2016: My latest RAIN by the numbers

My official results from RAIN 2016: 296th (out of 1282) at 9:52 (HR:MM). Riding time was about 9 hours. And the most important part, I had fun!

On the way to Plainfield, with Nathan Dinges on my wheel.

I want to start with a very warm thank you to Nathan and Kristin Dinges. They were my ride to and from RAIN, I rode a portion o of RAIN with Nathan, and Kristen was our on the road support. It was really great being able to grab my prepped bottles from the cooler, and to save my lunch for post ride. And Kristen did a great job with cowbells and vuvuzela horn along the route.

And of course, a big thinks to all the volunteers and law enforcement that make this event possible. The Bloomington Bicycle Club and others again did a great job.

My actually riding RAIN for 2016 was an on again, off again thing. While I was riding all spring with RAIN in mind, it was a last minute decision to sign up and commit. So I am pleased with both my preparation, and the results.

Not your typical taper week
My taper week was was a little out of the ordinary; 5 days off the bike due to an unexpected business trip out of state. After a quick ride Sunday morning, I would only have a a couple of miles Friday night before RAIN to test gear. I wasn’t too worried, having already ridden 4 centuries this year, along with multiple 200 mile plus weeks since April. And luckily, my longest travel day was Thursday, so I was able to have a normal Friday to rest and prep for the ride.

Riding old school, no computer

My Domane,  ready to roll.

My plan all along was to ride RAIN using the Wahoo RFLKT, Ticker HR monitor and Blue SC that I have used on my trainer bike the last two indoor seasons. Unfortunately my unplanned trip meant that was a task for Friday, rather than Monday. Of course, this meant that things were going to go wrong.

To start, both the RFLKT (a shared display, that allows your iPhone to be stowed during the ride) and the Blue SC (speed and cadence) needed new batteries. That in turn broke the Bluetooth synch for both, and the wheel size. With the new batteries installed in both, I then ran into an App conflict, and I thought I had that resolved Friday night.

That proved not to be the case on Saturday morning, when the Rflkt decided not to synch with my phone. As a result, I had only an error message for the next 10 hours*. While I was still able to record the ride with RidewithGPS, I was left riding old school, just relying on my watch, mile markers, rest stops, other riders and my “dialed-in” cadence experience. After all, I rode for almost a decade before electronic speed, cadence and distance were even available. (*Turns out I was just one step away, and it has worked perfectly since.)


On the road
For the most part, this was planned as solo effort year. I did join some packs and pace lines when I could, but not for anything planned or sustained. (That is something I would like to change for next year.)

The first 40 miles were at 20mph, with most of the downtime for traffic lights while riding through Terra Haute. I was passing a lot of riders, and probably would have done better to have started about at the 9 10 hour start seeding, rather than the 10/11. It seem’s minor, but that also delays your start time by 4-5 minutes waiting for the big group of riders to start.

The rest of the day was only slightly slower. The most challenging section for me continues to be the “Indy miles” between Plainfield and lunch; the stop and go, on narrow high traffic roads make it hard to keep a rhythm, but for my third RAIN, I handled it better mentally.

The final 70 went well, and it felt good to be rolling along on 40, and I was able to fall in with some good groups, and ride a nice consistent pace to the finish.

Total off the bike and non moving time was about 50 minutes, including stop lights.

The Weather
The weather this year was about as good as you could get for a Hoosier July. We woke to a partial overcast with a light breeze out of the north. It was almost cool enough for a wind vest, but I decided for go it at the last minute. The cooler start also meant I could skip the CamelBak, knowing my two 25 oz. bottles would be enough for the intervals between stops. Along with having a sag vehicle with my 4 spare bottles, it was a relief not having to wear the CamelBak.


Food and drink

Bottle prep the day before.

Personally, I have had very good results on endurance rides when minimizing heavy foods and relying drinks and gels. This RAIN was probably the most extensive (for me) of this strategy.

