremendous accomplishment!
Never mind the time (which doesn’t seem slow to me for 100 miles!) ~ it’s the achievement that matters and I am beaming with pride for both of you.
Endurance events are at least 50% psychological, and the courage and strength you displayed is second to none.
Brilliant!
WELL DONE GIRL – YOU DID IT!!
Well done to Jenna too- she really stuck it to the haters.
CONGRATULATIONS
xxx
Julia
http://www.britbride.com
You are so inspiring, Caitlin. Congratulations on ROCKING that 100 miles!
I am so giddy with excitement for both you and Jenna. I’ve been kind of obsessed with this century since you both said you were doing it because I’m a bit of a bicycling dork. I just said on Jenna’s blog this has been an amazing inspiration for me. I know I can do 30miles so I’m going to try and work up to 50miles and who knows from there…. anything is possible hey?
So many many congratulations
amazing and inspiring!!!! makes me want to get on a bike. i can tell that you and jenna showed such heart out there! bask in it today
So proud of you! I know this is weird b/c I don’t know you, but because I knew you were sick and concerned about the ride, I checked several times throughout the day to see if you updated on twitter. I kept thinking: WHERE IS SHE!??? So, I was very happy to see your post this morning. Of COURSE you did it. Great job. What a lovely day, gorgeous scenery, and great riding mates. Congrats! Rest up!
thank you
Congratulations! What an amazing triumph!
The hills look absolutely killer! The hills that I ride 30 miles through are bad, but 100 miles through the Napa Valley-WOW! That is something that few people can handle or say.
Can’t wait for your next race adventure!
Congratulations =D
You are all so strong and really inspiring (and your socks look lovely =P)
I don’t really ride, because I’m a bit traumatized by a bad experience when I was 15: in a summer camp I was happily going through a downhill (in the mountain, not the road!) when sundenly I found out the brakes of the bike they gave me didn’t work- during a good 3 minutes I sreamed so so so loud to everybody to get out of the way. I really thought I was gonna die because I gained a lot of speed and I knew I would find trees, or fall or whatever. But then, luckily the path became smooth and straight and I could loose speed! Since then I never went for a ride again, I’m such a baby =P
You’re truly amazing!
You, Jenna and your Dad are just made of epic WIN. I love this post and I love that you did the full 100 miles, even through pain and doubt and lots of swearing
You’re such an athlete. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazing! All I can say. You should be so proud of yourself, girl!
Incredible Caitlin. I am so inspired. You guys are amazing!
Rock on! This post gave me goosebumps. You guys accomplished something amazing and hopefully won’t be too sore today!
Caitlin, your race recaps are possibly my favorite part of your blog. You’re absolutely incredible. Congratulations – you never cease to amaze me.
YAY!!! You guys are amazing!!! So wonderful that you had such great support- Congratulations
AHH way to go Caitlin! you are amazing! =)
You, Jenna and your dad are COMPLETELY AMAZING. I am so proud of you girls for doing that and I really don’t know how you did it!
Congrats! Looks like all that hard work was worth the fun and the feeling at the end.
Amazing strength you all have! Hope you have a great and relaxing time wine tasting!
You guys are awesome! I had tears in my eyes reading about the moment you realized you could get through the hardest part. Congratulations! Wow, I’m speechless!
So Awesome and to do it with your great friend! Big Kuddos to the BF for his sag wagon appearance! Yeah to the Dad too! Awesomely Amazing!
You are such an inspiration! Great work!
Girl, I’m so proud of you for pushing through. This post is totally the meaning of the word epic!
AWESOME job!!!
Honestly you and Jenna have just blown my mind . . . it’s honestly so crazy that you guys did that. When I saw your tweetpic of you guys on twitter I shared it with my friends at brunch and they couldn’t even comprehend it . . . they were like “What do you mean ONE HUNDRED?”
Have a great time wine tasting today! Can we expect a race recap video
???
You are one of the most inspiring girls I know! There are tears in my eyes right now because I am just so incredible proud of you! Caitlin, you are amazing!
Congratulations! That is amazing. What an accomplishment. Enjoy all the R&R (and WINE!) you deserve today.
Congratulations, Caitlin! I’m so impressed by this huge accomplishment. Rest up and enjoy the rest of your time in California. You definitely deserve it.
