Quick Tip: Training is Different than Just Riding
There is nothing wrong with going for a ride. Riding with friends, exploring a new road, stopping for coffee, and enjoying a fine day are all good reasons to get on the bicycle.
But do not call every ride training.
Training has a purpose. You may be building endurance, practicing high cadence, preparing for a long climb, improving your ability to hold a hard pace, or recovering from a harder workout. Before you leave, you should be able to say what the ride is meant to accomplish.
That does not require a complicated plan. An easy 60-minute recovery ride has a purpose. So does a long steady ride, a set of short hills, or a few controlled intervals on the trainer. The key is that the effort and route support the goal.
A ride that starts easy, turns into a hard chase because friends show up, and ends with a sprint for the town sign may be fun. It may even make you fitter. But it may not be the training you needed that day.
Know the difference. Enjoy your rides for what they are. Then, when you need to train, give the ride one clear job and do it well.
In your article about making training rides have a purpose, I was surprised that you too left out a purpose that many riders tend to ignore. That is, you need to study your nutrition and hydration requirements. You have to study them and get them right during training because if you get the wrong during the big event, all your training will be useless.