Pedal to Podium

This morning, I woke up with heavy legs—a lingering fatigue I hadn’t expected, especially since I focused so much on recovery yesterday and made sure my nutrition was on point. I’ll admit, it was frustrating, but I decided to adjust my plans and take it easy where I could. Instead of my usual long dog walk, Ellie and I did a shorter 4 km loop through a local bush reserve. It was a beautiful way to start the day and gave me some time to ease into things.

Back home, I put my legs up and started procrastinating on the rather intimidating over-under session scheduled for later. It looked intense on paper, and I wasn’t feeling particularly confident about it. After a good lunch to fuel up and some motivational music, I finally psyched myself up to get started.

The 1 hour 45-minute session was tough—there’s no sugar-coating it. My legs were tired, and I felt pretty awful throughout, but I managed to hit most of the prescribed power numbers. I distracted myself by watching Bob’s Burgers, which helped me push through the discomfort. While it wasn’t the most enjoyable session, finishing it was deeply satisfying, proving once again that showing up and putting in the work matters, even on the hard days.

Later in the afternoon, I spent my second recovery couch session diving deep into the world of ketone esters. These are supplements designed to raise blood ketone levels and are gaining popularity among endurance athletes. They’re touted for their potential to improve energy efficiency, reduce fatigue, and aid recovery by providing an alternative fuel source during exercise. However, the research is still evolving, with mixed evidence on their effectiveness for performance enhancement in trained athletes. It was fascinating to explore, and I may experiment with them in the future to see how they might fit into my training strategy. I don’t think I’ll use them any time soon though because they were nearly $60 per serving.

After dinner, it was time for strength training—a session that was equally challenging but incredibly rewarding. When I started working with Helena, I kept the weights light to focus on neuromuscular control and proper technique. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gradually ramped things up, and today was a real test of my progress. The hip thrusts were brutal, but the highlight was my banded chin-ups. I hit 8 reps in one set, smashing my previous PB of 5! Small wins like these remind me how much I’ve improved.

With training done, I wrapped up my evening by getting ready for my night shift. After a shower and a quick reset, I headed off to work feeling accomplished, despite the tough start to the day.

Sometimes, the most satisfying days are the ones where everything feels like a grind, but you power through anyway. Today was one of those days—a testament to resilience, patience, and the belief that every effort counts.