6 Golden Rules For Endurance Cycling | Advice From Experts Mark Beaumont And Laura Penhaul

[@jonmeadow8706]

I get motivated by necessity: I live 26 miles from town; no car, no phone, no wify. I put in 1000 miles a month just to go to a cafe/check email, etc

[@royevans4581]

Sounds awesome actually Jon.

[@ferryvantichelen6521]

Have a good trip back then when you're done watching GCN vids!

[@jonmeadow8706]

@@ferryvantichelen6521 Thanks.

[@schwagier]

Australia?

[@jonmeadow8706]

@@schwagier Oregon.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

65 years old, biked across U.S. 3X, excellent advice video. 90% mental, nutrition, rest, train to necessary level, calm confidence in ability and base miles.

[@jonmeadow8706]

I'm 65 too. I'm learning about food. Comfort food just doesn't get it. I've been experimenting with sprouting grains.

[@toetie2019]

@@jonmeadow8706how’d you do??

[@torpedo2030]

At 54, I trained and completed my longest ride at a 24-hour charity event this year. Rode 200.9 miles @17 mph in under 12 hours' of cycling time. I credit my training, fueling, and recovery strategies.

[@thelesserzdoctor2345]

As a time trialist turned distance rider, I learned the nutrition lesson the hard way! 😂My learnings below: Nutrition starts ideally 1-2 days before the ride - to get glycogen reserves up. But really you want to teach the body to be “fat adapted” and 80% of the time use fat stores. Which brings us nicely to pace and effort. On the ride you need to keep the pace and effort down to keep the body in the fat burn zone (typically zone 2 for most of us). My Ironman Tri coach always used to reprimand my high power TT efforts by telling me to ride one gear below where I think I want to be! Then there is using the terrain. While aero is less important in endurance it’s still 70-80% of what your effort is going into overcoming when not going uphill. So, getting low down at the top of a hill and picking up free KPH is a great way to give rest to the legs. In fact, holding an aero position longer than the bottom of the hill still makes you go faster than if you were to jump up onto the tops and pedal. Hydration starts 9-12 hours before. Sipping a couple of electrolyte bottles the night before two eTapes (with 40°c+ temps) meant my cells had good reserves before starting the ride. Even on colder rides, take a sip of water / electrolytes every 5 mins - if you feel thirsty, it’s too late already. Stretch, stretch, stretch! Being flexible and building a decent core, helps you hold positions on the bike longer and more comfortably. The worst thing I found for endurance is sitting in a single position. Keep varying hands and bottom positions, get out of the saddle and turn an appropriate gear to give the undercarriage a rest/ help with blood flow. Most importantly for this, ensure you read the road ahead and get out of the saddle over surfaces that will rattle or bash your body. Your undercarriage will be most grateful when the distance is approaching 3 digits! Plan a route that goes via main public transport points and bike shops, so that if there is an un-fixable mechanical, or an injury or just body is finished, you have an elegant way home. And sometimes I like my sunglasses with built in speakers for company - after all, 10-12 hours in a saddle is a lot of podcast learning time ;). So a decent play list of music and podcasts takes the mind off things. (But to be clear, the glasses leave my ears open for hearing traffic and I get the beeps from my Garmin Radar on them too, so it’s perfectly safe. Don’t use earbuds that reduce your situational awareness!

[@warrenkingston7606]

Thanks for this!

[@pfunknoondawg]

Great advice!

[@matthafer2415]

Since you asked... one of my favorite tips for surviving long rides is to mentally break it up into smaller finishes even if it's just a road sign ahead or a certain small-town you're headed for, and to celebrate the small finishes along the way to the big finish. Great Video

[@ady110fv]

Definitely need to break it up even on a 50 I break it up I do it with my long runs 5 mile segments

[@dreyn7780]

Torturing yourself is your business. All endurance bikes do is offer a different riding philosophy to the racing philosophy. The straight line philosophy and the cornering philosophy. You ride in a straight line, then you turn a corner. Repeat again and again. How many features do you want for riding in a straight line? How many features do you want for going around corners? Simple geometry and basic tuning.

[@VikingOne_Expeditions]

Great advice.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

More importantly the water breaks.

[@mr0totonio]

Did the same mindtrick in Mont Ventoux and Izoard last year!! (2 famous french alpine climb) When it’s becoming really hard and the brain begin to tell you that you are not hoing to make it, it is time to occupy it by constantly focusing on small victories, each 2 meters. This mindtrick is very close to breath focus in meditation

[@morganjenkins4924]

I completely agree with how they say it makes you really know yourself when you’re the only person keeping you going on the massive rides

[@better.better]

I think being desperately broke & hungry teaches you more that your capable of doing anything you need to do. the endurance rides like Mark went on go a long ways towards that experience but he still had support and he knew the whole time that he had support, and he could call it quits at any time he wanted and go home to a nice warm bed. when you're broke & hungry and you don't have that safety net but you still manage to get through it, it changes your mindset, and your priorities, forever. people bitching and complaining about stupid unimportant things really pisses you off, for example.

