This week on the Training Blog, Coach Ertl reminds us that thinking big will help you ride far.
Think you can’t go the distance? Think again.
Although this year’s RAGBRAI is a bit shorter than other years, some of you may still be having reservations about whether you can go the distance, especially if you haven’t yet been doing really long rides (you should by now!) or if you find yourself struggling on longer rides. I’m here to tell you that you can do more than you think you can, or maybe a better way of saying this is that you can do what you think you can but you probably aren’t thinking big enough. If you think you are capable of more, you most likely will be able to achieve it.
Set bigger goals – then go get them.
Another way to think about this is to consider that you can often achieve a goal you set but you rarely exceed that goal. For example, you set out to do 50 miles. It’s like you have this mental image of what you are striving to do and put the effort in and achieve it and feel like that was all you could do. But what if you set your goal 20% higher? Would you still be able to achieve a 60 mile ride and feel like that was all you could do? Probably.
Train like it’s Day Three.
So as you go into RAGBRAI, and even during training these last few weeks, set your goal large enough that you can obtain a new longest distance. The distance of the longest ride of the week of RAGBRAI, which is on Tuesday at 73.9 miles. So work up to setting a goal that you can ride 75 miles and if you are able to do that, you will be able to ride the longest day of RAGBRAI.
Ride more days, not just more miles.
Of course, doing 73.9 miles on the third day of RAGBRAI is different from doing 73.9 miles on the first day when you are fresh. But that’s still possible as long as you’ve done some back to back training rides such as on a Saturday-Sunday, so you can get the idea of what it feels like to ride day after day when you may still be feeling the effects of the previous days.
I find that the second day of consecutive riding can feel hard but the third day sometimes is easier – like your body realizes this is going to be an ongoing occurrence. As we close in on RAGBRAI your training should increase in frequency. If possible, aim for 5 days of riding per week. Even if these aren’t long rides, getting your body and mind into the habit of riding almost daily will certainly help when you get to RAGBRAI.
Century Loop calling? Say yes.
Now if you are a seasoned RAGBRAI rider and know that you can knock out 73.9 miles, you can set your goals higher as well. What if you have never done the Century Loop? Why not aim for that this year? Set your goal to ride 100, or 105 miles and work towards that. I bet you anything you can do it.
You see, as long as you eat, drink and keep a sustainable pace, you can ride all day, even if that’s what you have to do to complete the 100 miles. Yes you will get more tired as the day goes along, but you should be able to keep your legs turning. I’ve worked with many beginner cyclists who at the start of season may not have even owned a bike and by the end of summer are able to ride 100 miles. You will be surprised what you are capable of, if you just believe.
Your mind is the real finish line.
The bottom line is that your capability is often determined, or limited, by your mind and what you think you can do. Thinking big will help you ride far. Remember, if you think you can or you think you can’t, you will be right! (Henry Ford)
Find All 2025 Training Blogs
Find all of Coach Ertl’s Training Blogs, as well as the 2025 Training Plan in our Training section on RAGBRAI.com.
David Ertl is a USA Cycling Advanced Certified Coach. He coaches individual cyclists through the Peaks Coaching Group www.peakscoachinggroup.com/davidertl . Ertl also provides cycling training plans and ebooks at his website: www.CyclesportCoaching.com. He can be contacted at [email protected].