• 6 Servings of Hammer Gel (Apple Cinnamon)
• 5 25oz(CamelBak Podium Big Chill) of Gator Ade
• 1 32 oz of GatorAde (pre-ride)
• 2 Clif bars (1 for breakfast)
• 1 bowl mixed fruit (1 1/2 cups) for breakfast
• 1 roll of Rolaids (to fight cramps, and it worked!)
• 3 oz cup of mixed nuts
• 1 orange
• 1 1/2 bananas
• 2 oz of potato chips. (I was really craving some salt at lunch!)

My next big event is Carmel’s Rollfast Gran Fondo in September, which I plan to ride for time. I feel real confident I have a dialed in nutrition and hydration distance riding. Over the next month I hope to do more speed work, and keep my distance edge.

All for that key ring and big grin!

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2016: TOSRV by the Numbers

I’ve had a few weeks to recover from my 17th or (18th*) Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV), hosted by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits. For the second year in a row, the weather was the big story, as I enjoyed rain-free riding both Saturday and Sunday, temperatures in the high 60’s, with light variable winds. In other words, near perfect spring weather, and blissfully great for TOSRV.

The TOSRV Gold sticker is back!

I want start by giving a big thank you to all the volunteers that make TOSRV possible. The organizing committee did their traditional great job with well staffed, and well stocked food stops. Registration and pick-up went smoothly, and ride was well-supported at every point. It was also nice to renew an annual connection with some volunteers, like those at the SOMC in Portsmouth, who I have been “staying with” for almost 10 years.

And I would be remiss not mention how much I appreciated the return of the real "Gold Seal" sticker for full TOSRV finishers.  Thanks for bringing it back!

TOSRV attendance seems to have stabilized at about 1,300 to 1,500 riders. While not the 5,-6,000 riders of the TOSRV glory years, it appears to be a sustainable number. It was nice to see younger riders and more families out this year. The different options, (full, half and 1 day century) are also helping TOSRV adapt to a changing cycling demographic. Maybe after two years of good weather, and with the route options, will see a few more people out next year.

Lunch in Chillicothe

This was the longest TOSRV, at 114 miles. The 8 extra miles, starting about mile 70, included a hilly detour around Lake White, where the road along the lakes dam and spillway is being rebuilt. Another bridge repair south of Chillicothe required a ride down the east side of the river, meaning we skipped much of the scenic Three Locks Road section. But the Kodak-moment pass under the viaduct made it worthwhile, and this was a nice break from the hills, especially on Sunday’s ride north.

My riding time both days was right at the 7 hour mark, averaging around the 16.4/.5 mark. I was 6:54 on Saturday, and 7 flat on Sunday. It was very satisfying to ride a stable pace the entire ride. In many regards this felt like one of my best efforts, and it’s nice to know I haven’t peaked yet.  (I rode with a about 90 minutes of breaks, waiting for friends and enjoying the food stops.)

Saturday, riding down river had 2,653 feet of elevation gain while riding down river, and Sunday’s return had 3,159. You are riding down river and then up river, so it all makes sense. And my overnight was over at the top of the hill in Portsmouth, so my day started with a descent.

After 3 attempts, I finally got full ride stats for each day on an iPhone app. This spring, I switched to Ride With GPS, and it really works. Compared to the app I used the last couple of years, Ride With GPS has better power management and better pause/resume functionality (nice for lunch breaks off the bike) then previous apps I have tried. It does a great job with distance summaries (Career, Year, Month and Week), and the capability to share rides, all in a very clean interface.

My phone stays in my bike bag, not on the handlebars, and I use the data after the fact. It is nice to get segment speeds, and times, and climbing information. My next project is link Ride With GPS with my Wahoo Rflkt and Kickr heart rate strap, primarily to hit some training goals for my next big ride.  I will let you know how that works out.

