10 Years of Double Centuries

Oct 18th, 2006 (Wed)

Felix digging deep on the backside of snow-covered Mt. Hamilton in the 2001 Devil Mountain Double, a 200-miler that was both a high and low point of my double century years. It even prompted me to take a breather from ultramarathon cycling before catching the double century bug again 5 months later. (Photo: photocrazy.com)

By riding a self-supported double century — the Wellington-Carter Lake 200 — in Colorado the other week, my streak of having completed at least one 200-miler-in-one-day every year since 1996 continues. Generally, I don’t like being a slave to streaks but this is one I intend to continue for at least another 40 years into my 70s.

Some of my fondest life memories are of two-hundred-mile adventures on two wheels so I thought I’d reflect back and pick out some of my favorites.

Biggest Disasters

2005 Butterfield Double (torrential rain storms, tornado, flat tires, mechanical problems, last-minute course re-routing)
1997 Death Valley Double (physical breakdown, walking, sprained ankle, etc.)
2002 Knoxville Double (3 flat tires in 30 miles)