What Keeps this Coach and Author Comfy After 25 Years of Long, Hard Miles.
“Hearst Magazines and Verizon Media may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.”
Selene Yeager is my name, and if you’ve read Bicycling at any point since I penned my first “Ask the Fitness Chick” column in 1999, you may know that long—often really long, like, days-on-end long—rides are my game.
Over 26 years of riding centuries, 200-mile gravel grinders, mountain bike stage races, and all-day outings with friends, I’ve managed to stay comfortable through it all. (Well, almost all—let’s face it, when you’re 168 miles into the Flint Hills of Kansas, “comfort” is relative.) Here are some of the go-to training tips and gear that help me get through big mileage days and long hours in the saddle without losing my love of the ride.
Supplement Your Nutrition
What I eat varies from event to event, depending on temperature, terrain, and duration, but I aim for 200 calories an hour to keep humming along. Before a big day, I’ll prime the system with a pre-workout drink mix like Nuun Prime (so I start fully hydrated) plus three SportLegs supplements. I have sampled a lot of supplements over the decades, but SportLegs is one that I have used faithfully since it debuted in 2005.
SportLegs raises blood lactate before your ride to help control muscle lactate production. This helps prevent muscles from becoming acidic, which causes the legs to burn and slows you down. The result, as I recall one tester saying way back when, is “like a good day in a bottle.”
That’s still true today, at least for me. Three of these before a ride keep my legs feeling fresher longer; so long, hard rides feel easier. I always have a bottle in my ride bag. I also know riders and racers who stash a baggie-full in their pockets to stave off fatigue and cramping during long days.
Make Preparedness A Ritual
There are two things I’ve had to manage my whole riding life: nerves and negative self-talk, both of which pipe up when I’m buzzing with pre-event butterflies or deep in the tunnel of pain that comes with long days in the saddle. The best way I’ve found to manage both is through preparation.
Rituals, like setting up my bike and organizing my kit and nutrition, give my monkey brain a task. Warming up and visualizing the day settles the nerves. And when the going gets tough, I smile and say, “You’ve been here before. You’re strong. You’re capable. You’re prepared. You’ve got this,” and repeat as necessary.
Keep Up With Hard-Effort Training
I try to stay fit so I don’t have to get fit for big rides. That means putting in pretty consistent weekly hours on the bike year-round, with some variations in the winter (not much racing, grim weather) and summer (so much else going on).
I’ve found success with pyramidal training where 50 to 75 percent of my rides are easy, 25 percent to 30 percent are moderate, and five percent to 10 percent are really hard. I swear by sprint interval training like Tabatas (eight intervals of 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest) once a week to stay sharp.
Lift Weights To Keep Muscles Activated
You need strength and resilience in spades for endurance riding. That’s why I lift heavy sh*t once or twice a week, (5 x 5 sets of deadlifts FTW!) depending on the time of year. Heavy lifting and plyometric training like box jumps activate all my muscle fibers, help me be more efficient on the bike, and give me more power to put into my pedals. It’s like having an extra gear. Rolling out afterward on my Moji Heated Massage Roller helps me maintain ache-free mobility.
Be Kind To Your Behind
You’ve got to cover your you-know-what out there! To prevent hot spots, I swear by Okole Stuff, full stop. It got me through two Ironman triathlons (including the 2.4-mile swim in the same chamois); hot, rugged mountain bike stage races like ABSA Cape Epic in South Africa, and every multi-day charity ride I’ve ever done.
Next, a proper saddle is non-negotiable. I once did BC Bike Race with a stock saddle that was fine for short mountain bike rides, but literally etched its outline in chafe marks on my behind after seven days on it! Genius, eh? Don’t do this to yourself! The right saddle means no discomfort. Period. I’ve had a good fit with Specialized women’s saddles over the years, especially the Power Mimic Expert.
Finally, ladies, get yourself a pair of nature-break-friendly bibs. There’s nothing less comfortable than trying to discreetly strip layers, or fumbling with convoluted “escape” solutions. Pearl Izumi Women's Pursuit Attack Bib Short with a simple crisscross design in the rear is the most elegant solution I’ve found. Velocio women’s bibs with “FlyFree” drop tail design is another stellar option.
You Might Also Like
