The Athletes: Todd Hardin

A lifelong athlete finds cycling

Midwesterner Todd Hardin grew up in northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan with a father who introduced him to nearly every sport: racquet sports, martial arts, American ball sports, track and field, and skiing. He remembers shooting baskets “even when there was snow outside” on backboards his father installed in their barn. Todd played basketball and football and competed in track and field in high school and at his Division III Michigan college.

Todd and his wife, Cherie Nichols, spent much of their working lives in Washington, D.C., where Todd worked for the National Institutes of Health for 40 years. Along the way, he realized that regular physical activity was essential for reducing stress and staying healthy. He began cycling with a friend training for an Ironman competition, then found a local riding group and explored routes from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Chesapeake Bay. Later, he raced amateur road cycling and cyclocross before happily returning to recreational riding and traveling with his bike to memorable places.

Riding smart and building endurance

Todd describes bicycle racing as a contact sport: riders travel at 20 miles per hour while balancing on two narrow patches of rubber, “dressed in not much more than underwear.” He has experienced broken bones and surgically implanted metal, but he approaches every ride as a defensive rider—always wearing a helmet and choosing the right bike, place, and gear for the conditions. Many crashes have destroyed his helmets while leaving him without injury.

Whether racing or riding recreationally, cycling is built on time in the saddle. Todd currently rides four times a week for six to eight hours total. He explains that hands, feet, and saddle areas need time to build tolerance, while legs, lungs, and heart need time to develop endurance. After time away from the bike, he starts with 30 to 45 minutes and builds gradually over many weeks. He balances on-bike work with two or three gym visits each week focused on strength, flexibility, core work, and balance.

The joy of coaching

For 12 years, Todd volunteered as a coach for junior cyclists ages 8 to 18, leading practices four days a week throughout the year. He considers those years—not his own racing results—the best memories of his cycling life.

“At the end of my workday, I would do a Clark Kent wardrobe change into my spandex to make it to practices on time,” he says. He taught kids to ride bikes, use clip-in cleats, carve challenging turns, handle mechanical problems, overcome fear and defeat, and become gracious winners and losers. From beginners to accomplished athletes, he valued seeing their determination to keep trying and their joy in accomplishing more than before.

Three years after retiring from coaching, Todd still follows “my kids” as they win national competitions and compete at elite international events, including the Olympics and World Cup cyclocross and road racing.

A ride worth appreciating

Asked what cycling has given him, Todd names peace of mind, a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie with other riders, a chance to see the world from a unique vantage point, and the rewards of volunteering. He encourages riders to know their limits, train within them, and build time gradually from week to week.

He also urges cyclists not to lose sight of the enjoyment of being outdoors with old and new friends, especially in places as remarkable as the local seashore. Todd finds St. James a great place to ride because of its many quiet roads, and he enjoys Oak Island’s beach, Intracoastal Waterway, and west-to-east routes.

His final thought is simple: “Don’t take a single pedal stroke for granted. I was off the bike for two years due to injury. Since then, every time I go for a ride, I’m excited like a six-year-old with his first tricycle!”