With regards to phones, apps and battery life, I finally replaced my 3-year-old Duracell battery with a GoalZero Flip 20, rated at 5200mAh and 3.6V. This is capable of recharging my iPhone 2 to 3 times (depending on when you start), can plug directly into a charger, and is GoalZero solar charging compatible. It worked as advertised, charging my phone twice (starting about about 40%) with another charge still indicated.

Saturday night in Portsmouth, after reflecting on the great ride, I did another blog on riding another TOSRV, which you can find here. This companion piece really explains what TOSRV is about for me, and while I will be back next year for number 18 (or 19), and many more.

*I have to do little research and see if I can finally get this nailed down. I can confirm 5 times on the tandem with friends, 4 times on the tandem with Tyler. But it gets fuzzy in the `80s on that extra time on a single.

2016: Riding through my Field of Dreams

“And they'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they'll have to brush them away from their faces . . .”

Terrance Mann, as portrayed by James Earl Jones, “Field of Dreams” (1989)

The first time I saw “Field of Dreams”, I immediately added it to my top 10 movie list. Considering that this list includes the Lord of the Ring series, the Star Wars series, “Forbidden Planet”,  “The Fifth Element” and “The Big Red One”, it is a pretty eclectic mix.

But why “The Field of Dreams"?

Ready to roll on TOSRV 2016

I find it a fascinating story, tightly crafted, touching many themes. It blends time travel, fateful choices, missed opportunity, second chances, `60's rebellion and finally,  redemption. I watch it again every couple of year, and sooner or later will have to buy a download or DVD to replace my VHS copy.

There is a family connection, with my Mom’s love of the Yankees, and the golden era stars she grew up listening to, and even had a chance to meet. And looking back at different times of my life, I reflect on those similar themes and questions, and I wonder about the “what ifs” of my own life’s choices.

So what does my 18th trip to TOSRV have to do with a baseball movie?

As I rode the first half of my 18th TOSRV today, there was a downpour of memories, something from every one of those prior rides. With each mile came a flash of recollection, taking me back to rides 5, 10, or even the first 36 years ago. Each memory brought back a smile, and each smile made that mile of pedaling that much easier.

For a time it was as if my legs were ageless, moving the pedals with strength of my early 20's, and yet with all the fluidity of 40 years of riding.

So while bicycling is not baseball, and Ray wasn’t building a velodrome, TOSRV is my “Field of Dreams”.  It has become my annual spring pilgrimage of renewal.  And with each mile, the last year of wear and cares is for a time brushed away.  

All smiles in Portsmouth, 1 day of TOSRV 55 done.

And that explains why I keep coming back to ride this ride that comes so early, is sometimes too wet, sometimes too cold, sometimes too windy and sometimes, perfect riding. I am not just returning to TOSRV, I am my own Moonlight Graham (you'll have to watch the movie), turning back the clock to again be that 17 year-old kid who first discovered the joy of bicycling down a county road.

#10WeeksTo100 – Week 3 – Faster is as Important as Farther

Sizzling Century, Kokomo Indiana, 2013

I must admit, during my first decade of riding, preparing for centuries was all about just riding more miles. It was bicycle touring that drew me into the sport, and I never seriously pursued anything competitive beyond a few citizen races (none of which indicated I had a future in bicycle racing).

Most of my early centuries were all-day events, with lavish food and lunch stops, and long breaks off the bike. Through the early 90’s, most of these bike club events were sanctioned by the League of American Wheelmen (later to become the League of American Bicyclists), and their “standard” for a century was to complete the 100 miles in under 12 hours. (Sadly, September as National Century Month as all but disappeared from the current LAB scope of interests.)

Even after I acquired a used Raleigh Pro, a vintage (road) racing bike made in the early 70’s, (and bike #4), it was more for just riding “light” when I didn’t want to ride my fender and rack equipped touring bike. It was fun and sporting, and let me dabble in sew-ups and those few citizen races.

