Thanks all for the good advise. As they say, best to get it from the horses mouth, and you all are a great info resource. In Book Long Distance Cycling, they suggest a prep phase that lasts something like 6 months or so ( I forget how long, but I recall if I used their prep, I would run out of cycling season long before I ever got ready to do the rides!). BTW Cranium, I used to live and ride in Southern Illinois and Rode a lot in SW MO. Lovely place to ride back in the 70's and 80's.