Achieving (less sexy) goals
Goals don’t have to be huge.
They can be small, incremental, a building block for the future.
But it’s important to have goals both big and small, and to constantly work on them as you evolve.
My goal for the Come and Grind It race was very basic: Show up, ride, and eat a gel every 20 minutes.
Pretty bare bones, huh?
My goal was definitely not to get on the podium. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the podium on a gravel race, I stopped longing for it.
But at the end of the ride, my smaller goals allowed me to achieve a goal I hadn’t even set, and that’s perhaps the biggest win of all. With a steady stream of fuel in my legs, I didn’t bonk. I had plenty of energy to make it to the end with a fast group (a group i didn’t even realize had the top two of us ladies in it), a group who worked together to fight the wind (some more than others, but I get it … I’m a small draft).
Fueling is something I’ve been working on for a little over a year now. It’s definitely allowed me to increase my power production — this may seem obvious and intuitive, but it’s absolutely not.
When I first started cycling, it almost seemed like it was a contest to see who could go the farthest on the smallest amount of fuel. Sugar was also a big no-no.
It’s taken me a few years to undo that harmful thinking. I’ve gained some weight, yes. I also feel so much better, and I’m not constantly starving, and I’m a lot stronger, and I’ve been able to do some crazy shit, so I think I prefer things this way. Sugar is not evil. Fat is not good high-octane fuel. You don’t need protein in your gels or drinks for a bike race.
So, my goal of consuming 12-ish gels + 7 scoops of Tailwind for my race … that probably seems like a lot to most people. But I’m not thinking short-term, here. I’m learning for the long-term … and for the long haul on races like Leadville and Steamboat Gravel, where 12 gels will barely get me through half a day. I’m training my gut, training my brain, training my body and practicing for what are going to be some really long, hard and tough days with my butt in a bike seat.
Funny enough, it’s nice to see that the effort paid off. :)
If I want to take away anything from this race, it’s that it can be tough to eat, but it’s essential to prevent a bonk. I kept repeating in my head the advice I heard from the Leadville female winner — if I’m going too fast to eat, too bad … slow down and get that food in.
I did just that.
It was hard.
It takes upwards of an hour or so for the fuel to digest and make it to your muscles, so eating early on is absolutely essential, too. Taking in a gel or two in the first few miles seems crazy, but that’s when it’s most crucial if you plan on being out there for more than a few hours.
Sugar goes quick. I can burn upwards of 600-700 calories an hour if I’m pushing hard. In that sense, 3 gels seems like a small amount!
So that is why we practice, and we learn, and we grow, so that our bodies can adapt to what we’re asking of them. Sometimes, we ask a lot. It’s our duty to repay it with kindness, which means proper fuel, not starvation.
I’ve got a gravel century coming up in just a few short weeks. It’ll be a dip into a lot more intensity and endurance than I’ve been doing lately. My second century of the year, though, so it’ll help me build some good fitness, I think. I hope.
I need all the fitness I can get this year!
I’m also excited to have a coach this year. Accountability is something I’m really looking forward to. In the past, it’s been very easy for me to skip days on a whim, or stray from the training plan, or just burnout. I am hoping to stay more focused this time.
I know these next 6 months are going to be long. They’re going to be tough.
But it will be worth it to have the strength to complete some of the world’s toughest races on two wheels, including the esteemed Leadville 100!
So whenever I feel like giving up, I just need to remember that it’s all part of the process and plan to get me over those famous mountains.
These two legs are gonna get me there.