I rode the Marin 100K yesterday which for the San Francisco Bay area is a medium hard ride (3800' of climbing). My immediate post-ride reaction was "When am I going to be able to finish one of these things feeling stronger" followed by "What will I need to do to get ready for a Century?".

Upon later reflection I decided that I'm darn thankful I am to be healthy enough to be active and able to keep my weight down to something reasonable. My perspective is that life is a "use it or loose it" game, physical and mental and I'm really heartened by the stories of those who are experience physical challenges but still get out there and ride.