In a time when wellness hacks, health tracking, biohacking, and data analysis have rapidly risen to an arguably cacophonous din, I have really not jumped into the fray. I haven’t paid attention to any ride data or metrics, whatsoever, for the past six years (the last time I worked with a coach), and just enjoyed my many long, endurance rides throughout the year. That said, I’m not too proud to admit that I have really enjoyed- and found it quite rewarding- following a structured training plan. At the beginning of the year I started working with a coach and chasing concrete training metrics, and it has been a super informative and fun experience. That said, I haven’t really put my new found fitness to the test yet, you know, to see the “proof in the pudding”.
After nearly five months of structured, focused training with a coach for my Chase the Race fundraising ride at Unbound 200, I’m seeing/feeling tangible results in both my power numbers and on the race course. In case you didn’t know, the phrase originates from the early 17th century, where “pudding” referred to a savory, sausage-like dish that could only be judged by tasting it. While I’m a huge fan of sausage, and definitely would’ve been the person raising my hand to try it, this idiom encapsulates the training journey that I’ve been on since the beginning of the year. “The proof is in the pudding” means the true value, quality, or effectiveness of something can only be determined by putting it to a practical test, rather than relying on appearances or promises, which is exactly what I’ve done over the past two weeks.
As part of my build for Unbound 200, my coach included a big volume block the week of the Sea Otter Classic which included a 122 mile solo road ride from Petaluma to Santa Cruz, down the stunning Hwy 1, where I tested my nutrition plan and tried to hold a steady pace the whole way down the coast. How did the pudding taste? Well, I was able to hold a 17.5 mph average-definitely aided by a stout tailwind that pushed me the final miles- climbed nearly 7k, finished in just over 7 hours, and consumed more GU Roctane gels, Roctane Endurance Drink Mix, and a few other simple solids, than I usually do, all in an effort to test the effectiveness of consuming more calories. Numbers and sensations don’t lie, so day one was mission accomplished.
Day two included a 75 mile mixed terrain gravel/tarmac industry ride that I’ve been taking part of for the past four or five years that incorporates some of the best cutty dirt roads, farm levees, strawberry fields, train trestles, bucolic back country roads, and singletrack/gravel between Santa Cruz and Monterey. While no one was there to drill it, the pace was brisk, the company was stellar, much laughter was had, and the final miles were on the dirt that leads into the Laguna Seca Raceway.
And the final spoon in the proverbial pudding was tackling the 91 mile Carmelo Granfondo, a stunning road ride through the Salinas Valley that finishes with some stout climbing out of Arroyo Seco and the Carmel Valley. Again, the goal of this ride was to test things out, so I wore a hydration vest which allowed me to blow through three of the four aid stations and carry enough GU Roctane gels to fuel my effort. While I’m not much of a data guy, the numbers that came out of this ride were impressive for me: 91 miles, 6,033 ft of vertical, a 17.8 mph average, and some new power PRs set, which meant that I finished in just over 5 hours. Houston, we have lift off.
The final bit of training my coach wove into this big April block was Levi’s Granfondo, the 113 Gran route, which came just seven days after my Sea Otter effort, so cutting it a bit close in terms of lingering fatigue, but a good all around practical test to see how my body responds to stress. Again, like the Sea Otter fondo, I rode with a hydration vest, and enough calories to get me to mile 80, acutely focused on surviving the fast opening miles in a pack of hundreds while also making sure that I didn’t neglect eating. While nerve wracking for sure, the opening miles flew by on twisty Sonoma County roads that rolled west towards the town of Cazadero and the California Coast Range, where the first significant climb of the day blew the compact field to smithereens. By the time I reached mile 80 at Lake Sonoma, where I had a friend waiting with fresh bottles, I had been in and out of groups for the past 40 undulating miles, focused on keeping a steady pace and consuming more calories than I think I needed to. A less than 45 second pit stop, which saw me ditch my pack and grab two fresh bottles, meant that I was back in a small group that ended up sticking together for the final 30 ish miles.
So what did the pudding taste like at the finish? Well, while no land speed records were set, I did cross the line 23rd out of 238, placed first in the 50+ category, set a new Threshold Power personal best, held a 17.4 mph average for 113 miles, and wasn’t completely cooked at the end, which is a testament to proper fueling and following coach’s plan. Mission accomplished. Here’s your reminder that doing the hard work and trusting the process can lead to big physical gains and, most importantly, can make for some really tasty pudding. The real taste test comes in five weeks at Unbound, so stay tuned for more updates.