Five years ago I was given a bicycle by my family for Father’s Day. I began to explore our city’s public trail system and found that I enjoyed this form of exercise. Five years, two bike upgrades and a lot of miles later, my mental health is better and I’m in much better physical shape. I gradually began to push myself to take longer rides, leave the People Trail for county roads, and learn more about road cycling. In time the challenge of attempting a century ride began to creep into my thinking.
A century ride is a cycling ride of 100 miles or more completed within 12 hours, and is considered something of a rite of passage in the world of recreational cycling. Think marathon for a runner. While not at all impossible, attempting such a feat does require some preparation and training – which, in turn, takes time. So, blessed with a Sabbatical this summer, and the time to train, I set a bucket list goal of completing my first (and quite possibly only) century ride. Continue reading