[@nk-dw2hm]

@Timotei of Bollow he doesn't care, he just wanted a way to express that he doesn't think other people's problems are "real" or worth talking about

[@jeroenzuidland132]

@@better.better That's why it's sport. Of course having financial or even existential problems is not the same. The idea it that in sport you can push you're boundaries so you learn how to to deal with challenging situations. I agree it's not the same, but it might help.

[@dreyn7780]

Extreme view point. Your TIME philosophy has nothing to do with endurance bikes. Endurance bikes are only concerned with straight line philosophy and cornering philosophy. Endurance bikes reduce the amount of sideways wobble by 50% or more.

[@bobbrown2837]

Some real good information here. I am 62 and planning a 200. Mile ride in one day 9,300 feet of climb. The first part of the video hits the nail on the head for me, everything I attempt is with the idea that it is epic in nature. This is kind of in line with how I have lived life and run my businesses. The excitement and the training and planning the route involved, is most of the fun. I tell a lot of people my plans and goals, there have been many times when the thought of telling all those people I did not make it, kept me going. I am going to order the book, I come back here in the spring and let you know if I failed or succeeded. For me it is all about the adventure which lies ahead.

[@dr.h4nn1b4l8]

Respect Bob!! Keep going man!!

[@timw8926]

Hey Bob, spring is soon to come and hope all is well!

[@dreyn7780]

Crazy. Tell your doctor this rubbish. You don't belong with simple geometry products. Its just 2 simple wheels and a simple frame to tie the wheels together so it can be riden. Your gossip is getting crazy.

[@bobbrown2837]

I made this trip. I left at 3:30 in the morning. The trip turned out to be 220 miles 9400 feet of climb. I had great lights, on the bike plus a head mounted unit. The morning was easy, but much colder than forecast the day before. It was 41 degrees F which kind of took a toll on me the first couple of hours. I had a great breakfast at 7 am at a small diner in the country. Lunch was mile 120. I did not start to feel the miles until about mile 165 then I started doing the math until the. I made a mistake along the way, taking the wrong route. The last 50 miles was supposed to be on a bike path, It switched back and forth from road to gravel, at some points it was pretty rough thought would switch over to a road that ran next to the path, instead it added more miles and more climb. My son met me for the last 20 miles which I was thankful for, the bike route ran through the city and it would have been tough to deal with city traffic and follow the bike signs. I reached his house at 8:31 pm. The next goal is 300 miles in 24 hours.

[@NishkamTheGeneral]

How was the ride?

[@shippy2001]

Love that Mark Beaumont is asking us for advice on endurance riding. "Yes Mark, I'm just back from a 100km ride that nearly killed me - and I think I have a few things I can teach you..."

[@tobiasvonseydlitz3852]

Hahaha I literally am just back from a 100km ride and since that i have only showered, eaten and been lying on my bed coz it finished me 🤣👍🏻 and my advice is that a big fat döner kebap is the best revovery meal after having had that protein shake

[@douglasbooth6836]

Tell him what nearly killed you.it’s still advice. No matter how good he is he knows he can still learn. That’s why he is so good.

[@dreyn7780]

Both of you can tell your doctors your problems.

[@hcw199]

I cycled around Taiwan in July and up to the summit of Wuling (3250m) 85km of climbing. 8 Days total, was an amazing experience in a beautiful country. Recommended!

[@lupin7559]

How was the country during the pandemic?

[@zwjcycing]

@@lupin7559 taiwan is good county to ride around especially the race call kom wuling

[@hcw199]

@@lupin7559 Life is pretty much normal here.. Everything is open and everyone is working.

[@hcw199]

@@zwjcycing The summer KOM was on that day I went up, so it was great cycling with them all.

[@hcw199]

@@waldimuller4911 In total was around 1200km in 8 days.

[@matthafer2415]

Finally someone who has the sense to plan long rides...I've seen a bunch of touring oriented videos that take a laissez-faire attitude "just get riding and have an adventure..." No thank you. I've done a handful of multi day tours and I find planning them to be a source of joy in between rides. I like to know more or less whats happening.

[@therrienmichael08]

1. Mindset 2. Body and setup 3. Planning 4. Training 5. Fueling 6. Recovery Enjoy your adventures

[@racerx8410712]

This is a great video with lots of great tips. However I want to point out that many cyclists are stuck on the idea that have to do long rides and big miles to feel validated as a cyclist and don't realize there is a lot of value in a short ride. I used think that way too but not only was it hard to put the time in to keep up the fitness and do the bigger, longer rides but I also didn't feel fulfilled. Safety was a concern as well as a local rider was killed doing the Trans-am and I too was venturing out on high speed roads to get the distance. A couple years ago I started doing shorter rides like 5-15 miles, in or around town and involving trail. With this I started riding more often and having more fun. It just fit better and still does. Sometimes I loop but I generally like to find places where I can stop and just hang out for bit and more recently I have been doing some "mini-packing" where I bring the gear to make lunch or tea/coffee. And while sometimes my rides are party pace others involve a much more "spirited pace." Don't disregard small rides!