Shady Sag, Sizzling Century 2013

It wasn’t until my late 20’s and early 30’s that speed became a part of my distance regimen. Riding “Sub-6” centuries, just 6 of hours riding or even total time became my goal for more of my long rides, as I also worked on less time off the bike, even riding some solo centuries non-stop.

This was at the same time I was able join fast club ride on a more regular basis, both sport group rides and race training rides. I soon realized that shorter, faster mid-week rides were allowing me to improve my endurance rides, even when they did not approach the pace of midweek fast rides.

Those short, high intensity workouts were making me stronger, and more rested than my previous “all miles, all the time” regimen. And over time, my average speed began to pick up as well, in line with the confidence and experience of riding with those faster groups.
So use your midweek rides to keep yourself more rested and prepared for your longer weekend efforts as you build up your distance. While you may have small increases in distance mid-week, a regular training loop route that is the same distance each week is ideal for your brisk ride day.

Just remember to add the speed incrementally, testing yourself and watching the overall speed. If you average speed was 14 mph in your talk test, riding to maintain 15 ½ to 16 ½ on short evening ride is fine. And you may want to return to your “test ride” loop again, working to improve from your original time for this ride.

Tips to get faster

• Accelerate out of stop signs. Don’t just roll away, stand up and accelerate after a stop to get more quickly back up to speed.
• Shift up and stand on the flats. When there isn’t a hill to be found, it is easy to drop into an easy pace. Shift to a higher gear, stand for 15 to 20 pedal strokes to accelerate, and the settle down at the faster pace. (This is good skill to learn for saddle pain relief too, and we will talk more about that later.)
• Hold that effort at the top of hill. Once you have crested a hill, hold that effort and use it to to accelerate back to your higher pace.
• Use a Tailwind. Don’t just coast along, use a tailwind to learn what your bike feels like going faster.
• Use a Headwind.  A bit more challenging, but strive to maintain your event pace into a wind.  This is just as good a riding faster!

Download the #10weeksto100 Training Framework

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Week 3 of the #10weeksto100. 

Continue to Week 4: Your Bike is Your Training Partner

The series is intended as mentoring, rather than athlete specific coaching. That 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

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#10weeksto100 - Week 2 - The Training Plan

When I talk about my spring riding to prepare for one of my favorite events, novice riders are surprised to hear that I have my first 1,000 miles of riding in so early in the year.  While I start the year with that goal in mind, those miles come about has much by habit as anything else.   A training plan is just that, laying out your weekly preparation so it becomes habit.  By breaking down your training into routine, weekly events, it becomes much easier to accomplish.  And when the preparation becomes a habit, the end goal is much easier to complete.

Our first step in your training plan was to have an end result in mind. With your answers to the 3 questions from week 1, you have given some thought to who you are as a rider and how you want to ride your event. You should also have a MPH base number from  10 mile “talk test” ride. With this information in hand, we can go about creating a training plan.

My suggested training plan is very basic, with a focus on maintaining a schedule for your riding for the 10 weeks leading up your event.  The plan is based on time rather than mileage.  Your first step in your training plan was to have an end result in mind. With your answers to the 3 questions from week 1, you have given some thought to who you are as a rider and how you want to ride your event. You should also have a MPH base number from your 10 mile “talk test” ride. With this information in hand,  your plan is almost done.

At the start of TOSRV, 2007

Each week is a minimum of two 90-minute workout rides*, typically during your work-week, and one long ride that will incrementally increase 30 to 45 minutes per week over the 10 weeks.  While most or your riding will be at your event pace, one ride per week should be a “Pace Plus” ride.   When your schedule allows, you can add additional rides, and you can be flexible and change from the 3, 4 or 5-day schedules I have included.  (In fact, if your life is like mine, you probably will!)

Planning Tip – don’t forget to include and pre and post workout time, along with travel to the ride start, when planning your week.

