WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT A D-1 ATHLETE ON A BIKE?

IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME.  D-! athlete decides to get a bike.  Goes for a ride.  Likes it.  Quickly advances to the fast group...

... and burns out.

And, I think I know why.

Maybe.

Today, G, who I met out gravel riding joined our peppy morning ride.
On his gravel bike with big knobbies,
finished with the bunch.

It was his very first group ride,
and this ain't an easy one.

On the way back to the start, he let out that he'd played college sports.

Figures.

What should I do to get faster?

Log a lot of easy miles.

Really, sounds counterintuitive.  That's not how we did things in college, it was hard, hard, then harder.

Yep, my experience is most people ride too hard, so they can never ride truly hard on the hard days.

Was today hard?

Not really.

I'm gonna get a lot faster.

I have no doubt.

High level athletes are very competitive.  
It's in their nature.
Easy to see.

The key is, and I hope I can be helpful, is to make sure it's fun.  That's where the Zone 2, easy riding, comes in.  Sure, there's immense cardiovascular benefits, but I think the mental side is every bit as important.

The advice I gave him, is no different than any other fit athlete

• Ride hard twice a week
• Zone 2 the rest of the days

Those are the big rocks,
we can get a lot more granular.
There's no need now, he's a busy dad and entrepreneur.

All work and no play,
makes Jonny a dull boy.

I'm sure G is going to redrum me soon (see pic above)...

... just hope it goes on for years.

---

162
7 hrs
No strength training
60 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

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