You are amazing, both of you. You truly are an inspiration, congratulations!
Congrats! You two are so b.a.
What an amazing area of the country. I’ve visited a few times and I could easily relocate.
congratulations, that is an amazing accomplishment!
you and Jenna should be so proud of yourselves!
WOW! Y’all are amazing.
You are inspiring beyond words. MAJOR congratulations!!!
Congrats Caitlin! You’re beyond amazing!
Congratulations! Must feel great to have 100 in the bag now!
Congrats!!! What an incredible accomplishment. You are amazing!!
Wow, sounds like it was an amazing, emotional ride. Congratulations!
Congratulations, you are amazing! 9.5 hours is LONG time!
What an amazing accomplishment!
Your race recaps are SO much fun to read. You are amazing! Try to fully revel in and appreciate this accomplishment!
Way to go!!!
you’re freakin hardcore. def team awesome.
did they let cars on the course? cause in that one picture it looks like there’s a car winding around the mountain. talk about dangerous.
yea but there was a big shoulder so it was no big deal. most cars were more than respectful of the bikers!
You’re so badass!
I think I would do a lot more than cry. You were under a lot of stres and finished strong.
I’m so proud of you. I miss being able to do that stuff — but you inspire me to just try and get my health better somehow.
Ever read Ultramarathon Man (Dean Karnazes)? He always had/has to eat incredible amounts during ultraendurance events.
Rest and EAT
Congrats Caitlin! You have so much to be proud of!
Congratulations on finishing 100 miles, that is an amazing accomplishment! You are truly inspiring!
YOU DID IT!! Congratulations!
Simply ammmmaaazzzing! Congrats girl
You are a machine!! Congrats on such a great accomplishment. How was the ride for your dad on his recumbent? You must be so proud of him too:)
he said it was pretty hard during the hills!
YAY CAITLIN!!!!!! So incredibly PROUD and inspired!! You are an amazing girl!! A wonderful reminder of what we all are capable of if we work hard, don’t give up and just believe! Rock on girly!!
Congrats girlie!! 9 hours and 30 minutes?!?! Holy shit! That makes my 6 hour 50k seem like chumps change!!
You are absolutely amazing! Thanks for being honest about your breakdown. I really think that it is important that readers see how mentally taxing doing something for that long is! I’ve never worked out for more than 4 hours, so of course, I can only guess what 9 1/2 hours feels like, but you worked through it and you grew as a person during this race. I always say that we grow on the days where the workouts are not easy, and this is a prime example of it! Great job!!
AMAZING!! Congratulations!
Congratulations Caitlin! I thought you or Jenna would be tweeting at least a few times, so I was surprised to not see anything all day! Congratulations again, you’re a rock star!
I am giddy for you both – you are such awesome, strong women. It sounds like it was tough but you had an awesome support system and you did amazing
. I love that you were able to ride the Fondo with your dad – that must be an amazing experience 
Congratulations, what an accomplishment. You are an inspiration!
You guys are amazing and can I just throw in there that your Dad looks pretty awesome too!
congrats! such a HUGE accomplishment.
You rock!
Awesome!!!!!!
Congratulations! You are truly awesome!!!!
Congratulations Caitlin and Jenna! Truly amazing!!
SO incredible. It is absolutely amazing that both of you girls–and your dad!–were able to ride 100 miles and look like you had a blast, even if there were a few tears. Go get your eat on.
I am SO PROUD OF YOU! Oh my gosh, that is AWESOME! You worked out for more than the time I spend at school! That’s INSANE!
CONGRATULATIONS. Seriously. Wow. I am in complete and utter awe. XDDDDD
Wei-Wei
That’s AWESOME, Caitlin! Because of YOU, I am thinking about getting into biking. Congratulations on your accomplishment!!!
You and Jenna are amazing & inspiring athletes. =) And yay, you got to meet Jenna’s secret BF! One day we should be so lucky?!?!
Congrats! That is a major accomplishment and I am so proud of you. You worked hard for it girl!
Congratulations, Caitlin! What you did was so inspiring! I’m so impressed with you right now! Way to go, kiddo!
