For Dirty Kanza, I carried three large water bottles. One had a sports drink for a quick source of carbs and energy , one had mineral salts to keep my electrolytes balanced , and a third had plain water. Ask about bike support as well. Some events have bike mechanics on site to help with things like flat tires and skipping gears.

One thing that helped for my recent race was the handlebar extensions what triathletes use to make themselves more aerodynamic I installed on my bike. While the aero element helped, I mostly used it for comfort, to rest my arms and shoulders.

In total, I spent around three hours leaning on them, which helped immensely. Another must-have piece of equipment is a waterproof bag to carry some cash, a credit card, an ID card, and your health insurance card.

I also put some toilet paper in there. If you take any medication, be sure you have enough with you. Two other things I always carry with me: an extra battery or energy source for my phone and a bottle of chain lube.

A dry, noisy chain can make you feel anxious and kill your motivation. Stash it in a lightweight backpack or small pack that attaches to your bike. The break was much needed and felt so good on my back, neck, and shoulders.

Afterwards, I felt refreshed and ready to forge onward. The key is knowing how to stay invested. I visualize myself crossing the finish and being welcomed by hundreds of people showing their love and respect.

I imagine myself swelling with joy and pride. This is what makes putting up with all the pain, suffering, and self-doubt I might experience on the journey worthwhile.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

Fitbit Ambassador Jens Voigt is a former professional cyclist currently serving as a team consultant for Trek Factory Racing. Resist the urge to continue riding at high volume or high intensity. This will give your body adequate time to rest and recover.

Just like how your body requires preparation in order to perform well at an event, race, or long-distance ride, your bike requires preparation, too. You should be servicing and maintaining your bike on a regular basis in order to ensure both its performance and safety, and this is especially true before your embark on a serious endurance ride.

In the days leading up to your event, take your bike to your local shop and have them give it a full service to ensure that the shifting and braking are in tip-top shape. On the morning of your goal event or endurance ride, double-check that your braking and shifting are still in good order.

Also check your tires to make sure there are no bits of debris or glass embedded in them from previous rides, thus helping to prevent any potential flats while on course. Stick to your nutrition plan, too, and eat and drink the appropriate amount at the proper times.

Beyond the physical exertion of endurance riding, remember that mental strength plays a big part in successfully completing a long ride. Remember to enjoy yourself , stay positive, take in your surroundings, and remind yourself why you chose this particular event or distance.

Have patience, as well as the confidence in yourself, to make it to the finish line. Home Inside Felt Stories The Top 5 Tips For Completing Your Endurance Cycling Event.

PREPARE YOUR BODY This tip is the most obvious, as well as the most straightforward. NUTRITION MATTERS When it comes to riding long distances and completing an endurance-focused event, there are two areas of nutrition that matter.

I briefly thought about following her, and knowing now that I made it through with no knee issues, I kind of wish I had but hindsight is But I stayed at my consistent pace. At around 5 miles to go, I realized I was out of water. I had more backup gels in the backpack part of my vest, but what I really needed was more water, and I was KICKING myself because when filling my pack the night before, I decided 1.

Still, there was an aid station just 3 miles from the finish, so I was able to stop and grab a few sips of Coke and then a few sips of water.

Because it makes me happy, and why not finish by emptying the tank? But really, I was happy to have put together a fairly clean, consistent race. Before you go, check out our book, Becoming A Consummate Athlete. Read more in our privacy policy. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Read our privacy policy for more info. Molly Hurford is a journalist in love with all things cycling, running, nutrition and movement-related.

She also writes regularly for publications including Bicycling magazine, Outside, Map My Run, and Nylon. Molly is a little obsessed with getting people—especially women—psyched on adventure and being outside, and she regularly hosts talks and runs clinics for cyclists and teaches yoga online and IRL… And in her spare time, the former Ironman triathlete and cyclist now spends time racing ultra-runs on trails.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at mollyjhurford. Before Rides and Races: Stick to your normal. I am a resolution person.

Always have been. Theme by HB-Themes. My new ultra-running tips: Sleeves. My first race, I did sleeveless and ended up with terrible chafing issues thanks to my hydration pack! Body Glide. Between the tshirt and Body Glide on underarms and thighs, I was SO much more comfortable this time!

