The NonCyclist's Guide to the Century and Other Road Races
$15.95
May 2009
Seal Press

So here we go again.

My last book, The NonRunner's Marathon Guide for Women, shared my harrowing tale of marathon training (and crying) as well as a plethora of information on how one might begin their own journey to a marathon finish line (crying tips included). After hearing from readers throughout the land about how my little book inspired them to finish their first marathon or to tackle the sport of running I couldn't help but be inspired myself. Maybe it was time for me to put myself out there again, to test my body, mind and soul with a physical challenge that at first glance seemed all together horrific. Ahhh, isn't personal enrichment great?        

As I searched to find the perfect challenge for my weary body cycling repeatedly came up as a good option. It had all the pain and sweat as running, but without the high impact. This was great news for my knees who were still a bit battered from my foray into pavement pounding. I was also intrigued when I discovered cyclists are supposed to wear helmets. This led me to the conclusion that cycling would have me moving so fast that my brain matter would actually be put at risk. This sounded like an exciting addition to my normal athletic endeavors.  Someone once recommended that I wear a helmet while training for a marathon, but that had less to do with my speed and more to do with my repeatedly banging my head against the trees along the running trail in general frustration with the sport.  However, in cycling the helmet is there to protect you during the sport, not as a result of your angry outbursts in response to the sport. Fantastic.

So after gathering these exciting facts I decided to make cycling the next lucky recipient of my general disdain and bad attitude. Lance Armstrong rejoiced. Finally his sport would get a little attention.

You would think a sport in which I am actually required to wear butt-padded shorts, because I’m going to be sitting so much, would be just the sort of sport I’ve been looking for. But then you might be forgetting about all of that pesky peddling. And the fact that, like those found in the sport of running, the shorts are once again made of spandex.

And yet, still I persevered, for the sake of others like me, into a foreign land full of the physically fit and steal-thighed. I braved the harsh terrain and harsher crotch rashes so that I might come back and tell the tale of how one gets off their butt and tackles the world of cycling. Conveniently, the tale starts with getting back on your butt by sitting down on a bike.

See, it's not all bad. And guess what, there are wheels involved too. (Blessed be the word "coasting".)

Once I pedaled into the world of cycling I was shocked to find out there was more to it than merely cussing on two wheels (sometimes the cussing would continue after I got off the bike too). All sorts of different people used their bikes for all sorts of different activities. Some trained for 200-mile races, some rode to work, some traveled the world and some just spent leisurely summer nights cruising around their neighborhoods. Yet, as different as their goals or even their approach to the sport, all of these people were cyclists. And once you hop on your bike, you'll be a cyclist too, and I'd like to help you figure out what kind you'd like to be.

Whether you are looking to tackle a long distance event or are just looking to incorporate a little more exercise into your daily life, cycling offers you all sorts of options. My hope with this book is to make you aware of all those options and help you decide which ones might be a good fit for you and your lifestyle.

If you are looking for a big challenge a 100-mile Century Ride might be just crazy enough to inspire your interest.  A Century Ride is sorta the marathon of cycling, if marathons lasted 12 hours instead of 6, and afterward you iced your acing butt instead of your aching knees. 100 miles is an admirable and challenging goal for new and experienced cyclists alike. For those of you looking to be admired and challenged I've employed the aid of a cycling professional to write a training schedule (page TK) that will prepare you for your first 100-mile adventure.

If 100 miles seems a little too much for you to tackle right now, there are still many ways for you to set a cycling goal and achieve it (some of these goals involve booze and/or donuts, so you might have just found your favorite sport).  As you flip through the pages of this book you'll find tips and info aplenty about how to purchase, ride and maximize your bike (you might want to skip straight page about donuts, why even bother with the rest?). But like anything you take on, any place you are trying to get, the real meat of cycling is found in the journey. The people you meet along the way, the detours you take, the restaurants you discover (in fact, you may just want to skip the people and go straight to the food).

As much as I hated to admit it, I actually found cycling to be quite an adventure. One that took me through the Swiss Alps, over the Brooklyn Bridge and down streets of my hometown that I'd never actually traveled in all the years I've lived there. Of course the adventure also took me to the masseuse for a full body massage, to the side of the road with a flat tire and over my handle bars onto a not so welcoming sidewalk. Adventures aren't all sunshine and poppy fields, is my point.

If you're ready for a little fun, a lot of challenge and a sprinkling of butt numbness, turn the page and let's get this ride started.