Cycling

How do you handle the isolation that comes with making the sacrifices required to become elite?

Finding strength in solitude: Elite athlete reveals how a supportive team makes sacrifices worthwhile

Hi Ronald. It's definitely challenging sometimes as an athlete. There is a lot of time spent alone, especially on the bike or traveling. But I think that's why it's so important to have a great team. I'm here with my mechanic and we're on a trip. And having great people to share it with, whether it's your family, your team, or your friends makes it all the more fun.

Being an athlete can be challenging, but having a great team and people to share it with make it all the more enjoyable.

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Handling the isolation that comes with making the sacrifices required to become elite can be challenging. As an athlete, there is often a significant amount of time spent alone, whether it's during training sessions or while traveling. However, having a strong support system is crucial in overcoming this isolation.

For me, having a great team is essential. Whether it's my mechanic or other members of my support staff, having people to share the journey with makes it more enjoyable. Additionally, having the support of family, friends, and teammates can provide the necessary encouragement and camaraderie to navigate through the sacrifices and challenges.

While the isolation can be difficult at times, surrounding yourself with a supportive network of people who understand and share your passion can make the journey towards becoming elite more fulfilling and rewarding.

How much sleep do you get each night? Any pointers for getting a better night of sleep?

Unlock Your Best Sleep: Tips from a Pro Athlete

Hi, Ed. Great question. I personally believe sleep is the key to recovery and spend a lot of time making sure that I get the best sleep possible to recover between workouts. One of the best ways I think to start doing that is to track your sleep. So I use Whoop, but there's a lot of different ways to keep track of the sleep you're getting and understand whether you're sleeping patterns are working for you. And then, beyond that, I think there's a few things that are kind of simple tricks. Number one sleep consistency. So going to bed and waking up at the same time is shown to be one of the most effective things you can do to get a good night's sleep. Second, light. So making sure that your room is dark or you sleep with an eye shade can be really helpful. Three is having like a cool room to sleep in. So all these kind of like small things can really impact it. And then number four, I would say the last kind of tip that I would have is limiting looking at screens before bed or getting blue light-blocking glasses. So, for me, I sleep with my phone out of the room entirely. And made a huge difference for me because when I'm really tired, I tend to just kind of like look at my phone. And that can not only keep you up from being distracted, but also the blue light does kind of prevent your body from releasing melatonin and getting into that sleepy state. So, hopefully, some of those tips are helpful. But I think really it's just optimizing your routine around what's going to work best for you and what's going to get you that time in bed and time of sleep that you need to recover every day.

Sleep is an important part of recovery and there are a few ways to maximize your sleep quality. Keeping track of your sleep, maintaining consistency, controlling light exposure, sleeping in a cool room, and avoiding screens before bed can all help you get the best sleep possible.

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Sleep is incredibly important for recovery, and I prioritize getting the best sleep possible between workouts. One helpful approach is to track your sleep using tools like Whoop or other sleep tracking devices to understand your sleep patterns and make adjustments accordingly.

There are a few simple tricks that can improve your sleep. First, aim for sleep consistency by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. This helps regulate your body's internal clock. Second, create a dark sleep environment by ensuring your room is dark or using an eye shade. Third, maintain a cool room temperature, as a cooler environment can promote better sleep.

Another tip is to limit screen time before bed or use blue light-blocking glasses. Personally, I keep my phone out of the room entirely to avoid distractions and prevent exposure to blue light, which can interfere with melatonin release and disrupt sleep.

Ultimately, it's about optimizing your routine to find what works best for you and allows you to get the necessary amount of quality sleep for recovery. Experiment with different strategies and prioritize creating a sleep environment and routine that supports restful sleep.

Upgrade your training with the solar-charged Garmin Fenix 7S watch

Hey, Sam. I use a Garmin watch for tracking my strength training and my running primarily. And, recently, I got the Fenix 7S, so that's the one I've been using. Usually, there's not that much change with new generations. But this one actually has solar charging, so I haven't charged it since I got it and just have been wearing it in the sun, which is pretty sweet and definitely worth the upgrade.

I use the Garmin Fenix 7S for tracking my strength training and running. It has solar charging so I haven't had to charge it since I got it.

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I use a Garmin watch for my training, specifically the Fenix 7S. It's great for tracking both my strength training and running activities. What sets this model apart is its solar charging feature. Since getting it, I haven't needed to charge it manually. I simply wear it in the sun, and it stays powered up. It's a pretty sweet upgrade that I've found to be worth it.

What are your favorite snacks during long rides? Do you count calories or just eat when you’re hungry?

Delicious Motivation: Fueling Long Rides with Favorite Snacks!

My favorite question, snacks. That is a huge motivator on bike rides. So there's some of it that is just picking something delicious. I've definitely been known to take cookies and eat them at the farthest point from home as motivation. But beyond that, I eat a lot of more real food in the fall on my longer rides, depending on length of ride. And then as the rides get shorter and more intense, I would say it goes towards simpler and simpler foods. So at the kind of real food end, bringing muffins, bringing rice cakes. At the more kind of simple food, sugars and I bring gels or chews and eat those during intervals and high-intensity workouts.

