Looking back on 2025 and forward to 2026, Jeff Zen talks about goals - an annual ritual that helps him continue to make progress while also making sure he’s being intentional with his time. In this episode, Jeff discusses which goals from 2025 he was successful with and where he wants to go in the next year. 2026 will be a different year - trading broad goals for one very specific goal.

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The Rapha Festive 500 is Jeff Zen’s favorite challenge. Jeff shares tips and recommendations to make this week of riding for the Festive 500 challenge go as smooth as possible to increase the chances for success.

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190 miles and 21,000 feet through Angeles Forest. In 2020, his first big ride out of COVID lockdowns, Jeff Zen finally completes a route he created in 2018. The entire route takes you over 3 of Angeles Forest’s highest points - Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts, Cloud Burst Summit, and Mount Gleason.

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Check the Strava Route for The Burning Elmo

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Summer riding has been enormous - 12 rides over 100 miles in the last 4 months. Jeff Zen is taking his recovery very seriously with a week of rest (decreasing volume and intensity by at least 50% for 7 days), and talks about why he takes rest and recovery so seriously.

Episodes Referenced (on Spotify):

Ep 24 - Rest

Ep 26 - Necessary Garbage

Jeff Zen on Strava

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What gear to use for cycling is important for building consistency. On this episode, Jeff Zen discusses the gear that has played a critical role in helping him form a comfortable and consistent connection to cycling.

Jeff also recaps a few of the adventures he has had over the summer - including his most recent 4 hour century. Check the podcast notes for a link to his Strava profile.

Jeff Zen on Strava

Road Runner Bags Website

BB Infinite Website

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Back to Jeff Zen’s favorite type of riding - BIG RIDES. In the previous 2 episodes, Zen discusses how he prepares for rides 2-weeks prior, as well as the day before. Now, after the ride is complete, on this episode he discusses how the ride went, and how the preparation for it contributed to completing the ride.

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TOMORROW - 200+ miles and 20,000 ft. This is the final 24 hours before a big ride - a crucial time to take care of low-energy tasks like preparing food and pre-packing the bike. In the last episode, Jeff Zen discussed more labor intensive preparations like bike maintenance and shopping. With the bike dialed in and ready to roll, now he focuses on stress-free forms of preparation.

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Getting the opportunity to ride 200 miles or more doesn’t come often, so maximizing your chances for success through both on-the-bike training and off-the-bike preparation is crucial. Through years of experience, Jeff Zen has developed an off-the-bike routine for thoroughly preparing for big rides, beginning about two weeks before events.

In this episode, Jeff talks about the first things he does to prepare for a big ride—all in anticipation of his first major ride of the year.

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The moon is a valuable partner during through the night bike rides. The light of the full moon provides up to 100 times more light than when the moon is at it’s smallest. In this episode, Jeff Zen discusses how important the moon is and how he has planned some of his biggest efforts in tandem with certain lunar phases.

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Nicolas “Nico” McCarthy-Moya is the Manager at Rapha Los Angeles and 3 time California State Cycle Cross Champion.

With a shared interest in helping newer riders connect to cycling, Nico and Jeff discuss specific drills to build skills as well as mindset tips to encourage a positive and lasting connection to riding bikes.

Nico’s Instagram:

@NicoM8

@rapha_los_angeles

E-mail Rapha Los Angeles:

[email protected]

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