I have a long way to go before I’m ready to shoot for another 100-mile day. This morning I felt like this cat. Tired; sleepy; and do-I-really-want-to-ride?

But Cycle September isn’t over yet; so I prodded myself out of bed and went for a long ride. In fact, I added a few extra miles over the long-ride distance that I’ve done the past two Sundays.

Forty miles still seems like a long, tough ride; especially with a headwind all the way home. I had to make about four extra stops! If I have any idea of doing another century, I’ll need to work up to weekly long rides of 60-70 miles first. I have to improve my stamina, so that I can ride longer before needing to take rest stops; and increase my pace as well. And do not, of course, forget about training the gut!

My right hamstring has been feeling strained, so for the most part I stayed off the big ring and in lower gears today. I didn’t try to push the pace, which meant my average speed was barely over 11 mph. But when I need to, even in lower gears, I can crank it up to 18 mph!

Such a pace, of course, isn’t necessary for me to do a century ride on my own. If it were, I’ve sure got a long, LONG way to go!