To use your word, you are EPIC. Amazing. You make me want to go for a run RIGHT NOW – and my legs are screaming at me from two intense workout days in a row! The polka dot jerseys are fantastic – a nice token to help you remember the most important reason why you completed such a huge race. CONGRATS!
Amazing! Congrats, celebrate and be proud of yourself!
Congratulations Caitlin- Epic indeed!
Congrats!!! YOU are a tremendous athlete!
Congratulations Caitlin!!! What an amazing accomplishment!!
I loved reading this recap. You were so honest about your feelings throughout the ride — something I really appreciated. The course definitely sounds brutal, but you made it! And the scenery was beautiful!
I hope you have a wonderful day of R & R today. You definitely deserve it!!
you are amazing! congratulations!!!
AMAZING. I waited all day yesterday for a recap! was happy to read one this am:) Such an inspiration. 100 miles is fuh-reakin far!!!!!
i’m seriously so proud of you guys…i just read both of y’alls recaps and had tears in my eyes the whole time! i knew it was good to support you both financially in this race, and i can’t even imagine how many lives you’ve touched in doing this. enjoy that wine girl!
you just showed yourself you can do ANYTHING you want. Be proud girl. You did it.
Congratulations, Caitlin!
This is an amazing accomplishment! I loved reading your re-cap!
-Alison
congrats, lady! hills can really make you take a shot to the ego. way to power through. this reminds me of how excited i am for my first century…which has a day 2 return component of 80 miles. not till september though. time to work those hills.
Huge congrats!!!!! Y’all did an amazing job!!
Wow, what an amazing experience! You are both unbelieveably dedicated athletes, I admire you so much. And how sweet is Jenna’s boyfriend!
YOU TWO ARE AWESOME!!!
I knew you would complete the whole 100 miles!
Congrats and I cant wait to hear more about your race/cali adventures
Congrats again to you and Jenna, that is amazing.All that hard training paid off.
What a great experience to share with your Jenna and your Dad! I can see the little tear in your eye in the photo with the pringles. I hope you look back on this post when you are having a rough day and realize that you really CAN do anything you put your mind to! You should be so proud of yourself!
Great job Caitlin & Jenna! Thanks for sharing this – great recap. I’m so glad everything went so well for you! You’ve been working at this for MONTHS and you did AWESOME! Enjoy the vino today!!
You are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing this amazing experience with us!
you
are
epic
So inspirational! enjoy wine tasting
Congrats to both you and Jenna, that is so amazing!
CAITLIN!!!!!!! I can’t even explain how EPIC you are and how much you inspire me. As I was reading this, I told my mom that you did a 100 mile race, and her exact words were “God bless her!! I don’t even know the girl and I’m proud of her!” hahahah
I cannot even imagine riding 100 miles. You are my hero. Great job!
Super congratulations! I am so proud of you! Enjoy your day today!
Yey!!!! I have been waiting to read your recap and am so glad that it went well! Congrats on finishing 100 miles, that is such an accomplishment. Have a blast tasting wine today, that sounds like the perfect day especially after such a grueling work out yesterday.
You guys are amazing!
amazing job!!
was thinking about you this weekend! congratulations — it’s an amazing accomplishment
xoxo
Wow, wow, WOW! You guys are my heroes! I am in awe! Congrats on such an amazing achievement!
trully an amazing accomplishment! so proud of all of you….i know what it is like to suffer on the bike-it is not easy but you feel so good afterwards
you continue to be an inspiration to me. congratulations!
That is so cool-you girls are an inspiration to lazy girls like me!
That’s super amazing, and definitely inspirational! I’ll try not to complain about an hour long spinning class from now on. Again, congrats!
Gosh you really are both so EPIC! Congrats on such an amazing feat. Enjoy the wine tasting, you totally deserve it
Congratulations! You’re a biking beast!
Congratulations Caitlin! What an awesome reflection of what seems to be a truly amazing experience! You’re a Rockstar!
It always amazes me how strong you are, both physically and mentally. You are a true inspiration. Congratulations, from my heart!
You ladies are amazing! So proud of you! What an acomplishment!
OK I think I’ve used too many exclamation points, lol…but seriously, awesome job!
Congratulations! What an amazing accomplishment! Thanks for sharing with us!
You. Rock. I am in total awe of you and Jenna!