[@slipnpitch1894]

Awesome post 👍

[@dreyn7780]

Wrong. Terrible video. Simple geometry. Endurance bikes reduce sideways wobble by 50% or more. Its okay to endurance ride for 10 minutes. Its just about straight line philosophy and cornering philosophy. Everything else is just mental illness. You can tune How much sideways wobble the bike does when you ride it. You can reduce the 3 mid corner change in direction features, down to just 1 corner change in direction.

[@wandafool1]

Couldn't have said it better myself. If you do 3 to 5 rides a week,thats OK too. I try to ride as often as possible even if it's a 10 or 20 mile ride. It'll add up..

[@cathalkenneally1614]

I’ve read Mark’s book Around the World in Eighty Days and it’s inspiring to say the least. My biggest accomplishment is riding London to Brighton despite a fall. My longest ride is 59 miles but I want to go further and in a shorter time. My health doesn’t help, since I have COPD, but I’ve never used it as an excuse. Cycling saved my life during the pandemic. No matter how many miles I ride a week, I always want to ride more. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing I don’t know. I have included yoga into my routine and it helps me cycle faster. I had my first session in over a month recently and it showed me how much I missed it and how beneficial it is to health in general, not just cycling

[@gcn]

That's amazing! Glad to hear that cycling has improved you life in that way!

[@leighharwood9415]

How inspirational ... turns out I haven't been lazy this year after all, I've just done a whole lot of "Adaptation training" .. cheers Laura

[@prince027]

Me too. I've doing adaptation trainings for the last five days in a row.

[@dreyn7780]

Crazy gossip.

[@chazpilks]

Endurance rides are to help me escape from the challenges life has thrown at me over the last few years. Some may say I’m running (or riding) away from the challenges, but my head is a place that I need to be when riding my bike. It’s why I’m looking forward to attempting Scotland’s North Coast 500 in 2021. An escape, a challenge, and memories IVJ

[@hopkinsroger]

You won't regret it. It's a superb journey.

[@dreyn7780]

Wrong. Its just 2 simple wheels and a simple frame to tie the wheels together. Its got nothing to do with life changes. Get a grip on reality. Its just a product tuned to a different riding philosophy. Endurance bikes just reduce the amount of sideways wobble by 50% or more. Its got nothing to do with coast to coast riding.

[@terrilhill1024]

Same here! You said exactly the way I'm thinking it. Thank you! 🥰

[@grandjaguar]

I cycled across the great lakes from Minnesota to Niagara Falls, NY. I cycled from NYC to Montreal and I cycled from NYC to Boston. Touring is definitely mental, nutrition and rest. Best times of my life.

[@sfdint]

I connect with the emphasis on seeking a challenge in order to escape the comfort of my everyday life. When I retired I felt overwhelmed by the comfort that surrounded me. Endurance cycling and bikepacking has been my escape. However, at my age I seek out challenges but don't intentionally seek out suffering!

[@oscarhockerfelt8618]

Nice video👍 A tip is to do Brevet races, as in Randonne' riding. Standard races are 200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000 km. The fine thing is that you build your capacity by increasing the distance by each race. Check with your local Randonne’ club.

[@workingguy-OU812]

So glad that Mark has been a part of this channel.

[@DejanOfRadic]

I take my bike on a train or a bus.....sometimes 100km, sometimes 100 miles......and I have no choice but to bike back, and preferably before the sun sets. I stop for lunch....a few coffee stops, and I get home feeling like going out for dinner. Honestly, compared to waitering in a busy high end restaurant, bicycling 100km is a relaxing day. 100 miles, on the other hand.....that can be challenging for me. Still, nowhere near as difficult as a 10 hour shift as a waiter.

[@mickhurley7305]

Great comment...I respect your attitude

[@jamesandrew62]

Trauned for bike packing this year & got a couple of 200k day rydes in, sleep & recovery are important factors, I've found going 95km in a day takes 2-3 days full recovery, so training to for good average distance per day over the week is important, experimenting with a 40k pedal on weekends & shorter 20km pedals during the week, doesn't sound like much but allows recovery time.

[@hughoxford8735]

But Mark is brilliant, so articulate and thoughtful.

[@stuartpotter4923]

I've always found mental strength to be one of the biggest factors in completing an endurance event, along with fuel... if I keep the calories going in, than it becomes more about maintaining a believe that I can keep going. On a really big ride, there are going to be points where you want to stop, but convincing yourself to keep going, no matter how slow, is still moving you toward your goal. I've definitely found big endurance rides easier to complete when I've been in a good mental state in general... so keeping on top of your mental health is key

[@3000GTStealthGTO]

I completely my first century after just 4 months of riding. 80% was mental, 10% prior fitness training 5-6 days a week and 10% fueling and preparation. Keeping your kind focuses and embarrassing pain makes it awesome.

