Eating while riding is not easy. How do I keep my pizza hot? What do I do with it and the quart of milk? How do I serve myself a slice with one hand on the bars? A foot long tuna sub is easier, but then you hit a bump and the jalapenos fall out. What do you do then? Abandon? Does the 3 second rule still apply outside? This is why I'm not a professional bike racer. It's just too stressful.
Really appreciate your warts-and-all account of your journey, and I'm really stoked you have found your way onto the property ladder and now own your own home. That makes a huge difference to your post-racing career prospects and your financial security. Thanks for sharing everything so far. It's awesome seeing how you two work together. Partly inspired by you, I have entered my first mountain bike marathon race (100km/60 miles) at 60 years of age, and have started receiving professional coaching. I'm already noticing differences, and I'm only 2 weeks in! (Although I've done a lot of Z2 base work in the months preceding). Wishing you a successful and prosperous 2023.
Y’all are absolute inspirations! I don’t even race MTB, I “race” Gravel (poorly), but watching you both go through the process has given me faith that time any training can work for me too!
I’m pretty sure I’ve watched all y’all’s videos - and I’ve gotta say, this one was THE BEST. Love the clarity here - gotta embrace the suck and just keep at it! Well done 👏🏻
In your early 20’s, your youth Carries you through. Late 20’s the brain has to step in and working smarter not just harder comes into play. Great growth. Great job you guys. You both rock!
This is a great summation of your journey of the last couple of years. It adds such validation to encouraging others to train in a lifestyle to be winners. This doesn't only mean podiums, but a way to pursue anything in life. Great job!!!
Great video. The one aspect that has helped me is I am always hungry so eating on my bike has never been an issue. Hot or cold I am always able to stuff my face 🤣. Thanks for the best mtb content on the internet.
I love it how you analyze the causes and effects. And the way you tell your story to us. I'd say you have a very bright future in full time coaching if you would want to.
Great video. It's always hard to see the acheivements in the process but hindsight makes it look so much better. I had a month were mentally I was just over riding bikes and it was raining so I wasn't motivated by buddies asking me to ride. Finally around the New Year I started training again and this is the first time I've ever done watts based training. OMG...I didn't know how bad it could suck to be on a bike. LMAO! None-the-less, I'm seeing the benefits and am looking forward to how this year plays out. Trying hard to trust the process and stay on course.
Way to go you two! I would be interested in hearing from your parents on how they train in their 60's.... that is, still trying to improve (age-appropriate goals) despite what seems like inexorable decline from aging. *sigh*
serious kudos! You're not just sharing your story, you're also keeping the spark of cycling/ mountain biking alive for those who are hoping to race one day.
Great video! I'm curious where your CTLplateaued mid-season. It's always a struggle to know how much is enough. Should one shoot for 80 (pretty manageable with a job) or 110 (pretty much a job in itself)? How much TSS do you need to perform at the races you're doing?
A new knife sharpens quickly and holds its edge a long time, an old knife takes longer to sharpen and loses it edge more quickly. Welcome to getting older.
(not a racer) I used to purposely under-eat to get into ketosis, but every ride felt exhausting :/ Less than a month ago I started putting salt and different sorts of sugar in my bottles and eat properly on the long rides and to my surprise, even 140km ride was quite alright! even more shocking, I felt relatively fresh after the ride! Nutrition is a key component to go faster and feel alright throughout!
I had a colleague dropping out of an Iron-man race during the running section. His food did not agree with him during the race. I asked him how that could be, its his 10th or so Iron-man. Turns out he never ever planned his food during and before, or tried stuff during training sessions. I have a few carb-gels that work fine and always stick with them. Because I know others that will make me throw up, the differences are so big and calories are so needed.
A trick for the chews, a guy next to me at a start line had them stuck to his handlebar and top tube. He just licked one side and stuck them on his bike to eat during the ride! I've tried it and it works pretty well, you certainly lose some on some bigger hits, but not so good on colder days!
