Thoughts on 2023 – a year of change

2023 wasn’t a great year from a racing perspective. I bonked hard on the Wachauer Radmarathon, my TT position needed massive improvement, and I crashed my TT bike. As I focused on racing, I also really missed long-distance riding.

That being said, these experiences made me realise what I need to properly compete and plan my new year.

My 2023 in numbers:

Changes to 2024

During 2023, I have made some fundamental changes which I believe will pay dividends in 2024:

Nutrition – I‘ve been reading up on sports nutrition, and have made some changes to my diet accordingly. I now aim to eat a largely vegetarian diet, prioritising the intake a broad range of micronutrients, whilst paying attention to sufficient intake of macronutrients. I‘m also actively avoiding ultraprocessed foods.

Training – I’ve restarted my TrainerRoad subscription, and have permanently set up my indoor trainer so that I can easily commit to regular training. I have picked a training course which has been designed around my work schedule and my target events, so it should expose me to the right training stimuli at the right times.

Computer – Mid-2023 I have made the move from my Hammerhead computer to a Garmin Edge 1040 Solar. The massive battery life will support me during longer and multi-day rides, useful as I plan on doing more audaxes and ultraendurance rides next year. The data and training functions are extremely helpful to understand where I am with my training and how to manage my resources during and post-race.

Fitness tracking – For my birthday I have also treated myself to a Garmin smartwatch, the Epix 2 Pro. Hand on heart it does far more than I actually needed, but this was a promise to myself to become more physically active in other areas to become a more balanced athlete.

Cross training – I‘ve now started cross-training, and quite enjoy running in particular as an alternative to cycling. I feel the benefits are enormous on my cardiovascular and muscular systems, and when I initially started I felt quite a lot of pain, however after a few days my legs felt even stronger than before on the bike. In addition, running is great for when I’m on business trips, when I cannot get in any other proper training.

Strength and flexibility – I’ve also started strength and flexibility training, and aim to exercise both twice a week. This should help me become a more rounded athlete and healthier person, and should help me maintain a more aggressive position on the TT bike in particular. Fingers crossed this wins me a number of watts during my races.

My goals for 2024:

• Complete 2 key training sessions per week on TrainerRoad.
• Complete 2 strength sessions per week.
• Complete 2 flexibility sessions per week.
• Get a top 10% result in a TT event.
• Get in the top 25% in a grand fondo race.
• Complete one audax / ultraendurance race.
• Run in one running race, and get a top 50% result.
• More importantly, during all this I want to be a good husband, son and friend, and invest quality time with my family and friends.