“What I eat is likely the single biggest thing holding me back from reaching my goals on the bike – and interestingly enough in life too. When I raced in college in the late ‘80’s/early 90’s, I was 175 – 185 lbs. Man, was I fast — years of neglect have gotten me to the point where I am today – call it 232 lbs.
“In the past, I tried to kick bad habits cold turkey, only to always crack and go back to old ways. This time I am saying goodbye to things one at a time while being committed to eating generally well. I have kicked my soda habit (I can’t even imagine drinking a soda), caffeine (I am over 8 weeks free from all caffeine), candy (yes its true I have not had so much as one skittle in weeks – maybe a month) and last night I said goodbye to pizza – at least in the quantities I ate it in the past.
“I just wanted to thank you for your support thus far through this journey. I am fully prepared to go into the offseason and emerge next spring a different rider/racer. I thought I was ready to evolve many times in the past but I wasn’t, I was always finding reasons to hold myself back. Making excuses for missing a workout or indulging with food because I had a “tough day.”
“I’m not sure what finally clicked but something has. I feel 1000% better EVERY SINGLE day now than I did just 2 months ago. I am more focused at work, I sleep better, I train harder, and most importantly I am consistently consistent at home – I don’t have the same emotional ups and downs that I’m sure were caused by the massive amounts of chemicals I was consuming every day.
“I feel reformed – I wake up every day with new vigor. I know better than anyone there is a ton of work to do and a long road ahead and I also know every day I will be challenged but for once in my life I can honestly look at myself and say that I believe I have the tools to handle the challenges I will face. You really do great work – I just wanted to take a moment to remind you of that.” — B