As the chef for a team of individuals riding 450-500 miles across the state of Iowa on RAGBRAI, I take fueling those bodies very seriously. Having adequate nutrition can make of break your whole week and either help or hinder your athletic performance. As a vegan team, special considerations have to be made to ensure you are getting the right macros at the right times and that your overall caloric intake reflects the heavy activity you will be doing each day.

Saddle time! Saddle time is the most important part to keep in mind as you train for a week-long ride like RAGBRAI. You’ll be spending 4-8 hours a day on your bike for 7 days. You’re going to want to feel ready to handle that so you don’t develop saddle sores during the week! Even being a daily commuter will give you an advantage because you’re spending time in your saddle.

Miles! You’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough miles in before the last week of July. David Ertl, a USA Cycling certified coach, recommends riding 1,000 miles before RAGBRAI.

Strength! I’m a big proponent of making sure I feel strong riding 30-40 miles 1-2x per week for the two months leading up to RAGBRAI. I’ll do one bigger ride (60-75 miles) 2-3 weeks out. This year, with all the hills, I will certainly be adding more strength training along with more elevation.

RAGBRAI RIDING ETIQUETTE

The biggest tip I have for RAGBRAI is to over communicate. With thousands of cyclists around you, you must be aware and communicate; Others need to know where you are and where you’re going.

We at Powered By Plants Cycling believe that RAGBRAI and the community around it has the power to change lives - not only human lives, but animal life and plant life, as well. It can be a platform for progress and positivity for everything around us. This is why we’ve started the Gift Of RAGBRAI Fund. Money from this fund will go toward supporting folks who are interested in the ride, but may not be able to afford all of the costs that go into securely taking the weeklong leap.

Curious about what to pack for the weeklong bike ride across Iowa? This blog post is an excellent place to start!