Originally Posted by
GaryPitts
Honestly, I'm happy going 15. The impetus for my question is entirely thinking about what it is going to take to get that century under my belt. Maybe I shouldn't even consider it for a few more years. My distance appreciated nicely over the course of the first 6 months of serious riding, but the speed did not. I didn't know if it would come with time or you had to train to achieve it.
I remember last June I was just starting to really get into riding. I had worked my way up to 20 milers and felt good about it. I went over to the Harpeth River Ride here in Nashville just to check it out and maybe get a glance at Lance and was watching the folks come in from the ride. I was amazed when a 'grandma', maybe 65, came over the finish line after riding the 62 miler. Unbelieveable! This year I'm going to ride that 62, so it's neat how your perspective changes.
At the risk of getting a lecture by AzTallRider; yes, your perspective does change. After a few years of long rides I got so bored I considered hanging it up, actually got into MTBing to make it more interesting. I am back road riding, but anything more than a few hours is almost unbearable...shear boredom. So my advice is to enjoy pushing your speed and distance but watch out for that feeling you are on grind, what's on the otherside is the perspective you are just wasting time.