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Long Ride Preparation for Your Next Cycling Challenge

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Get Ready for a Century Ride

It’s almost time for that first long bike ride of the season. Before you roll out on a massive bike ride or gran fondo, here are a couple of key things that you should be thinking about so you have the ride you want instead of the ride you want to forget.

Know the Route

We use the route as the box within which we’re going to operate simply because it determines a couple of key things. How long it’s going to take you, what the conditions are going to be like when you get there and how hard it’s going to be in terms of elevation and logistics. Those three elements combine to create the experience of what that long ride is.

Bonus Resource: How to Plan a Route Online Using Strava, Ride with GPS, and Google Maps

Solve for the Ride Not for Your Fitness

If we know that the long ride that you’ve planned to do is going to take you four hours or five hours or eight hours — you have a duration of time that you need to solve for. Here are the key elements to consider. 

Nutrition. What are you going to eat and drink across this bike ride to make sure you can be successful? And more importantly, will there be opportunities on that ride for you to refuel and stay on point second?

Pacing. How are you going to pace this century ride? Is this a gran fondo that’s going to be competitive with friends or is it a long ride you’re out for just picture-taking and loving nature? Or is it a long ride with a time goal? Are you going for a fastest known time or something similar?

Those elements determine the effort at which you’re working.  For this to work correctly,  the nutrition and the effort must intersect. 

Safety. The route that you’re taking — is it a lot of main roads? Is it completely off the beaten path? How can you ensure that you will be safe as you compete or complete this event? 

This is a huge part of the equation. We think about long rides. It’s one of those background, subconscious kind of stress level things. And we’re not so worried about. If you’re in a sort of well-developed or well-populated area, but as you head off the beaten path you have to be prepared. 

Get Equipment Ready 

In addition to those key elements above, you also need to make sure that your equipment is ready to go. Give your bike a once-over, making sure all your devices are charged – from your bike computer to your electronic shifting! 

Now you can move on to the supplies. The first long ride of the year just takes a lot of mental power. You want to make sure that the tubes you have for your tires are the right stem length. You want make sure that you’ve got that extra sealant if you’re tubeless. ‘ 

You should make sure that you’ve got the lights and all the flashy things on top of your bike. Don’t forget the new tires in case your trainer wore them down. 

Schedule a Fake First Long Ride

One of my key tips to you is just to schedule a fake long ride the week before your real one. This way you can go through the process of what it would be like to pack everything together, to go out for that ride. 

I literally walk around my garage with my helmet upside down like a shopping basket, filling it with all the items I need. CO2 cartridges, food, salt pills, a copy of my driver’s license in a Ziploc bag, my backup a battery, my sunglasses. All of this goes into my helmet. 

I now have seven days to fix any missing or broken things, as opposed to trying to fix it in the morning of your long ride!

What Is Your Early Season Long Ride Preparation?

If you have ideas or thoughts for us, please leave comments here or on the YouTube channel. 

RaceSaver 1.0 Bag

RaceSaver™ Bag Review: How It Will Improve Your Next Race

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When is the last time you did a triathlon and you weren’t struggling with the heat? The debate rages about global warming, but on race day there is no doubt: races are getting hotter and harder by the year.

By the time you get to the run, it’s no longer about how fit you are. It’s simply a function of not slowing down! The best way to make sure you don’t slow down is to avoid  accumulating too much heat.  At some point, your body has to choose between you running and you functioning as a human.

There are plenty of hydration products on the market, but everyone has different nutritional needs. Everyone, however, needs to stay cool. Wrapping yourself in a towel is a second-rate solution —  why do that when you can just have ice with you?

With more than 20 Ironman® and 40 marathons to my resume, I have struggled with the heat everywhere from Ironman Hawaii to races in my own backyard. After much research and trial trial and error, I created the RaceSaver™ bag to make the most of each aid station.

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What is the RaceSaver Bag?

The RaceSaver™ is the perfect companion for your next hot race or long run. It’s a bulletproof solution:

  • Constructed from durable rip-stop nylon;
  • Built-in leash for easy transportation;
  • Cinch top to lock in your ice (but let out the melting water as you need it);

The RaceSaver™ Bag is perfect for race day because it allows you to be hands-free in the aid stations. Drop the ice in and the leash does all the work as you grab critical fluids and fuel.

The elastic leash means you can put the RaceSaver™ Bag where ever you want. In your top, in your shorts, under your hat…they all work. When you want more ice, just pull the leash to retrieve the bag and get some ice.

 

How Well Does the RaceSaver™ Bag Work?

You don’t need to do scientific research to understand the physiological benefits of having ice with you on a hot day. It rocks.

Even better than having the ice is being able to move it around, and then take some to eat as you heat up.

Even better than that is being able to pour the cold water on your head.

What could be better than that? The look on other people’s faces as you run by with a bag of ice in your hand!

Race Saver in Lake Placid

What Do Athletes Think of the RaceSaver™ Bag?

To be honest, most purchased it because they knew the creator, Patrick McCrann. As word has spread, more and more athletes are taking advantage of the RaceSaver™ Bag for training and racing.

Greg Lewis of Northridge, CA says:

“I got my RaceSaver Bag this week and used it for my brick run yesterday on a hot afternoon. I put ice in it and it worked fantastically well. Ate a couple pieces of ice as I ran then put the pouch under my hat and I was surprised what pace I was running for an hour on such a hot day. I highly recommend it!!”

Josiah Garrison of Granite Bay, CA writes:

“I was fortunate to have a RaceSaver™ Bag during my last big training week and it was a game changer. With temps in the high 90’s, the only way I survived the brick runs was having this bad boy on me. Moved it from hand to hand, to top of the head, shoulders and chest, and what a difference! Brilliant piece of EN engineering!”

Patty Harris of Palo Alto, CA says:

“By the way, I haven’t had a chance to tell you how great the ice bag worked out for me!  The envy of other Vine-man athletes too!  I nearly forgot to grab it on the run and am so glad I did.  It holds about of cup of ice.  The water that forms melts out to keep you cool wherever you stick it.  When the fabric is wet, it’s suitable for sticking down your whatever – ladies, it’s perfect for sticking down your bra.”

What Else Do You Need to Know?

The RaceSaver™ Bag isn’t just for race day. You can take it on your long runs – or any run in the heat. Start from home with some ice…or make a pit stop at your local convenience store and hit the fountain machine for some free ice.

Try it in various positions — handheld, under your hat, in your shorts, on your chest…find the place that works the best so you are ready for race day.

Virtually indestructible thanks to the rip-stop nylon construction, you can reuse this bag all year long.

Where You Can Find a RaceSaver™ Bag?

Head over to the Mile Eighteen website here: https://www.mile18inc.com/?product=racesaver-1-0-bag to get your own.

There’s pleny of hot races still on the calendar…including Kona!…so don’t miss out.

Buy A RaceSaver™ Bag Today