The fact that you actually show how you get the training done at such a level despite all the work you got to do elsewhere, is what makes it so relatable. But it's nice to see things coming together for you.
in regards to recovery and sickness. went Whole Foods Plant Based in 2012, honest to god, havent had a cold, flue, anything since then. 10years! its no joke, it works
2022 was a great year for you both. 2023 will be even better. You're doing all the right things and most of all YOU WANT IT!! As you both already know, mindset is HUGE and you have it. Go get em!! 👍
Whats crazy is i,m 52 yo and have been racing riding on and off for 40 years and was just thinking going back to the area i grew up in i,m now faster and stronger and can ride way longer than when i was in my teens , the one thing i have learned is there are so many variables beyond our control that effect our performance and sometimes i ride like crap then the next day set a record dont despair guys age does not have to mean slower despite what most will tell you stay smart clean air is key no chemicals avoid mould, were u guys live is good but straw bail houses are mould farms sorry to be the bearer of bad news .
Really enjoyed this video as I'm about to start my journey towards getting back in shape to just be in shape. I've definitely overtrained in the past, recovery is so important for all the reasons you mentioned.
Maybe the best video from you. I think that this clip will help a lot of us too. You have to believe what you do and do the right things. One love Syd n Macky
All ridiculously good points, and all very relatable to me at the moment. Finally getting involved with a coach and upping my game to the next level has been hard, but I'm ready for it. I cannot wait to get my first race under my belt in May.
What’s your formula for every day eating? How do you decide what to make and make it easy to put together? Do you riff on the same staples? Do you precook a bunch of stuff one day per week? Thanks!
We've actually made some (minor) changes to our diet and will be talking about this more next week! But for the most part we cook simple things every day with a fair bit of variety, and sometimes precook big batches of beans or grains to throw lunches together
Great video. In December 2021 after 8 years of desk job I had crept up to my max 260 lbs with an FTP just shy of 200. I impulse entered the steamboat gravel race and have ridden my bike pretty much every day since then (even if just a 30 minute noodle of a recovery ride). I’m down into the 220s for weight and up to 250 for threshold. Consistency has been the key.
SUCH a great video, and timely, right at the beginning of many people's training season. Trusting the process and consistency really are SO important when it comes to training.
I've found that yeah, I definitely need to bring snacks. I'm a type 2 diabetic (my own fault. Dang doughnuts) and have been cycling not only to have fun, but to have some sort of exercise. Well, now I've gone from hyperglycemic to hypoglycemic. So when my glucometer went off and said my blood sugar was 53....... I had to cut my ride much shorter. So I ended up only doing 13 miles instead of 25....... I am by no means a pro cyclist...... but yeah. After years of having too high of blood sugar, now I don't have enough.
i had an injury at the end of summer last year, even though i've been on a turbo trainer finally getting back out on a bike this week and doing a proper training ride was really demoralizing, i'll keep going though i have an event booked for june. love your content, i think the first time i saw you two was on one of Brian's videos, been subbed ever since.
Niiiiiiiice! Enjoyed the video. I kinda saw 2022 for you both as a recovery year from 2021. Now that races are going to be more full and you both are now fully engaged, you're both going to be pretty farkin' tough. Looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for bringing us along.
You guys are gonna Kick A$$ in 2023! We all have faith in the best Husband & Wife team we all have ever watched!!! Keep up the great work you guys got rolling last year!
Thank you both so much for being an inspiration and your honest outlook. Your channel has definitely helped me keep that fire alive inside me. I've been off the bike and training since May (injuries and arthritis), while I am looking forward to getting back into my routines eventually, there is a bit of dread knowing the beginning stages will not be that fun while I get back to where I once was. All the info you shared really has me thinking of dialing in all aspects of nutrition, training, mindset, discipline and maybe most important, patience with the process. I can.not.wait. to see what you two have in store for 2023. Best of luck out there!!
