#10weeksto100 - Week 10 - Ten Tips from Experience

If you have come this far, I hope you have found the #10weeksto100 series helpful.  Your final week should be focused on relaxed riding and getting some extra rest.  You may have heard the phrase “it’s my taper week” or “I am in my taper” friends in cycling or running; to taper is too wind down your training and rest your body from the planned stress of training.   It’s also a good time to look back at what you have accomplished in training. For the novice ride, you may have ridden more miles in less time than you ever have before.  And that in of itself should help your confidence for the day of your event.

As you pull it altogether in preparation, here are some final thoughts on the training process, and your big event.

1: Be Visible, Be Predictable, Be Aware as you ride
First and foremost, I cannot express enough the need for these safety habits anytime you are on your bike.  From your training to the day of the event, practice them as you ride.  No matter the size of the event, the event itself guarantee extra protection, and you need to practice these same habits even when the only other vehicles are other bicycles.

2: Your Ride Will be No Better Than Your Preparation
If you haven’t trained while riding at 18 miles per hour, you will not finish the ride at 18 miles per hour.   Likewise, if you haven’t built up to 70 or 80% of the event distance, the event will that much more challenging.  In all likelihood, you will still finish, just pace yourself and listen to our body.

3: It Is Better to Ride Smart, Than to Just Ride More 
I have tried to stress this a lot in training, and it just as important to ride smart during your event.  Pushing yourself beyond your training pace early in the event, and for extended period, can leave you very fatigued for the finished.

4: Learning to Ride Faster Will Help Relieve Seat Pain!
Fast riding techniques (standing, changing hand and back position, weight on arms), can all reduce saddle pain.  And the added benefit riding a bit faster, and will reduce the time you need to spend riding.   Even as you tire, remember to keep changing position, and to take yourself off the saddle, even on the flats.

It all comes together!  2016 Rollfast Gran Fondo start.

5: Riding with a Group Is More Fun
Casual group riding can be a good incentive, but should not be confused with the skills required to ride pace lines and drafting.  For those skills, find a mentor or experienced friend who can coach you.  Riding in a fast group is much more than just being fast.

6: Always Clean the Kitchen Before Leaving for a Training Ride
Yes, I started doing this about 5 years ago, and my wife REALLY appreciates this training hapbit.  But the real message is keep a balance in your life, and make sure you have the support of your family.  When you have life and riding balanced, there is less stress and more fun in riding.

7: Clean Your Bike Before Your Event
For me, this falls somewhere between habit and superstition, but I always clean my bike the day or night before a big event.  It is also a very good way to find and eliminate any surprise maintenance issues.  Besides, as said earlier, your bike is your training partner, and it wants to look good too!

8: Pack the Night Before
You are going to be a little nervous, so lay everything out, and be sure it all makes it to the car.  Prepare a check list if you need one, I have used one for years, and tweak it every year.

9: Ride your plan, but plan for the unexpected
You can’t control the weather, and other things that can happen.  Each ride is a unique experience, and chance to learn what to do, or what to be ready for, the next time.  If you route ends up with a 20 mile per hour headwind, you may find your goals out of reach, but learn more about what you are capable of.

10: It’s Okay to Bail if You Are Not Ready 
Don’t turn two weeks of recovery into a lost summer by riding the distance through a nagging pain in your knees or other joint issues.  Learn from the mistakes (too little training, poor bike fit), and try again later in the season or next year. Each event you ride is more training and more experience for the next time.

And finally:

If you aren’t having fun, you are doing it wrong!
Along with balance, remember that while the goal may be challenging, and conditions on the day of the ride may tougher than you expected, you should always be enjoying the ride.  And that is the biggest reward.

And please let me know how you did, if the #10weeksto100 helped, or if it didn’t and what suggestions you might make.  I am always glad to share and exchange ideas and learn from other riders.

Good luck to you and safe cycling!

Download the #10weeksto100 Training Framework

---

Week 10 of the #10weeksto100. 

 The series is intended as mentoring, rather than athlete specific coaching. The being the case, these are broad, general guidelines of a riding style and philosophy. You can find the series intro here - Preparing for Your First Long Ride or Century

  Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook