[NevadaWolf]

By building up to it. I started this "hobby" last year and have done several medium to long rides as I worked on getting ready for any long high mileage multi day rides.

I read in the long distance forums that you need to make the bike the most comfortable place in the world. I did a lot of "little" rides that taught me what gear I needed to keep warm, what gear I needed to stay cool, how much water and snacks to stay fueled, and now the small mods I need to do to make my seating position more comfortable.

I routinely do 500-700 miles on a weekend, so knew two days was possible. I had done a few 1000 mile days before, so knew that was doable. I hadn't done two weeks before though, so built in days to stay off the bike and rest. It worked out well.

I also learned where my own personal limits were, and the signs my body gives to tell me its about at the breaking point. I had to give myself permission it was ok to pull over more and rest, either by walking around a few minutes or getting in a short nap. Ten minutes spent sleeping is time well spent to keep moving forward, in my opinion.

But in all honesty, having a goal each day, and overall, helped me keep moving forward. I knew how far ideally I would like to go, and just worked towards that. Sometimes I made it, other times I didn't. But I had to be forgiving with myself and know when it was time to stop vs keep pushing forward. No ride, ever, is worth pushing beyond your physical limits. The end goal of any ride is to finish as you started, wheels up at your own driveway.

My final witness was telling me about a twisty road in his area but warned me about the mental crash that was coming. My ride was over, the adrenalin was going to fade, and my brain was going to realize it was done. Sure enough, about twenty minutes after I left his place, I felt my brain just give up. That's why I stopped in Colfax for so long. I was done. Nothing was going to get me to get back on the bike until I had a nice long rest in a quite place with no movement, no noise, no vibrations, nothing.

Building up to it, listening to yourself, knowing yourself and your limits, and steadily working on what holds you back to help you extend your mileage or saddle time limits. That's how I did it.