Congrats Caitlin!
Just like all of your other race recaps, this was amazing and something I was eagerly awaiting. I cannot imagine working out for so long, but SO awesome that you did it! Now enjoy some R&R!
Yeeeaaahhh! I knew you’d do it, Caitlin! Awesomeness.
Congratulations! You are such an amazing athlete and a true inspiration
Enjoy wine tasting in Napa ~ its amazing!
Caitlin, I seriously am SO proud of you. I am nearly crying reading your post because my rides have sucked this past week and I am going 20 miles. I know we are obviously on different riding/performance levels but riding uphill for an hour? I would die. You girls deserve so much praise.
You are amazing!
Julia
http://jewliagoulia.blogspot.com
Hurray! Congratulations on finishing 100 miles!
You go Caitlin!!! It must feel so amazing to accomplish what you have been working towards for months, celebrate and relax!!!
I am SO PROUD of you!!! So many congratulations are in order!!!! You and Jenna are both HUGE inspirations to me and I thank you so much for putting this all out there for us to read. Enjoy your wine, girlfriend! You totally deserve it!
Okay, I just read Jenna’s recap and was blown away and I’m re-blown away by yours. I seriously almost cried. You guys are amazing! I’m inspired!
Congratulations on a huge accomplishment.
congrats caitlin!! you are amazing!
You girls are absolutly AMAZING! I’m so impressed and inspired! Congratulations and enjoy the rest of your stay in Cali!
Congratulations!! You are truly inspiring!!
Caitlin,
I’m so inspired by this recap. You pushed through a difficult event-so awesome!! Thanks for sharing your journey with us!
April
Wow. You girls are such an inspiration! Congrats!
Wow! You are amazing! Congratulations for sticking to it and finishing! You are such an inspiration. Looking forward to seeing you again… in Chicago!
You guys are awesome! Nice work!!!!
Awesome accomplishments! Congrats!
Way to go Caitlin! Dare I say I’m jealous that you did this? You’ve made me want to sign up for a century ride – but I should probably start with a metric century first…
I love that the Pringles worked for you – my hubby and I found that tortilla chips are a good pick-me-up on the road (or the trails) – we munch on them pre-ride and also bring some with us for mid-ride fuel!
Again, awesome accomplishment and thanks for sharing the story with us!
Caitlin…RIDICULOUS. Congratulations on being bossier than ever and riding out those 100 miles.I can’t even imagine! Hope you have a lovely and relaxing Monday!
ahhh congratulations Caitlin! That is so great that you did it!!!
WOW WOW WOW = You did it! I’m so proud of you, Jenna and Dad. What an accomplishment. The pictures are wonderful also. My legs ache just thinking about a steady elevation climb for and 1 to 3+ HOURS not to mention being in the bike saddle for 9hrs 30 mins!!! What’s amazing. Enjoy your day of fun and rest today. Hats off to you guys. MOM
Wow! That’s so awesome, Caitlin.
Man, I didn’t know your dad moved out to Cali. I was looking forward to riding with him on the weekends some more. Darn.
I have yet to do a century, but I definitely think I could if I started training. I would love to ride with you if you’re planning to do another century.
Cheers!
Amanda
You did it–woo hoo!! What an accomplishment
AMAING ! CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU!
AND KEEP RESTOCKING THOSE GLYCOGEN STORES
You are EPIC. And so is Jenna.
As always, thanks for the motivation. I’m thinking about doing the Wyoming Multiple Sclerosis ride in August — around 70 miles each day for two days, and this makes me think maybe I can. Maybe,
Congratulations on your Century, Caitlin!
sounds like it was a totally awesome experience!! Congrats
Congratulations, Caitlin! You’re amazing!
Ahhh – congrats! So epic. I totally agree that they were shutting down aid stations too early. It made me mad and feel rushed. They hyped up the band at the top of Ink Grade and there was no band to be seen when I got there.
Congratz Caitlin! Was thinking about you and Jenna all day Sunday
I’ve never commented before, but this is AMAZING!! You and Jenna(and your Dad) ROCK! Congratulations!
Congratulations! So epic… I want to do something like this someday although I do not know if my crotch would survive…
congrats on finishing! what a great job!! such a long time to workout!
