Preparing for my first Gran Fondo
Just when I finished my first marathon and I thought my training was done for the summer, one of my friends Tyler Stewart had to go and egg me on.
He asked if I was going to participate in Cardston's Gran Fondo, the first of its kind at the end of July. I thought, "Hey I like biking, let's try something new!" Well I've signed up for 140 km of biking torture/fun. The longest I think I've ever biked is 40 km. So I am reaching out to the LinkedIn community and all of you long-distance cyclists out there, what do you do to prepare for a longer journey like this?
From the five months of preparation to get me ready for 42.2 km of running on concrete, I now have two months to prepare for a long time in the saddle. I'll be encouraging my friends to get out on bikes more frequently in the next few months, so if you are in the Lethbridge area, let me know.
What challenges have you signed up for this year? There's nothing quite like signing up for a race and knowing the date is looming to kick your butt into shape. I look forward to the comments below and any advice you may have for preparing for this beautiful bike around southern Alberta. Here is a link to the course on Strava .
Gas Utility Operator
1 年Kris! This is an awesome post! We will have 4 Aid stations on course to keep you well stocked with snacks and hydration. I agree with the post above about getting your butt ready for that long haul in the saddle. Basically ride everywhere you go. Oh, buy some cycling shorts if you haven’t already. ?Your butt will thank you haha. If you’d like to ride some of the course before the race let me know, I’d love to show you around.
Community Development | Inclusive and Welcoming Communities | Healthy and Active Living | Addressing Barriers | Creating Belonging
1 年I’m preparing for my first as well - the 150k kootenay in September. Keep training after cardston and join me! I have never done more than 104k at once so this will be interesting ??
Host of Shift by Alberta Innovates | Strategic Communications & Business Development | Drives Growth Through Engaging Narratives & Strategic Partnerships | #HeroesofInnovation #ShiftbyAI
1 年Hey Kris, make sure your butt is ready for the seat, so every ride you do will help toward that. Don’t be daunted. It’s a long ride, but you can do it. Find a groove and pace yourself. Dress in layers with something waterproof if it rains. I’m not sure what the support is like for the ride, but when i go on long distance rides I always pack as much water as I can, and bring easy to pack snacks. I ALWAYS set mini goals along the way and talk to myself incessantly!
Innovative and creative instructor for the Digital Communications and Media diploma & the Multimedia Production diploma
1 年Hey Lowell Taylor and Cycling Canada | Cyclisme Canada, I'd love to hear from you! Dutch Cycling Embassy, Cycling UK, Gran Fondo New York Inc., CYCLING PRO,