Solo Cycling Century in New Delhi!

123 km. 521 metres of elevation gain and 5 hours on the saddle at 28 degrees centigrade. It was a perfect Sunday morning spent on the saddle!

It had been a long time since I had ridden a century or even trained regularly. My cycling fitness had gone for a toss. It was about time that I reclaimed my legs and this past Sunday I went about doing just that.

Since I was riding 100 km after a long time, I was a bit apprehensive about finishing it. So I prepared for the ride. First, by catching a good night's sleep the previous evening, which entailed ignoring all Saturday night party plans. Cycling does make one an anti-social animal among one's friends!

The second important step was to wake up early and get in as many miles before the summer sun climbed high into the sky. I failed on this front because of the MotoGP race being held in America and the timing of the two didn't match up!

The third was to gobble a hearty breakfast before the ride. I knocked down as much food as I would normally have in two meals.

1 litre of water with salts, and 1.5 litre of plain water. 2 sandwiches and a banana stuffed in pockets. And I was set...

Started the ride on fresh legs and slowly warmed up the machinery. I then built a steady rhythm keeping an eye on my heart rate and cadence. Heart rate was targeted at 160 bpm and cadence at 90. I overtook a few other cyclists but didn't allow the excitement to make me push harder than necessary. The first hour saw me clock 27 km and the second hour I managed to maintain the average. But this was on near pancake flat roads.

After putting down 50 odd kilometres on my legs I ate the banana, all the while sipping on my bottles to keep myself properly hydrated.

At the 75 kilometre mark the sandwiches were consumed. It was also the point where the undulating terrain would start and I would actually need to climb a bit. The legs were already feeling the strain after 75 kays and I knew what lay ahead was a battle of mind over body.

The next 25 kilometres I pushed a little extra and felt good looking at my average speed with a controlled heart rate. It wasn't thought through properly, since I was riding with a strong tailwind.

The last 23 kilometres was with a headwind and a considerable amount of climbing. I was absolutely knackered and had to get off the bike to rest a bit. The struggle was on, I could feel the quads cramping up every time I tried to put in any effort.

The going got so bad that I was in my climbing gears to even ride on flat roads. Finally, home sweet home, with food, water and air-conditioning!

Though I was pooped at the end of the ride, I couldn't help but have a sense of satisfaction. It was another goal towards regaining fitness.

When was the last time you did a century? I know, I want to do another soon!

At the Gyarah Murti monument in central Delhi. Literally, it means 11 statues. This monument depicts the Dandi March which the father of the nation, Gandhi held against the British. This shows the unity of the people of India irrespective of their differences of caste, race and religion.

The ride stats

This is how we share the road in India. A man on his ultra-cheap bicycle. A middle class couple on their commuter motorcycle. And one of the best supercars in the world, the Nissan GT-R, flanked by a BMW. Not in the picture are also cows, monkeys and dogs, which make Indian roads so entertaining and dangerous!

Did I mention we also have horse carts in the middle of the city :D Here I was trying to keep up with the horse, one hand on the bars and the other trying to click this picture!

Rastrapati Bhavan (the President's Home) from the side

The front view of the same from afar. Since it was a Sunday morning, children with their parents were out in full force to enjoy themselves on roller skates

Another wing of the same building

I think these guys might be issued a ticket for parking incorrectly! But on a serious note, Sunday mornings are filled with scenes like this, as people's Saturday night parties get a little out of hand

Outside Humayun's Tomb