[@tonyfranco2521]

I think I’d differ with Mark’s comments at around 2:30 min on the video. Life is hard. It is very hard. But I think committing to hard, endurance, physical efforts allows you to realize that you can overcome mental challenges around those activities and thus survive difficult circumstances and probably endure even more than you thought you could.

[@mazevx2451]

I think that's heavily dependent on the individual person. My daily grind is more a psychological hard thing than a physical challenge. So I seek the physical challenge from cycling while life thought me to be mentally hard and just keep on biting when it starts to hurt.

[@dreyn7780]

Calm down Freddy. Do these bikes create world peace? These bikes are actually only designed to reduce the amount of sideways wobble by 50% or more. Hard work is your business. Endurance bikes just redirect wasted energy into forward motion.

[@n3m055]

@@dreyn7780calm down dreyn, life is too short to have a vendetta against endurance bikes.

[@Grunge_Cycling]

Whenever I’m about to stop pedaling, I ask myself “WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS AND THE LOGS?!?!?!”

[@lucas2990]

Stay hard!

[@workingguy-OU812]

"THEY DON'T KNOW ME, SON!!!"

[@billincolumbia]

What's this from?

[@Aaron-rw3lv]

Life is the boat

[@abigailloffill8701]

@@billincolumbia david goggins

[@ANDROO12]

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on GCN. We could use more no frills education like this.

[@carlbolterstein]

After a northern season of endurance rides the mental aspect in my mind is the hardest to overcome. Ironically saying this as I watch a video on endurance rides right before leaving for a 155mi ride.

[@0ldw3lshm4n]

I broke all these rules recently and did an unplanned 300km ride with zero prep and zero planning. :-). In Thailand, left home 05:30 for usual 50km ride, no food, just a phone and money and one bottle of water as usual. Only just recently started back riding and only about 8 40/50km rides in the bag. At usual meeting point saw some friends pass so I joined them and they told me they were doing a 300km audax ride so I joined lol. Mental strength is important. It also helped as I had no idea of the route. For fuelling, relied on 7/11 at check points for water, cola and bananas. I guess it also helped that I know my body and no how to pace, especially on the long hard climbs. Completed the ride in 11 hours and still alive to ride again :-)

[@joseguerrero4214]

What type of 🚲 were you using?

[@christophernicholson9525]

Personally, I've taken a "just get out there and ride" mentality. It has worked wonders for me as I've planned for a cross continent ride this coming spring/summer.

[@dreyn7780]

Well, you're in the wrong discussion then. You should order and pay for the cross continent bike then. This is just a video about racing bikes with 2 slightly different straight line and cornering philosophies. You're way over the top and probably crazy. Its just 2 simple wheels and a simple frame to tie the wheels together. There's nothing about cross continent stuff at all.

[@JoeBackward53]

Presenters: "remind yourselves why you're there". Video: Utterly fabulous scenery with bikers. Exactly.

[@ChrisCapoccia]

planning is nice, but plenty of times I get my longest endurance rides without a plan, with getting a little lost, with being tired and still being hours away from getting home

[@sean95451]

1. mental/mindset 2.body/setup 3.planing 4.training 5.fueling 6.recovery

[@tigerv88]

All those themes carry extra meaning for me being a Type 1 diabetic. I was out on a 20 mile local ride recently and sensed my morale was dropping and fatigue setting in, my flash glucose monitor revealed I was low in sugars so needed to stop and refuel. However this can become a mental barrier as much as physical and makes me plan even more for those eventualities. As for endurance riding.....

[@williamwightman8409]

You might try slowly, slowly, eliminating all carbs so that at least your glucose excursions are minimized, and also then your insulin needs. You can get all the glucose you need from your liver (gluconeogenesis) and all the ketones from adipose tissue.

[@Siblove7]

Type 1 here as well, it helps me to continously take in energy, mainly dried fruits, throughout the whole ride. I use a sensor to keep track of my blood sugar levels regularly. Only done about 80miles so far in my first year riding but aim for ultra distance. Check Facebook groups for Type1 endurance athletes for more tips

[@da14a49]

Right there with you, type 1 diabetic who picked up cycling this year and also has a flash glucose monitor. It's hard but we can do this.

[@chrisball3412]

When it gets really tough in anything I do I think about the soldiers in war and how grueling it is for them and what I’m doing is not even close to what they are going thru. It puts things in perspective for me. I’ve bonked really hard a few times and kept going pushing thru the pain using this mindset.

[@derekhartloper11]

Hi all, and thanks for the endurance tips and your experiences. I'd just like to point out that, from an evolutionary perspective, we are not really made to perform at high intensities for more than about 3 hours at a time. We've all heard about hitting the wall, or bonking, which has to do with exhausting our glycogen reserves, that last about 3 hours at high intensity. So, whilst its fine to tour all day at speeds under about 20 kph, with proper fuelling and electrolyte hydration, once your speeds nudge towards 30 kph, longer efforts become unsustainable, and rest or slower paces necessary. Even fuelling on the bike cannot keep up. So, plan your endurance events at sustainable paces and adequate rest, or you could harm yourself by pushing beyond what humans evolved to do.

