2019-11-01_Bicycling

ISSUE 1 | 2020 • BICYCLING.COM 27

and where I’ve compromised or let loose a

little. Maybe my experience can save you

some trouble.

DIET// In the world of marginal gains, we

would worry about inf lammation, recov-

ery, and eating breakfast three hours before

every ride to ensure proper fueling. These

days I’ve reduced my meat intake, prioritiz-

ing environmental sustainability. I could

lose a couple pounds of water weight if I

cut out gluten, but I won’t go that far. Some-

times I sleep in and barely make it to the

group ride, so when we stop for coffee I’ll

slam a bagel with cream cheese. I’m still a

healthy eater, but I won’t bother with any

strict rules or -isms that I find a struggle

to maintain.

HEALTH// Road cycling is non-weight-bearing

and neglects a lot of muscle groups, so if

that’s all you do for exercise, you’re at risk

of osteoporosis and being unable to open

jars. One of the guys I ride with is primarily

a cyclist, but he also goes on epic backpack-

ing trips. These might cost him a spot or

two at the local race, but while he’s less fit

as a cyclist, he’s more fit as a human (and

the John Muir Trail is beautiful). Instead of

riding for three hours, consider stopping at

two and taking the third hour for yoga, core

work, stretching, or kickball with your kids.

SLEEP // Sleep is critical for things like mood,

immune system, and performance. I hate

to say this, but setting an alarm and reduc-

ing your sleep in favor of exercise might be

counterproductive.

MISERY// Cycling is a sport that fetishizes

suffering. Being slumped over your handle-

bars and out of breath is fun, but there is

a point where it’s not enjoyable anymore.

When my paycheck depended on it, I would

finish that last set of intervals anyway. If I

was a dentist? Absolutely not. Let me give

you permission to skip your last interval

and go home if you want to.

TIME// Everything you do comes at the cost

of something else you could be doing. I train

COLD

RECOVERY

ICE LEGS /

$125 FOR SET OF TWO

Even if it’s all just for

fun, you still need to

recover. Cold therapy is

a simple and scientifi-

cally proven method of

helping muscles recover

faster. Few riders can

afford their own cryo-

therapy chamber; ice

baths are just another

form of torture (and

who really keeps that

much ice at home?); and

bags of frozen peas just

don’t seem to cut it. Phil

Gaimon created Ice Legs

for the everyday cyclist

looking for a better

solution. They come

in two sizes, and each

sleeve has six remov-

able ice packs for cover-

age from your upper

thigh to your lower calf.

Plus they’re hands-free

so you can do better

things with your time—

like plan your next

weekend adventure or

eat pizza.

at a higher intensity now than I used to, but

only about half as much. I’m guessing I’d be

in big trouble at a stage race, but my day-to-

day power output is surprisingly unchanged.

RISKS // I have memories of losing contact

with the front group on a climb and catching

back up by weav ing through team cars on a

rainy descent. That was stupid, I’m lucky to

be alive, and I descend much slower now. It

turns out that you can have 90 percent of

the fun at 70 percent of the speed, and keep

100 percent of your skin.

I still usually “win” the group ride, ahead

of the guys who go backpacking or have real
jobs and kids, but you know what? I’m not
that far ahead, given the amount of work I
put in, and they did a lot of cool stuff while
I was just doing the one thing, so I don’t
even get to feel superior. For most people,
I think you only need to be fast enough to
safely enjoy the rides you do, and every-
thing else sort of feels silly and selfish. I’m
33 now, still sweating on a bicycle, and I
do sneak away from a party in favor of an
early ride. But I can’t pretend I do it for any
reason other than fun now, and there’s a
Ge lot more pizza.

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