If memory serves correctly you were trying to buy and then remodel a house at the same time you were supposed to be doing off season training. As marginal as it was the recovery you experienced while living out of the van was probably better than what you got the first several months you were burning the candle at both ends with the house project. Glad to see things are coming around and you have your life back!
Los Alamos, NM :) we actually eat very differently for non race rides (unless we are doing a race simulation to test out our race nutrition). We try to eat real food when possible, sandwiches, dried fruit, homemade energy balls/cookies. This helps us with "flavor fatigue" over the course of the season.
The Stages SB20 is amazing. It's a full stationary bike, not a trainer, but if that makes sense for you financially and space-wise it's hard to beat. Super adjustable and you don't have to mess with removing wheels/putting your bike on it... bit.ly/3ETxuuR (it's currently on sale and the code sydandmacky-sb20 will get you an extra 5% off)
The Wahoo range is great, but expect a fairly noisy experience if you use a trainer with a chain and drive train, the Wahoo Kickr bike uses electric/magnetic resistance and is much quieter, but comes at a premium, worth the money if your budget allows.
FTP is a cycling metric that stands for Functional Threshold Power. It estimates the highest average power you can sustain for one hour, measured in watts. In cycling, FTP is a measure of fitness and theoretically indicates the amount of power you can sustain for long durations.
We still try to eat something every twenty min to half hour, even in a 2-3 race. It depends a bit on the timing of the race and how well fueled you are going into it, but that's our general rule. We typically eat chews, pieces of bar or high calorie drink mix (ideal for races where it's hard to eat, a lot of singletrack, etc). Personally we're not big fans of gels, but they work for lots of people. Definitely go with what you like!
Thanks for the reply! I only use Hammer gels because the flasks offer ease of use, however high calorie liquids sounds even better. I know you are locked into sponsor products, but is “Flow” a good product?
Put your calories in your water like products form Scratch, Infinit or Flow. I use the Infinit go far only and have been on the podium at MTB nationals the last 3 years. I try to remember to drink every 15 minutes during a 1 1/2 to 2 hour race.
For an hour long race the most important thing is to go into it well fueled. So, for example, if the race starts at 10 or 11, you may want to eat your breakfast later than normal. You can also eat a few chews or a bite of bar on the start line. Then, like Mark is saying, a hydration mix and try to drink when you can!
Eating while riding is not easy. How do I keep my pizza hot? What do I do with it and the quart of milk? How do I serve myself a slice with one hand on the bars? A foot long tuna sub is easier, but then you hit a bump and the jalapenos fall out. What do you do then? Abandon? Does the 3 second rule still apply outside? This is why I'm not a professional bike racer. It's just too stressful.
🤣🤣🤣
More importantly how do you keep your beer cold?
I hear carolina reapers make you even faster than jalapenos
Replace one water bottle with a kebab roll, works like a charm! 😂
Really appreciate your warts-and-all account of your journey, and I'm really stoked you have found your way onto the property ladder and now own your own home. That makes a huge difference to your post-racing career prospects and your financial security. Thanks for sharing everything so far. It's awesome seeing how you two work together.
Partly inspired by you, I have entered my first mountain bike marathon race (100km/60 miles) at 60 years of age, and have started receiving professional coaching. I'm already noticing differences, and I'm only 2 weeks in! (Although I've done a lot of Z2 base work in the months preceding).
Wishing you a successful and prosperous 2023.
Awesome! Good luck!
Y’all are absolute inspirations!
I don’t even race MTB, I “race” Gravel (poorly), but watching you both go through the process has given me faith that time any training can work for me too!
This is probably one of my favourite videos of yours! Look forward to what the year ahead will bring.
I’m pretty sure I’ve watched all y’all’s videos - and I’ve gotta say, this one was THE BEST. Love the clarity here - gotta embrace the suck and just keep at it! Well done 👏🏻
In your early 20’s, your youth Carries you through. Late 20’s the brain has to step in and working smarter not just harder comes into play. Great growth. Great job you guys. You both rock!