[@hcw199]

Cycling in an awe~inspiring place is what motivates me.... I cycle in Taiwan and always want to explore what is over the horizon and want to see the views from the mountain summits.

[@sillytorque]

Rule #1 "make sure your goals are stronger than your excuses..."

[@tobiasvonseydlitz3852]

This is a hard one. Especially as excuses start piling up and gaining momentum the longer you're on that ride 🤣 so you really have to have huge goals beforehand that they still exceed the ever increasing excuses.. at least that's my case

[@slawomirb1984]

@@tobiasvonseydlitz3852 crisis comes and eventually goes. Hardest part is int he middle of it :D

[@dodgycrimper]

Great advice. It's certainly a mental exercise. I once rode the End to End in 6 days unsupported carrying 4 panniers (this was before bike packing). I pushed myself every mile. When I finished it, the next day, I couldn't even push myself to ride 18 miles to the nearest train station. I was done for. It was only because I couldn't get a lift that I had to cycle.

[@CauliflowerEars1]

Si's face in the car after cycling a couple of hundred miles with Mark is priceless! Utterly drained hahaha

[@jelhinks3381]

Planning and research, My first big failure was London-Edinbrough-london 2017 . I ran out of food ,coffee, energy and the will to live within a mile of an all night petrol station which I should have known was there.

[@markmitchenall5948]

About time we had some more content from Mark, and with Laura as well?... what a treat!

[@timothyzwitser7586]

Outside of riding: yoga, breathwork, meditation & SLEEP. Whilst riding: eat, eat, drink, eat eat, drink, repeat and don't stop until you're off the bike is what I've learned the hard way. AND I agree with Laura, a vegetarian diet based on seeds, grains, rice, oats, greens, nuts and lots of fibre rich nutrients will make a world of difference!

[@Foxtrottangoabc]

👍

[@gedrooney9305]

My first solo ride was 140 miles to the coast and over two of the UK’s toughest hills in the Lake District- Wrynose Pass and Hardknott pass. My planning beforehand was good, whilst riding my nutrition and fluid intake was good- the hardest thing was the mental gymnastics…doubt, fear, confidence, anger…but the views made it worthwhile! Coffee helped..

[@JonathanSchroth]

I'm really putting my time in for all the adaptation training.

[@daniel23554]

"Stress + rest = growth" : ) This is a really helpful, well made video. Thank you!

[@Mrmarginofsafety]

Maximize low gearing options, knowing you have two to go on a steep climb allows the normal ability masses the confidence to prepare for the worst. Womens saddles rock for guys.

[@bikelawbloke]

Having got in to cycling only last year and then come across Mark and his efforts around the World, supported by Laura, I decided to give it a go in a small way and did my first multi-day ride in the summer and had a bash at doing 250miles in 36hrs. The thrill of it, with the physical push necessary and yes, the pain towards the end really made me learn about myself, ultimately in a good way. It showed me I’m capable of doing far more than I thought I ever could and that I could probably do more with a little more planning, preparation and execution.

[@dreyn7780]

Endurance bikes are actually only designed to reduce the amount of sideways wobble and put all the wasted energy into forward motion. Your mental illness is between you and your doctor. Simple wheels and simple frames have nothing to do with 200 mile torture exercises. Go discuss your extreme views at the appropriate video. Go over to the I WAS A FOOL to misuse my simple endurance bike, video.

[@fabriziocarrelli]

Endurance is great. It forces you to push your boundaries so much about thinking what's possible, and not only about cycling. I've ridden Naples to Marseille and Milan to Naples the year after, bike packing solo on my gravel bike. Not much km but enough to let me understand this is the type of cycling for me, and I plan a long list of trips and endurance events. If you push and avoid hotels it really brings you down to the basic uman needs: water, food, sleeping, safety. Listening to your body sharpens as skill, and I love that feel. Fun fact, in 2019 the biggest motivation was to arrive on time to take the ferry from Naples to Sicily the day after, and it worked!

[@mileslong9675]

I’m 70 years old now, but I feel 30 years younger when I get on a bike. Even so, I’m not sure if I have another century ride in me. Currently, I am planning a 65 mile ride followed by a 75 mile ride the next day. If I can do that, I will try another century ride later (God willing and the creek don’t rise.) Back in the early 1970s, I and another factory rat buddy did a 6 day trip across the state of Michigan and back. He had a Peugeot 10 speed, I had a Schwinn 10 speed knock-off (Vista… anybody ever heard of them?). Every day we rode over 100 miles except for one day when the rain and wind kept us down to 85 miles. We had no fancy gear, and had only done a couple of 20 mile rides previously. Amazing what you can accomplish when you’re young and stupid and don’t know otherwise. Good times.