The ride plan focuses on these three goals:
• Training your body to maintain your event pace
• Exceeding your event pace for an entire ride once per week
• Incrementally increasing your longest ride each week, while maintaining your event pace

Each of the goals supports the other.  Learning a consistent riding pace is the key to endurance riding success, while riding over your event pace for short intervals helps build strength and confidence.  Your endurance ride will build upon what you gain from Pace and Pace Plus rides.  Pace Plus riding under normal conditions will also help you to maintain your planned pace on a windy day or hilly route.  Another important aspect of a Pace Plus ride is that it helps to avoid the risk of overtraining, a common novice mistake.

Another work out type is the Rest and Recovery ride, i.e. going riding just for fun, with no goal in mind.  A short, easy ride, a day or two after your longer ride will help to warm and relax tired muscles.  You will be pleasantly surprised how much better you feel the day after this type of short ride, compared, to just resting for 2-3 days with no activity after a long or challenging ride.

Finally, your workout schedule, like mine, may include bike commuting.  Bike commuting, is typically going to be at or below your event pace.  This is all a factor of the distance you commute, the number of days you can commute, and how much you need to carry along.   My commute of about 10 miles (1 way) is usually 3 days a week, with an easy ride in, and challenging myself more for the ride home.  I then do my pace plus rides on the non-commuting days.  Bike commuting may not work for you for you, but certainly consider it, especially if you feel training time is hard to find.  (See also, How to Find the Time, also in this series.)

The total plan is based on 8-10 weeks.  The number of weeks will vary on base level of fitness, and where you are in your riding season. An early season ride may need the full 10 weeks, but if you are already riding longer distance, you can adjust the schedule, as long as you build up the distance over a few weeks. You may not ride all the way up to your distance, but that is okay.

Here is a quick summary of your different workout rides, and their goal.  With the schedule summaries that follow, you can add these into your calendar (another important habit).

Your Pace workout goal is to maintain your planned event pace for the duration of the ride.
Your Endurance workout goal is to increase your distance at event pace each week.
Your Pace Plus workout goal is to exceed your planned event pace, by 1-2 mph each week.
A Rest and Recovery ride is a short ride at your event pace or easier, to warm up and relax the muscles you have been training.  I sometimes call these “Just Out Riding”, just getting out for the fun of it.
Bicycle Commuting can be used as fits your schedule and needs, from easy base miles, to a Pace Plus ride home at the end of the day.

When you look at the weeks ahead and laying out your you schedule, here is how the different options might look

3-Day Schedule – Tuesday, Pace ride , Thursday – Pace Plus – Saturday – Endurance Day.

4-Day Schedule - Tuesday, Pace Ride , Thursday – Pace Plus – Saturday – Pace Day – Sunday Endurance  Day
- OR - Saturday – Endurance Day – Sunday Pace or  Rest and Recovery Day

5-Day Schedule – Monday – Rest and Recovery Ride Day Tuesday, Pace Ride , Thursday – Pace Plus – Saturday – Pace Day – Sunday Endurance  Day

Download the #10weeksto100 Training Framework

(Revised July 27, 2017)

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Week 2 of the #10weeksto100 series 

 Continue to Week 3:  Faster is as Important as Farther

The series is intended as mentoring, rather than athlete specific coaching. That 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

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#10Weeksto100 - Week 1 - Three Questions to Answer First

Having a clear picture of what you want to accomplish is the one of the keys in setting, and achieving, a goal.  So before you begin to train for your first (or next) endurance event, here are three important questions to ask yourself.  Your answers will guide your training, and help in setting a realistic expectation for your ride.

• What type of rider are you?
• How do you plan to ride your event?
• What pace can you maintain today for 10 miles

Question 1: What Type of Rider Are You?
The first question: “Which type of rider are you?” Besides the competitive cyclist (or the serious cyclist/runner/triathlete), cyclists new to endurance events tend to fall into two broad categories.  Don't confuse these with fitness levels, these are as much about where your cycling fits into other time commitments and pursuits.