I also put some toilet paper in there. If you take any medication, be sure you have enough with you. Two other things I always carry with me: an extra battery or energy source for my phone and a bottle of chain lube. A dry, noisy chain can make you feel anxious and kill your motivation.

Stash it in a lightweight backpack or small pack that attaches to your bike. The break was much needed and felt so good on my back, neck, and shoulders. Afterwards, I felt refreshed and ready to forge onward.

The key is knowing how to stay invested. I visualize myself crossing the finish and being welcomed by hundreds of people showing their love and respect.

I imagine myself swelling with joy and pride. This is what makes putting up with all the pain, suffering, and self-doubt I might experience on the journey worthwhile. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.

You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine. Fitbit Ambassador Jens Voigt is a former professional cyclist currently serving as a team consultant for Trek Factory Racing.

Jens has six yes, six! children and lives in Germany. Good to know. But I enjoy watching the Tours. If you have questions about a Fitbit tracker, product availability, or the status of your order, contact our Support Team or search the Fitbit Community for answers. Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

But I had pushed too hard, and before I knew it I hit a wall not literally, but it felt that way! People could have walked faster than I was riding.

Hydration is very important. For Dirty Kanza, I carried three large water bottles. One had a sports drink for a quick source of carbs and energy , one had mineral salts to keep my electrolytes balanced , and a third had plain water.

Ask about bike support as well. Some events have bike mechanics on site to help with things like flat tires and skipping gears. One thing that helped for my recent race was the handlebar extensions what triathletes use to make themselves more aerodynamic I installed on my bike.

While the aero element helped, I mostly used it for comfort, to rest my arms and shoulders. In total, I spent around three hours leaning on them, which helped immensely. Another must-have piece of equipment is a waterproof bag to carry some cash, a credit card, an ID card, and your health insurance card.

I also put some toilet paper in there. If you take any medication, be sure you have enough with you. Two other things I always carry with me: an extra battery or energy source for my phone and a bottle of chain lube. A dry, noisy chain can make you feel anxious and kill your motivation.

Stash it in a lightweight backpack or small pack that attaches to your bike. The break was much needed and felt so good on my back, neck, and shoulders. Afterwards, I felt refreshed and ready to forge onward. The key is knowing how to stay invested.

I visualize myself crossing the finish and being welcomed by hundreds of people showing their love and respect. I imagine myself swelling with joy and pride. This is what makes putting up with all the pain, suffering, and self-doubt I might experience on the journey worthwhile.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. Also, our 4 big driving lights exposed our weak alternator, which we had to change. Get some unique marker lights for you car ahead of time.

All the cars look alike in the dark and it helps your crew track you if you have a unique light on the roof or on the side. Just don't use colors that look like emergency vehicles and nothing flashing.

One of our team cooks for a hobby and kept food available for the entire race. Very handy to get a hot meal in the middle of the night when you are dead tired and cold. They can tell you something right after they get out of the car; but, you may forget. Even if you do have a dedicated cook sometimes they get to drunk and pass out during the whole event.

Sandwiches are great alternatives. Displaying of 4 comments View all comments on the GRM forums. You'll need to log in to post. Project Cars Features Videos Forum Track Tests Tire Tests Events Store. Project Cars Features Articles Reviews News Buyers Guides Shop Work Suspension and Handling Columns Podcast View All Buyer's Guides.

Login Digital Edition Subscribe. Join Free Join our community to easily find more Mazda articles. Join Free. More like this You want an NA Miata?

Flyin' Miata's Keith Tanner offers advice. What we've learned after a lifetime of project cars. Four generations in, is the NA Miata still the best answer? Comparing boosted Mazda Miatas from all four generations. A few additional tips for an overnight race. I drove in a 10 hr enduro once.

Drove the car to the track. Put my helmet on and ran practice. Ran the entire race. I drove a total of six, my co driver ran four. About half way in the race, changed the front tires.

After the race, drove the car home. Any guesses when and where that was? The great Mental taught me this 6 Don't be a dbag driver.