Congrats on your amazing ride Caitlin. You girls are hardcore and you totally deserve to relax and drink lots of wine today!
Way to go!
Congrats Caitlin! Thanks for the great recap.
It was awesome meeting you yesterday. Hope to see you again sometime.
I definitely thought they closed the rest stops too soon. I’m glad Jenna’s boyfriend came to the rescue for you guys.
Have a great day of relaxing and wine tasting! Sean and I are headed home today.
Caitlin, your post brought tears to my eyes. I’m so happy for you and Jenna. Awesome work!
Have fun wine tasting.
Congrats Caitlyn on a job well done. Hopefully you have some r&r in the days ahead. Treat yourself to a relaxing pedicure.. Quick question: what brand are your thigh highs? that is a great idea !! Did they fall down when you were cycling???
Congrats Caitlin! And what beautiful scenery. If you have to ride 100 miles I’d say that’s one of the best places to do it
.
You. Are. Amazing.
i’m so proud of you !! you did it (;
Congrats! So glad you stuck to 100, you must be so proud.
Congrats on the finish and great recap.
I agree 100% on them closing the aid stations too early. They were starting to close them when we were going through. After the ‘epic climb’ I told them one of the top fundraisers was still out there and should be coming in shortly but I don’t know if they stuck around.
The climb was definitely tough. I had to stop at the 3k mark because I thought I was going to hurl. haha.
When we got to the finish there was barely anything left at the “awesome after party” – just some BBQ + couple flavors of &J Ice Cream and the band was just about done. That was pretty lame – and they were tearing down the big finish line too. Minus that stuff it was an awesome experience and you’re a huge inspiration to all of us!
you and jenna are amazing. so proud and happy for you!
congrats!! <3
This is so fantastic — watching (reading?) you and Jenna prepare for this ride and finish it has inspired me to give it a go next year. Now I just need a road bike!
Congratulations! I can’t comprehend being on a 9-hour bike ride… You are amazing! I love those first three pictures, they really capture the fun!
what an amazing accomplishment! Congratulations!
You are all incredibly awesome! I can’t imagine how difficult those would be. I live in a hilly area, and I am exhausted after doing 5-8 miles of hills. So amazing! Hey, I don’t know if you’ve ever blogged about it before, but I am intrigued by your dad’s set-up. I don’t know the proper terminology of the cycle he rides, but for some reason in my head it seems like it would be more exhausting than an upright bike. I know he’s done a guest post for you before, but I can’t find it for some reason.
its called a recumbent! i’ll have him comment with more info.
Hi Heather,
it’s a recumbent trike – it’s faster going downhill and on the flats due to better aerodynamics, a little slower uphill because it’s heavier.
It takes about the same amount of energy – if you picture a cyclist standing and pedaling, and rotate him so he’s on his back, that’s about my position.
And waaay more comfortable!
Thanks for answering my question! I’ve seen a few people ride them around my house but never knew. I guess it is essentially the same as the recumbent bike at the gym so yeah, I find that way more comfortable than an upright/stationary bike. You are both so awesome! And it must be great to have the father/daughter bond to support each other.
Congrats!!! You gals rock!
I was out doing a 90 minute walk yesterday and I thought about you the whole time. I hoped you were doing well and I hoped you were enjoying the experience. Yay for Jenna’s BF. Hope you have a nice recovery day today.
Wow – congratulations!! That is truly epic and amazing. You are one amazing athlete as well!! Enjoy your day today – you totally deserve it.
Yay!!! Congrats Caitlin and Jenna! You guys rock and have totally given me the inspiration and kick that I needed to sign up for my first half marathon. Thanks for blogging!!
Have fun wine tasting today, you guys deserve it!
Congratulations! Way to stick with it, you have accomplished so much! Relax – you deserve it!
Amazing! Especially fighting through the pain, you are inspirational!
100 miles is insane! I kept telling my BF about your 100-mile bike ride and we were comparing miles to kilometres (remembering the road trip we took to Cape Code last fall). Wow Caitlin, just wow. You constantly amaze me with your determination. I am so proud of you for not giving up–even with your breakdown (I probably would have had a few of those myself).
You are amazing and so inspirational! I confess I checked for a race recap – A lot.
