"Know your own condition; never overextend yourself; always get enough sleep; never overeat; be regular in everything; exercise; relax; think positive thoughts." - Frank Kramer

There are many resources available to help you train for a long-distance bike event like the NYC Century Bike Tour or a short, intense race like the Storm King Cannibal. The goal if this page is not to provide a detailed training plan, but to offer some helpful suggestions and resources for further exploration. Make the most of them! Some suggestions:

Join a local cycling club There are many to choose from and all offer some form of organized group riding. The goal is to improve you performance and provide a social environmenment in which to connect with other riders.

Bike to work
If you don't already, start biking to work, every day. This act alone will dramatically improve your cycling ability and strength. Combining daily bike-commuting with long rides on weekends is an excellent strategy for getting your miles in with a busy work life.

Eat right All physical activity, especially endurance sports, deplete the body's energy reserves and takes a toll on its physical structure. It is important to eat a balanced diet that provides a healthy amount of calories to fuel your training and protein, to support your body's ability to repair itself. Dark green vegetables, such as kale and spinach are rich in vitamins that assist the immune system and the body's muscle-regeneration.


Start out slow and build up to a goal
Whether you are training for the NYC Century Bike Tour, the Storm King Cannibal or any other challenging bike event, it is important to set realistic fitness and performance goals and train for them in a gradual manner. The usual rule of thumb is to increase distance or speed by about 10% every week of an 8 week training regimen, and taper toward the end. Tapering is important because it gives your body a chance to recover from the abuse of training, so you will be in peak physical condition for the event. There are many good training plans out there; find one that works for you and commit to it!

Stretch
The importance of stretching before and after a workout should not be underestimated. If you are not accustomed to doing this, you will notice a major improvement in your post-workout comfort once you begin to devote time to proper stretching and stretching helps avoid injury that could be a major setback to reaching your goals. Don't forget to stretch after a bike commute!

Yoga is also a fantastic supplement to any endurance training program as it increases flexiblity, balance and concentration; all vital to biking!

Get enough good quality sleep

Most adults need 7 to 8 hours per night. Athletes need more. The body does most of its tissue-repair work as you sleep. It's not enough to doze, you need good quality, uniterrupted, deep sleep to stay healthy and build strength. This can be a challenge for many people, but it is of vital importance!

Listen to your body, and your mind
Pain is your body's signal to stop doing whatever is causing it. Heed your body's signals or you run the risk of significant injury. The mind is the opposite of the body. When it tells you it doesn't feel like going out for a ride because it is raining, you should defy it! Just make sure to ride safely; wet roads can be hazardous!

Make sure your bike is always in good condition to ride
This is one of the fundamental rules of safe, efficient cycling. Unless you are a skilled bike mechanic, you should have your bike professionally tuned up at the start of any training program and checked again, by a professional, prior to the big day. Never set out to ride without ensuring that your tires are inflated to the recommended pressure, that both brakes are working, and that your bike is shifting properly. Always bring along a spare tube AND a patch kit, a pump that is able to reach the recommended tire pressure, two tire levers, cash, ID, a fully charged cell phone and an insulating layer of clothing. 

Wear appropriate clothing
People who don't bike for sport love to make fun of spandex, and athletic cyclists who wear it. Still, there's nothing like being suited up in a comfortable skin of moisture-wicking technical apparel. It really does make a big difference in terms of mobility and aerodynamics. There is also a psychological benefit to wearing cycling-specific clothing: once you have your kit on, you know you will go out and ride!