[@lorenzodelacruz1887]

HOW DID YOUR RIDES GO? I'm 70 and have never done more than 25 miles.

[@mileslong9675]

@@lorenzodelacruz1887 actually, I’m glad you asked. I did a 60 mile followed by a 70 mile, and then an 80 mile ride. I wanted to do a 90 mile ride, but (because of family responsibilities) I never had the chance. So I went balls to the wall, and did the 100 mile ride. I rode from Forks, WA to the Pacific Ocean, back to Forks, and continued along the Olympic Discovery Trail, all the way to Port Angeles, and beyond a few miles to complete the century. My recommendation is to build up to it, in 5 or 10 mile increments. Bring plenty of water (electrolyte supplements added to the water are good, too) and lots of trail snacks with complex carbs, sodium, and caffeine. That worked for me. I turn 72 tomorrow, so all I can say is believe in yourself and it can happen.

[@lorenzodelacruz1887]

@@mileslong9675 Thanks so much for the reply and the encouraging words. I do about 45 miles a week (Tuesday ,Thursday , and Saturday) I hike M,W,F. I have decided to increase my miles as you suggest. I have lived in the desert southwest all my life so I know the importance of hydration and nutrition as you have mentioned. Happy birthday!

[@michaelwells7039]

Mark Beaumont ,what an inspiration . Love all his adventures

[@6271-j2b]

Excellent video and would be keen to hear more from Laura on prepping the body for, during and after cycles please.

[@christosandreev6392]

Guys please make an audio version of the new book so we can listen to it while training on the turbo trainer.

[@nkish]

Good timing on this video as I’m ‘planning’ a 326 mi ride for next year. Never done anything that far before. Good tips and video saved to watch several more times over the winter!

[@tacconelli]

Whoa, this was a lot deeper than I thought upon first click. I love the section on mindset. Never thought of things that way!

[@st14]

Their reasons to do it don't do it for me. First of all, you do it because you enjoy it, you want to be there, you want to ride. You don't do it for some future benefit, but rather you are benefiting as soon as you start spinning. The more you ride, the more immediate reward it provides to you. Without that, it would not work for me.

[@playandteach]

A lot of this is clearly superbly focused advice - but I have to say that for many of us now, the jobs we do are increasingly endurance challenges. The day to day of teaching is becoming a very similar world to surviving a long distance event.

[@mosesImmanuel-sc6zy]

1) fueling 2) cycle fit 3) pacing That what matters for endurance

[@bikevideos3435]

I'm no expert on endurance but I did manage 1500 miles down to the Alps and back this September without bonking once. My 3 tips for success: sugar, sugar, and sugar. I constantly had a hard boiled sweet in my gob. And some sugar in the water bottles.

[@zorawarsinghghuman8911]

Last time I was this early mannon was still in track cycling

[@frazergoodwin4945]

Don't think I could add or even complement the widom and experience that both Mark and Laura bring to the table - only detial how a small part of it worked for me. Mental preperation has to include knowing you need to flexible in your plans so as to cope with setbacks and events that lead to unplanned difficulties. Being ready for such disruption makes it much easier to cope with them with if (when) they arise. A couple of examples from my bikepacking this summer - 1) a bike and pedestrian ferry closed due to COVID meaning a 50Km+ detour to the next crossing and back to the route on the other bank ("fast-ferry" across Rotterdam port to Hook of Holland clossed) 2) a sleepless night on the worlds noisiest campsite (in Leeuwarden next to a busy road and waterway that had screeming youths in inflatable boats (both the boat engines and the youths were screaming) all night. No sleep was then followed by a day riding into a galeforce headwind. I was so tired I rerouted to cut a portion of the ride but was then still be able to get back on track the next day.

[@jorgecastillo6144]

Thanks for the tips. Fully agree. I love endurance and love to introduce my friends to it. A key point for me is to learn to read your heart’s pace. As much as possible: keep the sane rhythm so you can save energy and reach long distances.

[@gcn]

Definitely! staying at a comfortable rhythm is an important part of endurance!

[@WowRixter]

Having done several 350+ km rides I say that mental toughness is huge. After a certain period of time you're going to hurt no matter what and you have to be prepared to just keep rolling forward. Thinking about refueling once you ge home helps 😉

[@dommy7077]

Solo or with a group? I tried a 131 miler and had to stop at 126.

[@WowRixter]

@@dommy7077 Both. Several solo 250+. One solo 320 and 1/2 dozen 350+ rides with 2 or 3 friends

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

1975 when I was only 15 I was already doing 100 mile plus solo rides with a GITANE INTERCLUB with a CINELLI plastic saddle, no training no planning nothing just jump on the bike and go, I just made sure that I always had a quarter for an emergency phone call. From there many good long rides was to follow, just toss a leg over the top tube and go.

[@allannadobson4424]

A healthy dose of obsession 🤩 I love listening to Mark. Legend 🤘🏼

[@martinraucher2147]

I like calling rest adaptation training. Good one.

