{"id":202258,"date":"2025-09-16T15:30:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T15:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=202258"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:32:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T10:32:11","slug":"preparing-for-my-first-100-mile-ride-building-the-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/09\/16\/preparing-for-my-first-100-mile-ride-building-the-fitness\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for My First 100-Mile Ride \u2013 Building the Fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think about cycling 100 miles, the first instinct is to look at the number itself. But it\u2019s not just about the digits flashing on your cycling computer. A century ride is a full-day adventure that requires endurance, body conditioning, and some smart preparation. It\u2019s a leap from \u201clong weekend rides\u201d into something that pushes every aspect of my cycling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Where I\u2019m starting from<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of course, it\u2019s one thing to dream about 100 miles, another to pedal them. For a long time, I used my bike mainly for commuting.<\/a> I was a regular cyclist, but I was rarely riding more than 10 km at a time. About ten years ago I got into triathlon and started doing some long rides in the lead-up to my half-ironman, which included a 90 km bike leg. That race is still the longest ride I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n

Recently, my passion for cycling has been reignited thanks to my girlfriend discovering cycling for herself. We share the fun and come up with adventures and challenges for ourselves, like this century ride. These days most of our rides range from quick 20 km lunch outings to 60 km weekend rides. We\u2019ve done a few longer ones too, and one that matched the 90 km of my triathlon.<\/p>\n

All of this is to say I\u2019m not starting from scratch by any means. But there\u2019s still a big difference between the occasional 70\u201390 km ride, which takes about four to five hours, and a 100-mile effort that\u2019s going to keep us in the saddle for most of the day.<\/p>\n

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\"preparing-for-my-first-100-mile-ride-why-even-do-it\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Health & Training<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Preparing for My First 100-Mile Ride: Why Even Do It<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

What it really takes to ride 100 miles<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To finish a century feeling strong, it\u2019s not just about having good cardiovascular fitness. It\u2019s about training your body to be durable over many hours. That means:<\/p>\n