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Mind and Body:
Whether you’re participating in a bike tour, going mountain biking, hitting the trails, or simply biking a long distance, it’s crucial that you prepare your mind, body, and gear to ensure safety and success. There’s a lot more to it than you think, but with these simple tips from Liftnwander, you’ll be pedaling fast in no time.
It’s a Mind Game
While it’s important to train your body, cyclists often forget about training their brain. When you’re cycling a long distance, it becomes a mental game, and if you lack mental toughness, it can be difficult to push through. Keep in mind that being tough has absolutely nothing to do with aggressiveness or perfecting your mean mug. According to CTS, “Toughness is your ability to absorb abuse and handle adversity, all while staying focused on your goal and keeping a level head.” So, how do you train for toughness? The answer is to expose yourself to difficult situations. Train in the rain and wind, tackle inclines and get right back up after a crash.
In addition to toughness, Bicycling suggests adjusting your thinking. Rather than focusing on the ride as a whole and stressing over the difficulty and length, focus on shorter chunks and do a little mental celebration when you crush each one. Ultimately, you have to do what works for you, and figure out what will keep you going when every message in your body is telling you to stop. Find the ritual or mantra that works for you and use it!
If the expedition you have in mind is a long-distance trip that will pull you away from work or your business, it will be crucial to let go. The abundance of stress from a managerial or entrepreneurial role presents the perfect reason to take a vacation but to fully benefit, you’ll need to detach. Who wants to constantly stop for work calls or answer emails on this type of trip? Nobody. So, set your vacation responder, alert your staff or supervisor, and prepare to unplug.
Train Your Body
Whether you’re a cycling pro or just starting out, you need to determine your base fitness level to avoid injury during training and rides. Start by cycling a distance that’s comfortable – meaning you don’t experience muscle soreness or fatigue. Once you have a base, you can begin building up resistance by increasing your distance by no more than 10 percent each week or throwing in difficult terrain and inclines. Don’t forget to do a low-resistance recovery ride to soothe muscles and prevent injuries. And be sure to intersperse your training with muscle-building exercises to strengthen your core, legs, and arms.
When you’re training, the goal is to prepare yourself for whatever comes your way, and even though you hate gravel terrain because it’s hard, that’s an even better reason for you to do it. Remember, training is about more than just logging miles. Use cycling-specific workouts such as cadence rides to challenge your body. When you’re biking through rough terrain on a long-distance ride, you’ll be glad you did.
Prep Work
Before you head out, you’ll want to make sure your most important piece of equipment is in tip-top shape – your bike. Start by making sure your tires are within the recommended PSI range written on the sidewall of the tire to reduce your chances of a puncture. You’ll want to pay close attention to your brakes too because a malfunction here could lead to a deadly crash. Elevate your bike off the ground and spin each wheel individually, checking to make sure the calipers and brake pads evenly squeeze each wheel. Other areas to check are the quick-release levers, chain, headset, and bottom bracket. Once you’ve checked over your bike, make sure you have the basics in your maintenance kit: spare inner tube, tire levers, patch kit, mini-pump, and a folding multi-tool.
Of course, you’ll also need to bring along gear for yourself. According to REI.com, this includes basic clothes and weather protection (raincoat, windbreaker, etc.), personal care products (sunscreen, lip balm, and toiletries), personal IDs, and your smartphone. Make a checklist to ensure you have all of the important items ready to go.
Your mind and body are your foundation, and you need to build upon them to power through a long biking expedition. Build up your mental toughness, strengthen your muscles, and do a little bit of prep work to ensure a successful trip.
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About the Author:
Jason Lewis, has a first hand experience as a senior caregiver, in addition to a background in personal training. He's passionate about helping seniors stay healthy and injury-free.
You can learn more about him at strongwell.org
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