100km Challenge Day: The Training Journey from Zero to 100 Kilometers

Why “100 Kilometers” Is a Special Number

Cyclists generally share a consensus: 100 kilometers is a watershed. Before that number, you’re still “someone who just started riding”; once you cross it, you can call yourself “someone who has ridden a century.”

There’s not much logic to this, but it does carry a certain psychological weight.

When I bought my bike, I asked the shop mechanic: “How long does it take a beginner to ride 100 kilometers?” He glanced at me and said, “Depends on how you train. Fast, a month; slow, three months.”

It took me two months.

Starting from Zero: The Pain of the First Month

In the first week of owning the bike, my average ride distance was around 20 to 25 kilometers. For someone with a running background, that distance might not seem hard, but actually riding it was a completely different story.

First, the saddle soreness.

No one thinks about their butt being the biggest problem before they start cycling, but it really is. On the third day out, when I got home and sat down, the pain at the contact point made me gasp. I asked the veteran riders, and they said: “That’s normal. Push through it; your butt needs time to adapt.”

I switched to padded cycling shorts, which helped a bit, but it was still uncomfortable.

In the second week, I increased the distance to 35 to 40 kilometers, and my body slowly began adapting to the long hours in the riding position. But the tightness in my core muscles was always there, especially in my lower back—which reminded me that my usual core training was completely insufficient.

End of the First Month: Breaking 50 Kilometers

On a Saturday in the fourth week, I decided to challenge 50 kilometers. Planned route: starting from home, riding to Bitan in Xindian, then looping into the mountain area, and taking a different route back.

At the 40-kilometer mark, my legs started to feel noticeably fatigued, and my heart rate was a bit higher than usual. But I told myself: just 10 more kilometers, hold on.

When I hit 50 kilometers, I stopped by the roadside, looked at the numbers on the cyclocomputer, took a photo, and sent it to the riding group chat. Everyone responded with a row of clapping emojis. It felt great in that moment.

The Second Month: Pushing Toward 100 Kilometers

At the start of the second month, I set my minimum single-ride distance at 45 kilometers, scheduled one long ride each weekend, and aimed to extend it by about 10 kilometers per week.

The 60-kilometer ride was completed, and it felt okay.
The 75-kilometer ride was a bit of a struggle in the second half, but I finished it.
The 80-kilometer ride: in the final 20 kilometers, my legs felt heavy, and I didn’t time my nutrition well, leaving me exhausted—but I still finished.

Nutrition was something I only started taking seriously after the 75-kilometer ride. Before that, I thought bringing water was enough; after finishing 75 kilometers, my body told me that wasn’t enough. From then on, for any ride over 60 kilometers, I brought two energy bars and refueled every 40 minutes.

Challenge Day: A Complete Record of 100 Kilometers

I picked a sunny Saturday and planned a route I knew well, avoiding heavy traffic, with moderate elevation changes—suitable as a route for completing a century ride.

0–25 km: Warm-up segment, felt great, easily maintaining 25–28 km/h.
25–50 km: Entered a slightly rolling hill section, pace dropped a bit, but everything was still under control. Stopped for a refuel at the 45-km mark, ate an energy bar, and drank half a bottle of electrolytes.
50–75 km: This was the most stable part of the entire ride. Fatigue was starting to accumulate in my legs, but mentally I had already passed the halfway point, which made it feel easier.
75–90 km: This section was the real challenge. Fatigue built up to a peak, and my speed dropped noticeably. I turned off the distance display on the cyclocomputer, leaving only the time, and told myself, “Don’t look at the numbers, just keep pedaling.”
90–100 km: In the final 10 kilometers, a very clear-headed state came over me. I could feel every pedal stroke, feel the air flowing over my skin, feel the rhythm of the wheels rolling. At the moment I hit 100 kilometers, I didn’t sprint—I just calmly pressed the pause button.

Reflections After Finishing

I stopped the bike, took a sip of water, and looked at the 100.3 km on the cyclocomputer. What surfaced in my mind wasn’t great joy, but a calm sense of satisfaction. Like finally paying off a promise.

The version of me two months ago—the one whose butt hurt so much I questioned life, the one exhausted after 25 kilometers—could now ride 100 kilometers.

This isn’t the finish line. It’s the start of another beginning.

Related Reading

• Riding Your First 100 Kilometers: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Long-Distance Challenges
• Your First Century Ride: The Complete Preparation Guide for a Beginner’s 100K
• From 0 to 100 Kilometers: How a Completely Inactive Person Completed a Century in Three Months
• Cycling Training from Zero: A 12-Week Plan from Completely Inactive to Completing a Century