
One morning, somewhere between your second cup of coffee and the unfiltered existential dread that follows a sleepless night, you decide:
“100 miles. I’ll ride that next month.”
You don’t have a plan. Hell, you don’t even have the right gear. But it doesn’t matter.
This is the moment you set fire to your comfort zone, where common sense and practicality get shoved out of the window like an ex you just don’t care about anymore.
You can barely manage 30 miles without your legs cramping up like some medieval torture device on the return trip, but here you are, thinking you’ll triple that in just four weeks.
Welcome to the world of cycling delusion, where every punishing mile is a testament to your stupidity and perseverance, and reality is a mere concept you kick to the curb.
The Reality of 100 Miles
Let’s get real for a minute: riding 100 miles isn’t some weekend stroll where you sip a latte, pretending to be a fitness guru.
You’re not some elite cyclist with a body built for torture. You’re an average person who has no business thinking they can do this, but here you are.
This isn’t just “three 30-mile rides” followed by some victory lap. No, it’s six to eight hours of misery, confusion, and the sinking realization that you might have actually signed up for your own personal version of Hell.
At some point, you’ll wonder why you even have legs.
Here’s how a century ride actually feels:
Mile Marker | Experience |
---|---|
0-20 | “I’m killing it. This is easy. I’m a goddamn cycling machine!” |
20-40 | “Okay, okay. This is harder than expected. Who knew 40 miles would feel like this?” |
40-60 | “Why do my knees sound like gravel? Why do my hips feel like they’ve been jammed into a blender?” |
60-80 | “I think I’m dying. I’m actually dying.” |
80-100 | “I can’t. I’m done. Please just let me fall off this bike and die in peace.” |
Training: Will It Save You?
So now you’ve got four weeks to become an endurance machine, to somehow morph into a creature that can ride 100 miles in one sitting without crying halfway through.
Four weeks. That’s not enough time.
Here’s the raw truth: You’re already behind the eight-ball. This is where you start to wonder if you’ll ever make it.
And the answer is: you won’t, not without a hell of a lot of pain.
This is what your training is going to look like if you’re serious about avoiding catastrophe:
Week | Training Plan |
---|---|
1 | Ride 30 miles twice. Struggle. Then, somehow, aim for 45 miles by the weekend and feel like your soul is dying. |
2 | Try to ride 40 miles without crapping your pants. One high-intensity session thrown in to make you feel miserable. Ride 60 miles on the weekend and question every life decision. |
3 | 50 miles, because that’s where you start to lose your mind. Mix in some hills. They’ll make you feel like a human wrecking ball. Ride 75 miles by the weekend and debate giving it all up. |
4 | Ride short distances. Pray you don’t kill yourself. |
If you make it to week three without calling an ambulance, you might actually stand a chance.
The Saddle Situation
You’ve heard the horror stories. You’ve heard the legends. A bad saddle will ruin you. It’ll turn your groin into a hurting unit, your hips into crushed velvet nightmares.
Forget those padded “comfy” seats. They’re a lie. If you think a cushion will save you, you’ve never truly suffered.
What you need is firm support. Your saddle should feel like it’s trying to kill you, but in a way that lets you know it’s the only way you’ll get through this alive.
Get a proper fit, or you’ll be wishing for the sweet release of death after mile 30.
Nutrition & Hydration: The Silent Killers
Don’t underestimate this. If you don’t fuel your body properly, you’ll turn into a walking bag of regrets.
This is where your body starts fighting back. And when it fights back, it fights dirty.
The Bonk. That ugly beast that creeps up on you. One minute, you feel fine. The next, you’re dragging your bike up a hill like it’s made of bricks and you’re made of wet spaghetti. You’ll be tired, broken, and totally useless.
Here’s what you need:
- Bananas: Like nature’s own battery pack. You’re going to eat these until you hate them.
- Energy gels: If you’re into sugary, sticky regret. Gulp these down if you like vomiting on your shoes.
- Peanut butter sandwiches: Because deep down, you’re still a human and need something solid to chew.
Hydration? Forget to drink, and your legs will start a mutiny. You’ll feel like you’re pedaling through tar. Drink before, during, and after.
The Mental Battle
At some point, you’re going to want to quit.
You’ll feel your legs scream. Your mind will crack like a dried-out old branch.
You’ll wish for death, or at least for a very nice nap. But that’s what endurance cycling is: pushing past the point where your body starts begging for mercy.
When the pain hits, when everything feels like it’s about to fall apart, remember: it’s not about the bike.
It’s about whether or not you can keep pedaling when your body tells you, “You are not supposed to do this.”
So ride in the rain. Ride when you’re tired. Ride until you despise the very thought of cycling, then ride some more. That’s how you win this.
The Finish Line Fantasy vs. Reality
You imagine crossing that finish line, arms raised in some victorious arc, a crowd cheering, the wind tousling your hair. You think you’ll feel like a hero.
You won’t.
Here’s what actually happens: You stumble off the bike, legs jello-like, spine creaking.
You don’t need a victory lap. You just need a seat that doesn’t feel like it’s made out of knives. You don’t have a crowd.
You’ve got a single pizza, which you will devour alone in the quiet aftermath of your insanity.
But then, maybe, just maybe, you’ll let out a laugh. Because you did it. You made it through.
So, Is It Possible?
Is it possible? Hell yes. Is it a good idea? Not at all.
If you can hit 60 miles in training, you’ve got a shot. You won’t be graceful. You won’t look pretty. But you will finish. And finishing is the only thing that matters.
But if you don’t train? Well, buckle up, because you’re about to meet the darkness.
Conclusion
Let’s cut through the crap: You’re not ready. But no one ever is, not when they start their first 100-mile ride.
That’s the whole point of this. It’s not about being prepared; it’s about doing it anyway.
People will doubt you. They’ll tell you it’s stupid. They’ll tell you you’re asking for trouble. And they’ll be right.
But you’re still going to do it. Because deep down, you know the truth: you’re addicted to the pain, to the madness, to the pure absurdity of it all.
So get on the damn bike. Eat, train, suffer. And when you’re barely holding on to life after crossing that 100-mile line, you’ll know—you were crazy to try it, but somehow, you did it anyway.
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