Congrats, you two really rocked it. That is scary that they were shutting the aid stations down so quickly. I mean hello…those riders NEED that food to keep going. Good work! Have fun wine tasting.
First off, CONGRATS on completing the ride! This is an amazing feat and you, Jenna and your dad are truly an inspiration. Way to push through the pain!
I loved reading this post…all of the emotion you experienced while riding (and resting) really came through in your writing. Thanks for the literary experience!
Amazing accomplishment, Caitlin! I am so happy to hear that it went well!!!
Congratulations on completing the century ride! I have been reading all your posts leading up to it and have been rooting for you
. I cannot imagine riding that far, or even doing physical activity for that long, but reading about it sure is an inspiration for me and anyone else who is an athlete or attempting to be more active in their life. Congratulations again and good luck on all future races!
That is soooo wonderful! Thanks for the recap and pictures. Since I recently did my first long ride event (55 miles) I totally understand that frantic feeling. I was doing the math in my head and wanted to make sure I was off the route before they closed it! Frantic is not good.
Congratulations! This is soooo inspirational. I told myself I would never ago do an endurance event that required me to eat on the go, but GOSH this makes me want to change my mind. So great that you could do this with friends…I think that would make all the difference in the world.
YAY!!! CONGRATS LADY! I am so happy to read this and see your smiley faces during such a tough event. That pizza looks extra tasty for a post-race recovery meal! Have fun wine tasting with Jenna, I am sure ya will!
CONGRATULATIONS! What an amazing feat! I’m truly inspired.
So proud of you and Jenna! This post brought tears to my eyes. You are amazing!
congrats! the jersey looks good on your girls (looking for one in the tour de california soon?); enjoy tour de wine of napa valley. that will be fun!
You are my courage queen, and I am so proud of you Caitlin
I think that sums up pretty much what I feel after smiling my way through your post.
Enjoy your day ^^
Wow, congratulations! Talk about a major accomplishment. You kicked butt!
you might as well call it the food recap! haha. i am so so so happy for you that you overcame the cold and kicked some serious butt. makes me excited thinking about doing one myself!! i agree – rest stations should NOT close early! that is way too stressful to put on racers, and could potentially ruin it for them or worse. so glad to hear you did well!! so awesome girl!
Congrats!!
You’re an inspiration, seriously
Caitlin, I am so proud of you! 100 miles is a huge MASSIVE incredible accomplishment!!!
One of my best friends biked across the country last summer with the Ride:Well team to raise money for clean water initiatives in Africa.(And she’s doing the same thing this summer!). They often did centuries to make their next destination. After reading this post, I have an increased respect for her. I’m going to call her right now and tell her so!
Truly AMAZING!!! You inspire all of us to get outside our comfort zone! And isn’t this the 26th race? Woo HOO!!!
27th!
thank you!
Great job Caitlin! You and Jenna did brilliant!
Great job! I’m so excited that all of you made it through the race with no injuries and had a wonderful time
Glad my shoes finally got some ride time in!
YOU ARE AMAZING. Seriously, wow. Congrats to the two of you!
Love this race recap and the pictures are gorgeous!!! You two look like you had fun as well which is awesome. GREAT JOB!!!!
I LOVE THIS!! Congrats Caitlin. You are such an athlete. Truly inspirational because no matter how hard it was, you are real about it and despite the struggles you pushed through. Good job!!!!
PS. You and Jenna are sooo cut together. You guys should just move together and then start a blog together
CONGRATS to you, your dad, Jenna, and the rest of TEAM AWESOME!!! I’m so proud of you! This was such a wonderful recap to read.
You are one amazing woman!
awesome job, caitlin!!! love this race recap. looks like a gorgeous day for a ride <3
Wow!!! great job! I know exactly how it feels when you feel like you need to eat a boat-load of calories. I’m a competitive tennis player who plays tennis and works out 2-7 hours a day, everyday.
Once again, congrats on the 100 miles! Stretch and drink coconut water to replenish
Wow! Congratulations to you, Jenna and your Dad! Amazing accomplishment!
Congratulations!!! You’re recap truly does sound EPIC. Enjoy your restful day in Napa!!
wow. I am absolutely in awe! What you three, and all the other riders out there did is incredible! I love that you, Jenna and your dad stuck together the whole way! I imagine that really helped to get through the tough sections and push to the end. Congratulations to all of you!!
