The Century Club: Cadillac girls put in 100 miles on fat bikes | Sports

It took Jordan Rogers slightly extra time to agree.

When the day lastly arrived, it was Rogers who had ants in her pants to get on her bike for greater than 10 hours.

Balbuena and Rogers, who will likely be seniors at Cadillac Excessive Faculty this fall, took issues into their very own fingers — or pedals — and accomplished the Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder 100-mile Coast Loop June 11 close to Ludington.

The annual race, which had been scheduled for later this month, was rescheduled for Oct. 3 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That posed an issue for the 2 ladies as a result of their coaching had been set for the unique date and by the point October rolls round, college will likely be again in session.

Each are members of the Single Monitor Sisters Fats Bike Crew and it was Coach Kamie Wade who put forth the thought to only do the race now.

“I used to be upset as a result of we labored so arduous to coach or it,” Rogers stated. “(With the brand new date) I knew college was going to begin and I work rather a lot in the summertime so weren’t going to have the ability to sustain the coaching each single week.”

Balbuena and Rogers accomplished the 100 miles in 10 hours and seven minutes.

Solely two girls have accomplished the 100-mile race on a fats bike and certainly one of them is Wade herself. Balbuena and Rogers are additionally doubtless the youngest to have accomplished it, as nicely.

Rogers’ father has competed within the 100-mile occasion and will likely be within the huge Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder 210-mile race subsequent yr that goes from Au Gres to Ludington.

“I had talked with my dad about doing the race and he requested if I would need to do it,” Rogers stated. “I stated sure and he stated I ought to see if somebody from the crew wished to do it. Then I type of simply forgot about it pondering it would not occur.

“Then Kamie introduced it up sooner or later at follow and Julianna actually fast stated ‘yeah, I am going to do it’ so I stated I might, too. I wished to see if I may do it and simply push myself.”

“I did it to grow to be a greater, stronger biker and to have the ability to say I biked 100 miles,” she stated.

The pair began coaching with Wade in February indoors on the endurance bikes after which finally acquired outdoors to coach.

That actually began increasing their territory.

“Earlier than we began coaching, the furthest I would ever gone is 25, possibly 30 miles,” Rogers stated. “We began coaching and every week we have been actually upping it.

“We made it to 62 miles and we have been going to do 75 however we weren’t capable of get it in so we simply jumped to the 100.”

The duo had deliberate for his or her race on June 10 however inclement climate pushed it to June 11.

They began out round 8:30 a.m. at Stearns Park Seaside in Ludington — the official place to begin — and went from there with out too many points.

“I used to be tremendous anxious and nervous,” Rogers stated. “I could not sit nonetheless…I simply wished to do that. I used to be type of freaking out. Then we began and it was high quality.”

The miles began going by fairly shortly.

“We lastly acquired to our first break and I assumed, ‘I can do this,’” Balbuena stated. “The primary half was 37 miles earlier than we noticed anyone.”

Their assist crew included Wade, relations, a boyfriend and Charlie Decker, who was their mechanic and works at McLain Cycle & Health in Cadillac.

Balbuena and Rogers had a pair extra stops deliberate alongside the way in which and did need to get off the observe for a brief thunderstorm at one level however they skipped their final cease and completed out the remaining miles.

“I used to be stunned…I knew I may do it however I used to be simply ready to hit that wall and be drained but it surely by no means actually got here,” Rogers stated.

“I really feel the identical approach,” she stated. “I used to be like, ‘wait, it is over?’ I assumed it was going to be a lot longer. I wasn’t as drained as I assumed I used to be going to be.

“I used to be simply having a great time.”

Rogers and Balbuena have spent a number of time with Single Monitor Sisters and Wade hopes their enthusiasm is infectious for the remainder of the crew.

“It is superior to listen to the younger ladies say they preferred that distance,” she stated. “It is a objective for me to have these ladies get entangled. There’s such an imbalance of girls in these (endurance) occasions.”

Rogers stated she’ll problem her teammates.

“After I acquired off the bike and I had modified (garments), I appeared round and requested who’s doing it subsequent?” she stated. “We’ll get extra ladies to do it with us.”

There are already plans for extra for Balbuena and Rogers, although.

Rogers’ father and Wade will likely be competing within the 210-mile occasion in 2021 and so they’ll have acquainted firm.

“I am doing that race subsequent yr with Julianna and Jordan…they only do not know it but,” Wade stated.