This is a great summation of your journey of the last couple of years. It adds such validation to encouraging others to train in a lifestyle to be winners. This doesn't only mean podiums, but a way to pursue anything in life. Great job!!!
Great video. The one aspect that has helped me is I am always hungry so eating on my bike has never been an issue. Hot or cold I am always able to stuff my face 🤣. Thanks for the best mtb content on the internet.
I love it how you analyze the causes and effects. And the way you tell your story to us. I'd say you have a very bright future in full time coaching if you would want to.
Great video. It's always hard to see the acheivements in the process but hindsight makes it look so much better. I had a month were mentally I was just over riding bikes and it was raining so I wasn't motivated by buddies asking me to ride. Finally around the New Year I started training again and this is the first time I've ever done watts based training. OMG...I didn't know how bad it could suck to be on a bike. LMAO! None-the-less, I'm seeing the benefits and am looking forward to how this year plays out. Trying hard to trust the process and stay on course.
You got this! And yes, watts always keep you honest 😬
It’s amazing that you’re both of you are still living and enjoying the life many of us have dreamed.
Are you doing Leadville?
Way to go you two! I would be interested in hearing from your parents on how they train in their 60's.... that is, still trying to improve (age-appropriate goals) despite what seems like inexorable decline from aging. *sigh*
love u guysssss
New (binge)watcher. Really appreciate all your videos !
Well now I wish I was out riding instead of stuck at work. 😆
serious kudos! You're not just sharing your story, you're also keeping the spark of cycling/ mountain biking alive for those who are hoping to race one day.
Great video! I'm curious where your CTLplateaued mid-season. It's always a struggle to know how much is enough. Should one shoot for 80 (pretty manageable with a job) or 110 (pretty much a job in itself)? How much TSS do you need to perform at the races you're doing?
A new knife sharpens quickly and holds its edge a long time, an old knife takes longer to sharpen and loses it edge more quickly. Welcome to getting older.
(not a racer) I used to purposely under-eat to get into ketosis, but every ride felt exhausting :/
Less than a month ago I started putting salt and different sorts of sugar in my bottles and eat properly on the long rides and to my surprise, even 140km ride was quite alright! even more shocking, I felt relatively fresh after the ride! Nutrition is a key component to go faster and feel alright throughout!
I had a colleague dropping out of an Iron-man race during the running section. His food did not agree with him during the race. I asked him how that could be, its his 10th or so Iron-man. Turns out he never ever planned his food during and before, or tried stuff during training sessions. I have a few carb-gels that work fine and always stick with them. Because I know others that will make me throw up, the differences are so big and calories are so needed.
This one is M O T I V A T I N G
The Skratch raspberry and lemon bar is the best tasting bar EVER. It's hard to eat just one.
A trick for the chews, a guy next to me at a start line had them stuck to his handlebar and top tube. He just licked one side and stuck them on his bike to eat during the ride! I've tried it and it works pretty well, you certainly lose some on some bigger hits, but not so good on colder days!
The fact that you actually show how you get the training done at such a level despite all the work you got to do elsewhere, is what makes it so relatable. But it's nice to see things coming together for you.
Thanks for your honesty, relatable and inspiring
Lasagne, in a blender, in a bottle 💡
Thank your sharing your low points as well as your high points. Thsi is what makes you real people and a pleasure to watch.
in regards to recovery and sickness. went Whole Foods Plant Based in 2012, honest to god, havent had a cold, flue, anything since then. 10years! its no joke, it works
macky I don't think I have seen you looking so lean, great season ahead
50 Watts in one year! 🔥🔥🔥
2022 was a great year for you both. 2023 will be even better. You're doing all the right things and most of all YOU WANT IT!! As you both already know, mindset is HUGE and you have it. Go get em!! 👍
Whats crazy is i,m 52 yo and have been racing riding on and off for 40 years and was just thinking going back to the area i grew up in i,m now faster and stronger and can ride way longer than when i was in my teens , the one thing i have learned is there are so many variables beyond our control that effect our performance and sometimes i ride like crap then the next day set a record dont despair guys age does not have to mean slower despite what most will tell you stay smart clean air is key no chemicals avoid mould, were u guys live is good but straw bail houses are mould farms sorry to be the bearer of bad news .