On longer rides, I bring real food like muffins or rice cakes. For shorter, more intense rides, I bring gels and chews for a quick energy boost.

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When it comes to snacks during long rides, I have a few favorites. One of the main factors in choosing snacks is finding something delicious that serves as a motivator during the ride. I've been known to bring cookies and enjoy them at the farthest point from home to keep me going.

However, as the rides get longer and more intense, I tend to focus more on real food options. For longer rides in the fall, I might bring muffins or rice cakes as a source of sustained energy. As the rides become shorter and more intense, I lean towards simpler foods. This includes bringing gels or chews that provide quick sugars to fuel me during intervals and high-intensity workouts.

In terms of calorie counting, I don't specifically count calories during rides. Instead, I listen to my body and eat when I feel hungry. It's important to fuel yourself adequately during long rides to maintain energy levels and performance.

Do you take supplements and which ones do you think are most important for amateurs who don't have a great balanced diet?

Key Takeaway: Personalized supplement choices based on blood tests for optimal health and performance.

Hey, Eduardo. I do take supplements. It's something that I think is super individual. And it's important to work with the nutritionist on if you can. A few of the examples that I take are iron and vitamin D, both of which have shown up on blood tests in the past, where I was maybe outside the optimal range and then through supplementing have gotten back in that optimal range. And then, of course, we test that every few months or a couple of times a year so that we know, OK, this is still working for me. I'm taking the right amount and staying within that healthy range where I feel good, and I'm strong, and my body is doing everything it needs to do. So I recommend basing it off a blood test, but of course, some general multivitamins, fish oil, calcium, magnesium. These are things that people choose to supplement maybe without that information, but I definitely like knowing that I'm taking as few supplements as possible and only ones that I need and that are working well for my body and to support my training load.

I take a few supplements such as iron, vitamin D, multivitamins, fish oil, calcium, and magnesium. I recommend basing the choice of supplements off a blood test so that you know what your body needs and are taking the right amount to stay within the optimal range.

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I do take supplements, but I believe it's a highly individualized decision. It's important to work with a nutritionist if possible. Personally, I take iron and vitamin D supplements based on blood test results that showed I was outside the optimal range. By supplementing, I was able to get back into that healthy range. I regularly test my levels to ensure I'm taking the right amount and staying within the optimal range for my body.

While I recommend basing supplement choices on blood test results, some commonly taken supplements include general multivitamins, fish oil, calcium, and magnesium. However, it's important to note that these choices may be made without specific blood test information. I prefer to take as few supplements as necessary, focusing on those that support my body and training load effectively.

Do you use data for your training? What specifically?

Unlock Your Potential: Harnessing Data for Optimal Training

As a self-proclaimed data nerd I had to answer this one. I love numbers. I think they're super motivating. They're really helpful in terms of tracking and planning your training and also when things don't go well being able to isolate what needs to change, when things go well isolating what you did that worked and being able to replicate it. So big data fan. That being said, I think no one piece of data is that valuable. So on the bike I use a power meter, I use a heart rate monitor. We put all of that data into training peaks. It tracks fitness and recovery and form and load. So a lot of different sources of information. And I think what's useful is to be able to track trends in that information. So if you collect data in the same way week over week, month over month, year over year, then you can compare and start to build the bigger picture around that data. I also use data in the gym. We use force plates and measures of velocity especially in the off season to kind of track how I'm doing in my strength training. Simpler ways to do that are just do something like a five squat max test or we use a pull up test. So there's a lot of different ways to measure progress and a lot of different types of data. The final one I would add to that is recovery scores. I use WHOOP. I know there's a lot of other options in terms of tracking recovery. But I think having a baseline for heart rate, heart rate variability, how you sleep that's another source of data that can be useful. But again, is only useful when it's part of the story and when you know OK, when I'm in shape, this is what my data should look like. When I'm in the off season, this is what to expect. When am I just tired? When am I getting sick? So again, love data but I think it's super important to have a structure around it and integrate it all so that you get a complete picture of what your training is actually doing.

Data can be a great tool to measure and track progress in your training. However, it's important to have a structure in place to understand how to interpret the data and form a complete picture of what your training is doing.

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As a self-proclaimed data nerd, I absolutely use data for my training. I find numbers to be highly motivating and helpful in tracking and planning my training. They allow me to identify what needs to change when things don't go well and replicate successful strategies when they do.

In terms of specific data sources, I use a power meter and a heart rate monitor while cycling. This data is then inputted into TrainingPeaks, which tracks various metrics such as fitness, recovery, form, and load. This provides a comprehensive overview of my training progress.

In the gym, we utilize force plates and measures of velocity, especially during the off-season, to monitor my performance in strength training. Additionally, simpler tests like a five squat max or a pull-up test can be used to measure progress.

Another important aspect of data I consider is recovery scores. I personally use WHOOP, but there are other options available. Tracking metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep patterns can provide valuable insights into recovery levels.

However, it's important to note that no single piece of data is inherently valuable. It's the ability to track trends and patterns over time that truly allows for a comprehensive understanding of training progress. Having a structured approach to integrating and analyzing all the data sources is crucial in order to gain a complete picture of the impact of training.

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