A Social Rider

• You ride 40-60 miles per week
• Ride 2-3 times per week (you ride somewhat regularly, but don't make your schedule around it)
• Occasional rides of an hour or two.

If you are just a social rider now, the weekly miles you will be adding will be bit more challenging. You will need to find more time in your schedule for riding to meet your longer distance goals. You will need to learn some new habits for comfort during your riding.


A Sport/Fitness Rider

• You regularly ride over 60 miles per week
• You ride 4-5 times per week, and riding is regular part of your weekly schedule
• Your weekend rides are regularly a couple of hours or more, and you regularly ride an hour more in the morning or evening

Some Sport/Fitness riders may find they have to change habits to ride the time and distance of longer  endurance events. Those with a running or spin background may also be surprised by the longer time commitments, especially for preparing with an event lasting of 6 to 7 hours or longer.

Question 2: How Do You Plan to Ride Your Event?
Your expectation and how you want to ride the event will influence both your training, and what to expect the day of the ride. For the first time, recreational endurance rider, consider these two broad categories.

A "Social" Century Event

• Total Time of 10-12 hours
• Riding Time of 7 to 10 hours - average speed between 10 and 14 mph 

On a social century, you are riding to make the distance, while stopping to smell the flowers. You are enjoying the scenery, riding alone or in a small social group, taking breaks and eating a sit down lunch or snacks.

A "Fast" Century Event

• Total time - Under 8 hours
• Riding time - under 7 hours - averaging 14 mph or better

On a fast century, you are riding with a specific time in mind, and you are training for that goal. You may be riding in a group for the pace line advantage. Any breaks from riding are short stops to pick-up water and snacks.


Which sounds like you? Which matches your expectations? There is no right or wrong way to “do” a distance event; that is part of the beauty of cycling. I have done both kinds of distance rides, and enjoy each for their unique rewards. I have ridden for the challenge of a personal best time, or for the variety of scenery you can see in 60 to 100 miles of Michigan coastline. The choice is yours to make, however, it is important to have the right expectation during BOTH your training and during your event.

(I have deliberately left out the competitive event. Endurance competition is the next level, and this series is intended for novice and recreational riders.)

Question 3: What pace can you maintain for 10 miles?

Your final last question is “What Pace Can you maintain for 10 miles?” This is not your fastest 10 miles, but at the best speed you can comfortably ride while still able to maintain a conversation. This time trial (ride against the clock) test helps find a useful base-line for your training plan.

There are 3 reasons knowing your pace is important. First, it will help you set a realistic expectation for your event. Second, it going to be an important base number for training rides over the next several weeks. And finally, it will also provide you a measure of your improvement over time, a great motivationally aid.

Ideally, this simple test can be the middle 10 miles of a ride of about 15 to 20 miles, and on a loop or route you know. Don’t worry about the effect of traffic signs (obey them). If it looks like a windy day, try riding 5 miles out into the wind, and then 5 miles back to even out the effect.

It is also very important that you are able to maintain a conversation, (sometimes referred to as the "talk test"), during this ride. Passing the talk test is the simplest way to insure you are staying aerobic, and riding below your anaerobic threshold.  For both recreational and sport/fitness riders, most your endurance riding should be using your aerobic capacity.

We all have limited amount of time we can spend at our “best” or fastest effort. Our aerobic pace is what we can maintain for a much longer period of time. A recreational endurance rider, needs to stay at an aerobic level of effort as much as possible.

Over the next 10 weeks, you are going to be focused on improving your aerobic fitness and endurance.  While you are going to see some improvement in your speed over time, your success in long events is going to be while you are riding in your aerobic range.


Weekly Riding Goals: 4 Rides and your 10-mile pace test

You should be riding about 4 times a week now; a couple of weeknight evening rides and a couple weekend rides, with one focusing on riding a longer distance. We will add more details with next week.

Include your 10 miles pace ride, and in week two we show you how to include that information as you build your training habit.