[@jamiecox2506]

I'm a Brit been living in Queensland, Australia for over 10 years. BELIEVE ME, LIFE IS TESTING ENOUGH!

[@KingUry2-2-2]

I believe that Setting Up a Goal that's bigger each and everytime helps you go Even Further, by Adding few Clicks Everytime you'll get to improve gradually And your body will get use to it.

[@peterdraper1478]

That's a really good video, thanks - and I also love the book! Im recently retired and now have the time to build my mileage. Currently I'm doing regular 70m rides, looking to build up to 100+ in the New Year. It may be a surprise, but the one issue I have never prioritised is training. I've always just 'gone for a ride' with no really strategy for fitness, strength etc. As for 'reverse periodisation' - I have no idea what that even means! Maybe I'm going to have to get a turbo trainer - although I hate the idea. Or maybe put some shorter (2 hours-ish), faster rides into the mix? Whatever, its all good fun, and the book and the video are very helpful.

[@stefanoskopanakis1488]

I am in the same situation but not retired yet :). You said you are doing 70miles rides, but how often? How much time your body need to recover?

[@peterdraper1478]

@@stefanoskopanakis1488 In the summer I do about three rides a week - one of 70 miles, and two of 30-40 miles. Good luck

[@stefanoskopanakis1488]

@@peterdraper1478 I joined a local cycling group yesterday. I did 85km but all my body was in pain afterwards...i have to go gradually i think...

[@richardlocke7264]

love 100K and farther rides, try to get a Strava 100K "trophy" every month (April-Nov). Always happy to see my truck at the end of the ride

[@davidalderson7761]

I read the book, and listening to the experts on the podcast is excellent. The whole thing is matter of fact (way it’s put across) but the key element is they are all experts, so I have mentioned before that the tips are common sense, (perhaps stating the obvious) but until someone says it and explains it, you as joe blogs can be guessing what to do for the best. Perhaps panicking and switching plans as you can’t afford a support team to help you. My problem is a thyroid issue and my energy goes up and down all the time, I have to live with the health issue, it following the science from qualified science commentators on the podcast is a clear steer. My next task is to eat and drink on the ride, I find it i possible and have to force myself.

[@dannyzuehlsdorf3697]

Laura you have a very nice voice and presentation style. I could listen to you any time. Nice segment on nutrition. Thank you.

[@MessieAs]

I'd gleefully see her reading from the phone book for hours

[@iamfiruz805]

You got me at endurance

[@stoniofishing]

I'm pretty new to road biking, I've been doing 50k every week for a few weeks then a 64k, getting a bit ahead of myself now and feel like I can 150k now ha-ha. I'm a little bit obsessed, watching this has definitely sobered me a bit and given me something to take on board.

[@gcn]

Awesome, keep it up!

[@chrishayes121]

Thanks guys, I am enjoying the book. I thought that the innitials at the start of a piece was slick. I have already started reading in different voices in my head. Now after watching this and hearing you again I think it will be like listening to you talk specifically to me. Thanks again.

[@apm9507]

A relay race across America would be nice! It is about 4,626 off road miles. If teams of two did 100 miles at 10 mph the entire ride could be done in just over 19 continuous days.

[@steveallen273]

Plus, maintaining your bike on extended tours

[@chesterules]

I'm a big fan of a proper cooldown. I always do a zone 1 spin down of at least 5 minutes at the end of my rides. And since Dylan Johnson demonstrated in one of his videos that stretching doesn't make you faster, and since I hate stretching, I've completely removed stretching my legs from my recovery regimen: tight muscles are fast muscles! But, yeah, the easy zone 1 spin after my rides is something I never skip (can't really afford to skip it since I don't stretch). I never have cramps or sore muscles, even after super hard rides. Heavy legs, sure, but I don't get pulled muscles or cramps. I attribute that to my religiously doing a 5+ minute of zone 1 cool down (usually ten minutes or more).

[@renegadetenor]

As a distance runner, I long ago stopped asking "are we there yet"? (No!) You get there precisely when you get there . As far as rest, when I completed a 24 hour non stop gravel ride, I slept for 16 hours straight.

[@thehandleiwantedwasntavailable]

They both nailed point one. If that’s all you take from this video, you’ve taken enough. Marks words when it comes to mental strength are words of immense wisdom. I’ve done a few 15h+ rides and always mentally prepare for months prior to each one.

[@fahmilichsan2006]

The name is "MAD CLICK" ,the king of endurance road bike cycling in INDONESIA . He is hit a record 1945km in 4 day alone , ride a circle in java island . He is a legend .

[@dolittle6781]

Like their smart looking, matching outfits. Love the term "cafe rides." It’s nice to have a buddy to cycle with on long rides. Inspiring video, even if you are just a social, errand-running, cafe rider.

[@neilcherry6452]

I can't add much to what Laura and Mark have said. But I will note that the mental part of a ride is often over looked. I ride in the NJ Pine Barrens and there are long stretches of 'the some Pine tree'. Folks need to be prepared for that, I call it the doldrums. You battling mental fatigue as well as physical. Riding/training with a good team that works together helps. Also the suggestion of breaking the ride down into smaller rides help. Again it is a mental thing.

