Been where you are, hannes. That was almost 20 years ago for me, been riding a loooooong time I guess. Doesn't seem like it..................

I had a bike as a kid, rode to work when I got a little older, watched my younger brother race a bike, but never really got into it. UNTIL I hit my late 20's, saw the end of RAGBRAI come to my town, decided to do it the next year and never looked back. I was married, already had 2 kids, had 2 more in the following few years, but rode as much as I could. Now, with my youngest turning 16, I have a fair amount of free time. I can ride quite a bit. And I do....... Okay, now to remember what it is like starting out.

You already have a goal. That's great. It will help keep you motivated when it gets tough. Not just the riding, but finding the time to ride. Sometimes you have to be a little selfish and just take the time for yourself. Hopefully, your husband and kids can understand you need to be good to you, too.

Start out with modest distances. Get comfortable on your bike. Add mileage gradually. When you have a few hundred miles under you, try to pick up your pace on some of your rides. If you slowly increase distance and intensity, you will improve. Read the advice on pedaling. There's tons of advice all over this site as far as bike choice, what to wear. So much here that you can spend lots of time just reading. When you come across a specific question, just ask and you'll get answers. There's really too much to cover, too much to even think of in one e-mail.

One more thing------try and find some people to ride with who have similar goals. You can all help each other. It's very motivating to ride with others.