Reading your amazing athletic feats is so incredibly inspiring I cannot put it into words. You are such a strong and amazing woman. And to get to do it all with a friend and a dad who have your back, that is awesome.
Good job!! You are seriously such an inspiration – 100 miles, like wow!! You’re an AMAZING athlete!!!
Hi Caitlin! Great job on the century! I know by reading your blog that you really didnt have a set training schedule… do you know how many miles per week you riding and by how much, if any, did you up your mileage weekly??
hey! my training plan is here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsiRelHFVxAMdDZEMXBDaGM5bThQMHM1Q0c5Y2ExTHc&hl=en
WAY TO GO GIRL!
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU’RE DRIVE AND DETERMINATION ARE AWE-INSPIRING!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! AMAZING!!!! Thanks for sharing an honest recap of how the event went- I KNOW it was challenging physically, but I can’t even imagine how challenging it was mentally! Great job! Enjoy the rest of your trip in CA
Wow. That is just amazing. That’s a further distance than going across some states! Glad you decided to go with the full 100 miles, and I agree, it is too bad that the stations got closed so quickly. No fair to put pressure on the racers.
Bravo Zulu and many congrats! It’s awesome to see you push through all those challenges and come out on top and smiling! Congrats as well to Jenna and your dad, looks like it was a day full of camaraderie and accomplishment.
Congrats!!! What an accomplishment. I have nothing unique to say so I’ll just repeat what everyone else has already said! Great job!!
Amazing. Truly amazing. I was checking in all day for tweets and updates, and I’m going to use you as my motivation. If you can bike 100 miles, I can certainly power through whatever workout I’m struggling through. Way To Go!!!!!!
WOW!! Congratulations =D I knew you could do it! All that hard work paid off. I’m so happy for you!
Not only are you incredible but your dad is too! And both of you are inspirational!!!
Congratulations!
You’re an amazing person!!!! Great job on a tough ride. I always want to try riding but I can’t let go of running.
Congratulations! That’s so awesome. Very cute pictures too
amazing job! you kicked ass.
Nicely done! I did a 100 miler in January this year on no training, HATED it and swore NEVER AGAIN!! Well miss, you’ve just inspired me to get back on the bike and have another crack – with training this time! So thankyou
You and Jenna rock so hard! I’m so proud of you both! Napa’s the shit like that, rollin’ out that fancy grub
I’m so happy you promote healthy exercise and are knowledgeable about what your body needs to function. Such a good example to all of us! Congrats again!
CONGRATULATIONS! This is beyond inspiring. I think I want to take up cycling now
Your dedication is nothing short of inspirational. You should be so proud of yourself!
I am so proud of you! Your fitness journey is truly an inspiration! Thank you so much for sharing it with us
Oh – and how awesome is Jenna’s boyfriend?!
Congratulations Caitlin, you should be so proud of yourself. 9.5 hours SERIOUSLY THAT IS CRAZY! You didn’t even eat that much – I would have died. You go girl!!!!
You’re right… 9.5 hours is a long ass time to have your ass in a saddle. But I am SO proud of you!!!! Wow wow. Most of the stages in the Tour de France aren’t even that long! You’re a machine – a very inspirational machine!!! xoxo
Congrats Caitlin!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a superstar!!!!!!!!
CONGRATS Caitlin! you are amazing! =)
Awesome job, Caitlin!!
That is amazing – way to go!!! you rock!
OK I am a little late to the game but I just read this again and I have to say I am so proud of you guys. The endurance alone to get through an event like this just FLOORS ME. I mean nine hours?!?! No for real, NINE HOURS?? I cannot imagine. Your story, your drive, your training, your commitment, your bond with Jenna and your Dad, it is all so inspiring, amazing and moving. Knowing where you’ve come from and what you’ve done has provided more inspiration to me than I can simply illustrate in words. Again, congrats.
wonderful re-cap, so glad I finally got to read it! You guys did some epic shiiz, and there is only one word for that course for sure. Those hills were indescribably hard and it felt like I was crawling the longest 4.5 miles of my life! I’m sure happy I made it through and look forward to the next, if they keep the food out longer at the end of course
so nice to meet you again!
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