[@manudearrecifes]

I just got back from my first 100 km ride, and im gonna take your advice and go to sleep lol

[@MrFingers127]

The secret to endurance riding is: a fabulous moustache (yes, even for the women).

[@lostcat9lives322]

Don't forget arm pit hair!

[@tccycling]

Hard to argue

[@CulturalEspionage]

I knew it! My handlebar moustache is helping me progress

[@emmachrisavramiea2727]

😂

[@beeble2003]

I can confirm this. I used to be clean-shaven; now I have a beard and moustache and I'm a bit better at riding farther -- only a bit better, because my moustache is by no means fabulous.

[@disartster]

Carbs for life! I was doing my first 100 km ride this summer, all went well - not too hot, plenty of water, not too many uphills, a light nutritious snack... And then, on a completely flat, most pleasant road ever I just couldn't cycle faster than 12 km/h. With the maximum effort!! O_o My partner almost forced me to eat a snickers and only then I realized I was out of sugar. Have never experienced that before, as my usual distance is around 40-50 km.

[@jozefmatejicka8529]

Maybe you will find out that you can't do more than 300 km as me on carbs only...

[@MuppetAlex1]

I did my first ahead last year, having done a 60 mile event the previous yeah. Firstly I took advice and watched lots of Katie kookoborough. The best way to train for cycling is to cycle. That said. On the 160 ahead I took 2 x 1 l8tr bottles of sis go. I had a bag of jelly babies, two flapjack lots of jells. I even built in a tea and cake stop. I had set the bike up for comfort. But I also took lots of tools etc. The old mantra 2 is 1 and 1 is none sprang to mind. So spare tubes, back up charger for electronics, jackets, gloves tools etc. Phone, plastic and cash.essential in case of breakdown. Another interesting piece of advice that I didn't appreciate at the time. Gear your bike for the last 30k. I still had the 12 30 on the back, which is not bad, but the hills on the last 10 miles were killer. So I got a wolf tooth and popped an 11 40 cassette on. This smoothes the effort on the ride and means that I don't burn out on the hills. Stay away from coffee. Burns through your reserves. But have munchies in the car. I was completely blown. Munchies helped me recover enough to be safe to drive. Don't put heating on full, even if you are shivering on swarm day. It can kill you.

[@vicentegarcia4156]

In my first endurance experience I have found that adapting the rithm of the ride to your real capabilities is very ímportant and be very conservative with that. Otherwise you will start building up fatigue later on.

[@TheNyack0749]

Thank you. This was very helpful.

[@markusmencke8059]

Adaptation Training. I like that. Hope I can do the big ride next year. Vätternrundan 315 in June. Thank you for the book - have it on my nightstand already - and this video.

[@jodaefauser2911]

Great video - DANKE and much love and appreciation from Germany ❤❤💙💙❤❤💙💙

[@mcorbett01]

Great video. This is really useful to all of us enjoying or planning big rides.

[@triplebuse6887]

Interested as well

[@johnrudy9404]

Start slow and small. Train on a circuit if possible. If you bonk( fatigue), just ride back home. Work toward surpassing that level, even by just a small amount. Keep a log(date,time of day, weather,distance,av speed,how you felt ,etc). Always try to end strong. Hydrate for an hour prior. Bring more water than you need. Listen to your body. No coasting,..that's cheating. Always keep pedaling. Learn to climb with a quiet upper body. When you swing during a climb, make it work. Train to 75% of your target distance. Do this strong. Ride a familiar course. Nothing demoralized like uncertainty. Drink BEFORE you're thirsty and before you're hungry. Good luck.

[@stanleyuk1]

Great advices ❤ I do 300km next month. If your mind is ready , you body will follow it.

[@peroperic3692]

Get an aerobar and an ISM seat. Increases the comfort dramatically. Might increase the speed aswell. 💪😎👍

[@dmitriysintsov8348]

But aerobars without the brake levers can be risky. Levers has to be doubled, unfortunately not always that is the case.

[@raynaldorusi]

love the mark content

[@tinobommelino3376]

I also find it important to not overload mentally. Many riders force themselves into early high level training sessions. And closer to the event it gets harder to motivate for the long rides. So ride with fun and don’t push the limits half a year before the main event. And also don’t do experiments in training and nutrition in the last 6 weeks before the event.

[@richieclarkie]

What a really great video. The max I've ever ridden on a bike is 55 miles and to be frank I couldn't imagine riding much further. It makes a lot of sense to pay attention to recovery, something I guess we don't think so much about, but when I put a couple of easier rides in before aharder ride I always feel stronger. Mark and Laura, thanks for such well explained advice!

[@michaelorr181]

That was what I was looking for ,awesomeness.

[@rokabo9335]

Just bought the book. Great read 👌

[@edinelsonramirez5656]

Thank you both!