Training, Training, Training… With 41 days to go until P2P trip begins, these are the only thoughts in my head….. except for the anxiety of things out of your control like: Can I do the ride? Will I always be the slowest? Will injury raise it’s head?

There are lots of resources available to get your ready and no shortage of trainers more than willing to get you ready for a fee. There is a balance of wanting to be ready on my own and at my own pace WITH hey, there are folks who know what they are doing. I’m doing a bit of mix and match – listening to my body, having a prep plan, using the plan to have the stamina and endurance and continue get on the bike for daily rides.

Super easy to want to get on the bike and pound it out day after day. You do get stronger, but you gotta practice what is going to happen. I am a huge advocate of practice how it’s going to go. The trip is a series of 10 day blocks of daily riding, so ride 10 days in a row, then rest day. Mix in hard, long rides with interval (those punchy, fast sprints with recovery) and then do rides at the pace you think will go – that all day pace! That’s the plan, not a lot of technical data of VO2 max or Functional Threshold Power. While I like all the tech talk, these are measures and you just have to do the time in the saddle.

Improvement is measured in small increments, physically and in my head. My victories are being on the bike and doing a route I’ve done before and go, “Wait…I’m going faster/smoother, I’ve got some rhythm and this is easier than before.” Not everyday is like that. Today it’s 80 degrees with light wind, before a ride, everyday is a good day.

On to another day!