It’s Saturday evening in Dublin.

The legs are still humming from this mornings Roadman club spin.
And mentally, I’m still half in Iceland — 200km of volcanic gravel at The Rift.

I’ve done that race before.
Last time? I was limping for a week.
This time? No back pain. No tightness. Very different feelings.

But we’ll come back to that.

First, I want to take you inside a conversation that completely reframed how I think about fueling.

Stop buying into the marketing hype for gel companies.


You're Not a Pro. So Stop Fueling Like One.

Cycling culture worships numbers.

120g of carbs per hour. Glucose-to-fructose ratios. “Optimal” recovery windows.

But those numbers come from WorldTour riders putting out 300+ watts for 5 hours
Riding 30 hours a week.
Burning 5,000+ calories a day.
With guts trained to absorb massive loads.

That’s not you.
That’s not me.
That’s not 99% of riders reading this email.

“Fueling should be relative to the work done, not an absolute target,” Dr. Sam Impey told me.


Overfueling Blunts Adaptation. Underfueling Blunts Performance.

If you smash 120g of carbs on an endurance ride, you mute the very signal your body relies on to build aerobic efficiency and fat metabolism.

But underfuel a hard session — VO2, threshold, sweet spot — and you can’t hit the numbers.
You ruin your progress.

Fueling is neither good nor bad.
​It’s either aligned with the goal of the session — or it’s not.

The Gut Is a Trainable Organ

This is the mistake most cyclists make...

They treat gut discomfort as a hard limit.

But just like your legs adapt to intervals, your digestive system adapts to carb intake.

It’s not:
“40g/hr makes me sick, so I can’t take in more.”

It’s:
“40g/hr is my starting point. Let’s train it.”

Train with variety. Mix glucose and fructose. Progress gradually.
Race-day gut problems almost always come from ignoring this during training.



 
Chronic underfueling is one of the fastest ways to fall out of love with the bike.

You start skipping rides.
Getting sick.
Sleeping poorly.
Feeling guilty around food.

And worst of all, you start blaming yourself instead of your system.

Your job isn’t to chase leanness at all costs.


It’s to build a body that can absorb training, perform when it counts, and recover like a pro — even if you’re not one.
Five Shifts You Can Make This Week



Fuel relative to session intensity.
Big ride? Fuel it. Coffee spin? Don’t overthink it.



Stop chasing pro-level carb numbers.
Your power and training volume are different. So your intake should be too.



Start gut training now.
40–50g/hr is a great place to begin. Build over time.



Fuel hard efforts. Recover properly.
Quick carbs, low fat, soon after. Don’t wait hours.



Think long-term.
Fueling isn't about this ride. It’s about this season.




One Last Thing — The Rift Didn’t Break Me This Time

Two years ago, I finished The Rift with my back wrecked.
I couldn’t train for days. Could barely sleep from the tightness.

Same bike. Same terrain. Same rider.

What changed?

I finally stuck to my Strength & Conditioning plan.

It’s not sexy.
It doesn’t make the highlight reel.
But it’s the reason I absorbed 200km of violent gravel instead of surviving it.

If you want to stop breaking down after long rides…
If you want to ride hard without your back, neck, or hips giving out…

This is the exact plan I follow:

➡️ Roadman Strength & Conditioning Plan

Built for cyclists.
No gym needed.
Just 2–3 short sessions a week that keep you durable, mobile, and on the bike.

You don’t need more watts if your body can’t hold them.



Until next week,
Anthony

P.S. The full conversation with Dr. Sam Impy is a game-changer. If you care about performance, health, or just riding stronger for longer — it’s worth your time. Listen here