yup... done a few now...

good poll Cali. This has become a topic of conversation more than once. I have met people who race who are more about speed than distance... and damn, I admire them. They are crazy fast. Then we'll talk about me and distance and I explain that this is my "niche" in the bike world. And they are always equally impressed that I'm willing and able to sit on a saddle that long and ride that far. I'm not fast, not a natural sprinter, not a natural climber. Heck, to be honest I'm not a natural athlete. To call myself an athlete even now sometimes surprises me.

BUT, I'm determined. Once I "hit my groove" on the bike, I can ride it for a loooong time (fortunate since centuries take me a long time! LOL) You're right to say it's very mental. Yes, you have to build miles to do distance. But if you decide to do it, you just will. And the more you ride the easier everything becomes, due in part to the change in your own perception. What I NOW call a roller may be a climb to a new rider. And what YOU call a hill... I call sick.