Watching your 2022 year was both great to watch and very inspiring and I can’t wait to watch 2023 thank you both for everything you do 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻
Love it. The journey always changes. Embrace it. My life changed. Had a heart attack and starting over from square one. Cheering for your success .
If you rest you rust. Warren Miller
Really enjoyed this video as I'm about to start my journey towards getting back in shape to just be in shape. I've definitely overtrained in the past, recovery is so important for all the reasons you mentioned.
Thank you for sharing your journey, and your process of learning from and improving on the past. Your videos have improved greatly too. Well done.
I'm training for my first ever mountain bike race! I'm 48 years old training for the Iceman cometh college.
Awesome! Good luck, that's a cool one!
Love your story, very motivating!
(Also, I have that same 2012 Orbea in 29er hanging in the garage, it was kind of ahead of its time)
Great video and great outlook. Fuckin bring it this year!!!
Maybe the best video from you. I think that this clip will help a lot of us too. You have to believe what you do and do the right things. One love Syd n Macky
Do you guys get tested for the races?
Thank you for sharing your story. Keep inspiring us. Your being real about the downs are as impressive as sharing the ups!
All ridiculously good points, and all very relatable to me at the moment. Finally getting involved with a coach and upping my game to the next level has been hard, but I'm ready for it. I cannot wait to get my first race under my belt in May.
What’s your formula for every day eating? How do you decide what to make and make it easy to put together? Do you riff on the same staples? Do you precook a bunch of stuff one day per week? Thanks!
We've actually made some (minor) changes to our diet and will be talking about this more next week! But for the most part we cook simple things every day with a fair bit of variety, and sometimes precook big batches of beans or grains to throw lunches together
I'm so proud of you two. Wish you a great 2023.
So many life lessons you have experienced and are sharing with all of us. You guys are a blessing to our community!
Great video. In December 2021 after 8 years of desk job I had crept up to my max 260 lbs with an FTP just shy of 200.
I impulse entered the steamboat gravel race and have ridden my bike pretty much every day since then (even if just a 30 minute noodle of a recovery ride). I’m down into the 220s for weight and up to 250 for threshold. Consistency has been the key.
Strong work 💪
Well done you two! Very motivating 😁
Such a great insight in to where you are both at and how far you’ve come in the past year.
SUCH a great video, and timely, right at the beginning of many people's training season. Trusting the process and consistency really are SO important when it comes to training.
I've found that yeah, I definitely need to bring snacks. I'm a type 2 diabetic (my own fault. Dang doughnuts) and have been cycling not only to have fun, but to have some sort of exercise. Well, now I've gone from hyperglycemic to hypoglycemic. So when my glucometer went off and said my blood sugar was 53....... I had to cut my ride much shorter. So I ended up only doing 13 miles instead of 25....... I am by no means a pro cyclist...... but yeah. After years of having too high of blood sugar, now I don't have enough.
i had an injury at the end of summer last year, even though i've been on a turbo trainer finally getting back out on a bike this week and doing a proper training ride was really demoralizing, i'll keep going though i have an event booked for june. love your content, i think the first time i saw you two was on one of Brian's videos, been subbed ever since.
Stay strong! You got this 💪
Thanks for sharing!!!!
Great reminders for sure!!
Wow!
I got my calendar today. 🙂
Niiiiiiiice! Enjoyed the video. I kinda saw 2022 for you both as a recovery year from 2021. Now that races are going to be more full and you both are now fully engaged, you're both going to be pretty farkin' tough. Looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for bringing us along.
