Last year was the first year of riding long distances. I finished a triple crown (3 doubles in a calendar year in California ) and was looking for a different challenge.
Brevets are interesting because they are largely unsupported, which I tend to prefer. But I'm not riding brevets for the enjoyment of it. The thing about brevets is that there are all these levels that you can reach within single calendar years, over several years, and in your lifetime of riding brevets.
There are a number of distance awards that riders can achieve, and they are 1000K, 2000K, ..., 5000K in one year. There is also a designation of a 'Super Randonneur', which is someone who has ridden a 200K, 300K, 400K, and a 600K in one calendar year. Right now, I'm trying to reach Super Randonneur and the 1000K award. Because rides can be applied to only one award, I'll have to ride 2500K worth of rides this year. And because most brevets are held between January and June, that means that the 2500K will have to happen over the next few months.
Right now, I have the 200K and the 300K completed for my Super Randonneur, and 0K for my 1000K award. I figure I'll knock those out in May when I'm on top form.
An even more difficult designation to achieve in brevet riding, or randonneuring, is the R5000. To get this, you have to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), which is a 1200K, 90 hour ride held every 4 years, and it's being held this August. To qualify, you have to achieve Super Randonneur status in the same years as the PBP. In addition, you have to ride a 1000K brevet, a 360K team ride and enough other brevet rides to accumulate 5000K within a four-year window.
So, if I get Super Randonneur, I automatically qualify for PBP, but cost and other issues come into play. If I don't go to or don't finish PBP I doubt I'd cool my heels for 4 years before trying again. On the other hand, finishing PBP in under 60 hours is an automatic qualifier for RAAM, for whatever that's worth.
First things first: 2 rides down and 2 to go for Super Randonneur; 0 rides down and 4 to go for 1000K award. Then we'll see what's up with PBP.
A few years ago I took up cycling to get back in shape. What started out as 5-10 mile rides became 50-75 mile rides. These days, I train for double centuries and brevets. Because I'm 6'9" and 225, I don't expect to finish ahead of riders who are younger stronger, and lighter, but I'm always trying to find ways to shave time of my rides.