Wahine, I'm no uber-athlete, but a couple of things have helped me push farther than I feel like it in the past year or two...

1) I have a loop route that makes it very hard to turn back...sort of that once I get to a certain point, it is easier to keep going and commit to the mileage than to turn back.

2) There is a 70 mile out and back I do that is somewhat boring, but smack in the middle (at the turn around point) is a lovely body of water and a view. When I feel like turning back, I have had the experience of my lunch break at the pretty view pulling me along...

3) On Sunday, I knew I needed to do a long climb, but I was feeling tired and mentally dull. So, I had my brother help me ferry my car to the top so I wouldn't have to do the tiring/dicey descent. Part way up the mountain, I realized I had to keep going...my car was parked at the summit!! Maybe you could park your car somewhere about a 6 hour ride away and just ride to your car!

4) A couple weeks ago I did a 70 mile ride (which for me is about 5.5 hours because I'm slow), and I was feeling tired. But, it was an organized ride, so I just wasn't about to let myself quit. Maybe you need to sign up for some ride just to have the event to make yourself go farther?

5) Finally, I find that I am sometimes more accountable to others than I am to myself when I'm tired. Do you have someone you can tell you are going to do a 6 hour ride, and let them know you'll report back to them at the end of the day? (hint...TE members are great for this!!)

Just some of my thoughts! You can do it...you are mentally tough.