You guys are gonna Kick A$$ in 2023! We all have faith in the best Husband & Wife team we all have ever watched!!! Keep up the great work you guys got rolling last year!
What bike manufacturer will you be riding this year?
In the last video they said still on NIner.
Thank you both so much for being an inspiration and your honest outlook. Your channel has definitely helped me keep that fire alive inside me. I've been off the bike and training since May (injuries and arthritis), while I am looking forward to getting back into my routines eventually, there is a bit of dread knowing the beginning stages will not be that fun while I get back to where I once was. All the info you shared really has me thinking of dialing in all aspects of nutrition, training, mindset, discipline and maybe most important, patience with the process. I can.not.wait. to see what you two have in store for 2023. Best of luck out there!!
If memory serves correctly you were trying to buy and then remodel a house at the same time you were supposed to be doing off season training. As marginal as it was the recovery you experienced while living out of the van was probably better than what you got the first several months you were burning the candle at both ends with the house project. Glad to see things are coming around and you have your life back!
My wife and I love your video series! Thank you so much for continuing to post honest content, and for always striving to be more awesome! :D
Where are you?
This area looks familiar.
Also, do you eat the same way and same foods when doing a non race ride?
Los Alamos, NM :) we actually eat very differently for non race rides (unless we are doing a race simulation to test out our race nutrition). We try to eat real food when possible, sandwiches, dried fruit, homemade energy balls/cookies. This helps us with "flavor fatigue" over the course of the season.
@@sydandmacky oh wow. I guessed wrong. Is there a solid trail system there? Any lift served bike parks? Tech trails or just xc?
Amazing trail network and lift serve at Pajarito ski area in the summer ☺️
Looking for a smart trainer to bike in cold/foul weather. Suggestions please. Eating while riding does makes a great deal of difference.
I have had a wahoo kickr core for 3 years. It's been good and solid. However look at DC rainmaker for reviews of literally everything.
The Stages SB20 is amazing. It's a full stationary bike, not a trainer, but if that makes sense for you financially and space-wise it's hard to beat. Super adjustable and you don't have to mess with removing wheels/putting your bike on it...
bit.ly/3ETxuuR (it's currently on sale and the code sydandmacky-sb20 will get you an extra 5% off)
The Wahoo range is great, but expect a fairly noisy experience if you use a trainer with a chain and drive train, the Wahoo Kickr bike uses electric/magnetic resistance and is much quieter, but comes at a premium, worth the money if your budget allows.
What does FTP mean
FTP is a cycling metric that stands for Functional Threshold Power. It estimates the highest average power you can sustain for one hour, measured in watts. In cycling, FTP is a measure of fitness and theoretically indicates the amount of power you can sustain for long durations.
What are your feeding times in a short three hour race? Once every hour? Are gels enough?
We still try to eat something every twenty min to half hour, even in a 2-3 race. It depends a bit on the timing of the race and how well fueled you are going into it, but that's our general rule. We typically eat chews, pieces of bar or high calorie drink mix (ideal for races where it's hard to eat, a lot of singletrack, etc). Personally we're not big fans of gels, but they work for lots of people. Definitely go with what you like!
Thanks for the reply! I only use Hammer gels because the flasks offer ease of use, however high calorie liquids sounds even better. I know you are locked into sponsor products, but is “Flow” a good product?
Don't have any experience with it, so can't say.
Cat 3 XC is around an hour... Still try to eat? I didn't feel like I had time to get the sweat out of my eyes, let alone unwrap or chew.
Put your calories in your water like products form Scratch, Infinit or Flow. I use the Infinit go far only and have been on the podium at MTB nationals the last 3 years. I try to remember to drink every 15 minutes during a 1 1/2 to 2 hour race.
For an hour long race the most important thing is to go into it well fueled. So, for example, if the race starts at 10 or 11, you may want to eat your breakfast later than normal. You can also eat a few chews or a bite of bar on the start line. Then, like Mark is saying, a hydration mix and try to drink when you can!