With my son Tyler and our tandem, on TOSRV 2008.

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Week 1 of the #10weeksto100.

Continue to Week 2:  The Training Plan

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


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#10weeksto100 - Preparing for Your First Long Ride or Century

After learning to ride in comfort and at a reasonable pace, riding farther becomes the next goal for many new riders. Where the focus on power, speed and bike handling of competitive cycling can be intimidating, distance or endurance cycling events are both personally rewarding and fun experiences for riders at any age or skill level.

There are many different ways to be introduced to endurance riding:

• As part of a health goal to improve overall fitness or to lose weight.
• Participating in a charity ride like the Tour De Cure or MS150, that may include daily distances up to 100 miles.
• Vacationing on a multi-day bicycle tour like Ohio's GOBA, Iowa's RAGBRAI or Michigan's DALMAC.
• A more ambitious goal, like the160 mile RAIN (Ride Across Indiana In One Day).
• Or just for the fun it!

Ohio's TOSRV, held every May

Whatever your interest or goal, over the next 10 installments, this series will help you prepare for a fun and comfortable ride through a progressive, weekly riding plan. While this series is focused on a 100-mile ride, (also referred to as a century), this program can be used for preparing for rides of 50 miles (roughly 3 hours of saddle time) or more. In general, riding for 3-4 hours or more can be considered endurance riding. This series can also help you prepare for a multi-day bicycle tour.

It is important to understand that Endurance training is preparing your body in three different ways:

• Cardio Conditioning: Training your heart and lungs for long, steady workouts
• Muscular Conditioning: Legs, back, shoulders, neck and arms all play a role in endurance riding
• Mental Conditioning: This is developing the habits of training, nutrition, pacing and most of all, confidence. Your mental conditioning may also be in making the shift from shorter running or gym workouts to an “all-day” activity like a century or multi-day tour.

During the course of the series, I will also share advice on bike maintenance, clothing, gear and nutrition. I am going to assume you have the bicycle basics covered; a bike you are comfortable riding, a basic understanding of riding safely, and basic cycling skills like shifting. It is also important that you have a bike computer for tracking your speed and miles. You will learn more as you progress, and I am available to answer questions and give advice on all the related aspects.

Week 1:  Three Questions to Ask
Week 2:  The Training Plan
Week 3:  Faster is as Important as Farther
Week 4: Your Bike is Your Training Partner
Week 5: Getting Your Bike Gear in Order
Week 6: Training Aches and Pains
Week 7: How To Find the Time
Week 8: Drink, Eat, Repeat
Week 9: Be Visible, Be Predictable, Be Aware
Week 10: Ten Tips from Experience

Jay on RAIN, 2012

About Jay Hardcastle:  I rode my first century in 1974, riding in cut-off jeans and a t-shirt on a steel-wheeled bike.  Since that first ride, I have ridden over 167 100+ mile events, including the Tour of the Scioto River Valley (2 days 210 miles), the Cascades Bicycle Club Seattle To Portland (1-day, 210 miles), The RAIN Ride (160 miles), the Apple Cider Century and dozens of smaller and ad-hoc centuries.  This experience also includes over 40 events on tandems, and over a half dozen done on a loaded touring bike.

Since 2005, I have taken a special interest in offering guidance to first time century riders, often accompanying them on spring and summer rides here in Indiana.  This series grew from that experience, and was also presented as a special clinic sessions for Bicycle Garage Indy in 2013 and 2014

Coaching vs. Mentoring: This series is intended as mentoring, rather than athlete specific coaching. That being the case, these are broad, general guidelines of a riding style and philosophy.

Medical Advisory: PLEASE consult your physician if you have a chronic condition requiring medication. Endurance riding and training, and the hydration and nutrition changes they bring about, may all have an impact on your medication’s effectiveness and daily needs.

June 2021 Update:  My century total is now 167, and in October of 2018 I rolled over 200,000 lifetime road miles. 

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