Prep for MDH

I have a goal. I know many people ride 100 miles like it’s nothing. For me, 10 miles on a trail is a lot. I am in my 40s, a mom of two boys, been married for 21 years, work full time and have had a goal for a bit to complete the Maah Daah Hey (MDH) trail in Western North Dakota. From start to finish it’s 144 miles. From Amidon, ND to CCC campground. I have a non-traditional plan of NOT doing it all at one time, but doing it all. I plan to hike some of it with my kids, some with my husband, bike some, maybe even with a group, and alone. This is just the beginning. So far, it’s August of 2026 and I have done 13 miles (not all MDH) from Buffalo Gap to Medora. That was the MDH bike race. I have also done 4.5 miles from Bennett Trailhead (also not all MDH) to China Wall and back for a total of 9 miles. I have also done from CCC campground and done the 11 mile loop, also not all MDH. So if you add those up and the miles don’t all count for the MDH I have done 33 miles this year.

I plan to do a section tomorrow and more so check out water caches. Haven’t decided which section yet. And if it will be a bike or a hike! I plan to document my journey, my training, and what it entails to do. Follow along here. At RandiCo.com “The Journey.”

So far I can’t quite understand how people ride that far, at the end of 10 miles my crouch hurts, my back hurts from being hunched, my shoulders are sore for days after from having to push my bike up steep inclines, and I’ve almost went over my handle bars what feels like 100 times. I’m getting better each outing though.

This is a picture from the MDH race held the first weekend of August every year. I was coming through the finish line. That blurry silhouette in the background was my husband waiting for me and a tad worried, my time was longer this year then prior. Hey I didn’t train and I’m getting older. 😉