100 Mile Bike Ride: How I Did It
Background:
Time is quickly running out. There is just a little more than 1 month remaining until the Disney Marathon on January 9, 2011. 26.2 miles, through all the theme parks! WOOT!
Unfortunately, I fell victim to overtraining. The result: Achilles Tendinitis. Officially my last run was on October 16th. So since then I have had to substitute my running with cycling.
Thanks to my friends Jason and Pam Watsell, I have had the luxury of training, via stationary bike, in my living room!
How I Did It:
I had already built a foundation for distance running. From the end of July to mid-October I had trained well-enough to be able to complete a 14 mile run. So when I began biking I was able to begin with a significant ride in just about an hour.
If you’re going to try to bike 100 miles in one day you need to develop a foundation where you are able to ride approximately 25 miles a day over consecutive days.
Personally, I chose to spend my Saturday’s developing my endurance. I started out w/ 26 mile ride, and then each Saturday in November I increased from 50 miles, to 60 miles, then 75 miles, and today I completed a 100 mile ride.
Lessons Learned:
- Stay focused.
- Drink LOTS of water.
- Stretch before you ride and take short breaks during the ride to stretch.
- Protect against injuries, like chaffing.
- Keep your ears busy by listening to upbeat music, podcasts, or watching something on Hulu.
For The Future:
My future goal is to take the riding off the stationary bike and take it to the road and complete a 100 mile bike ride throughout the Piedmont Triad. But, at the moment I do not own a road bike (that’s on my to-do list for this year).
