Why I almost gave up on cycling.
When your identity is tied to your performance and the numbers start to fail, the descent is soul-crushing. After months of fighting infection, "wrecked" performance, and a body that wouldn't cooperate, I hit the breaking point. This is a raw look at my recent struggle, why I almost gave up on the sport, and the specific circle of support that helped me rebuild the engine
Forget Base Miles and Build a Launch Pad
The Zone 2 Myth Every winter, cyclists talk about “base miles.” Endless hours in Zone 2. Long slow rides. “Building the engine,” they say. Yet when spring comes, their power curve looks the same as last year—or worse, their legs feel dull when intensity returns. The problem isn’t effort; it’s misunderstanding what base training actually is. Somewhere along the way, base training got reduced to “ride a lot