The Optimal Athlete | 5 Insights That Elevated My Performance Last Month
AR | Race/Workout Report
Garmin Gravel Worlds (245km Gravel Race)
Race Description:
5:45 AM: Jason & Sofia advised us to be safe, and hyped us up for a memorable day.
5:55 AM: The race starts in complete darkness. I’ve raced night crits before, but those take place in the city. Out here on gravel, there’s absolutely no light.
7:30 AM: We can finally see! We just witnessed a gorgeous sunrise, and the racing is officially on! I’m very strict about who I follow and who I’m okay letting go. It’s an old trick I learned while racing on the road.
9:00 AM: First feed zone. There’s a 5-man breakaway up the road. Most riders don’t stop, but I decide to quickly refill one bottle.
9:30 AM: A strong group goes up the road, I do a near-maximum 5-minute effort to bridge up. Right when I’m about to make contact, there’s a crash. I don’t know what happened, but everyone is freaking out.
10:00 AM: The peloton is all back together and the break is now 6 minutes ahead. Not long after, there’s a split created by @pstetina & @you_know_inno. @nordahlsvendsen and I are the only ones able to bridge.
11:30 AM: After nearly 90 minutes of all-out chasing, we catch the break exactly as we arrive at the last feed zone. The temperature is now around 95°F.
12:00 PM: Attacks start happening. Eventually it’s just Inno, Simen & me in front. The three of us are working well together, but we’re clearly thinking about how we can best play our cards.
12:40 PM: It looks like I could have done a better job at managing the heat. Inno and Simen are eventually able to gap me. 5min later, Simen beats Inno in the final sprint and I cross the line 30 seconds behind.
1:30 PM: I finally make it to the car. After 45 minutes of trying to cool down.
10:00 PM: Champagne shower for the last finisher.
Number Analysis:
- Intensity Factor: 0.809
- TSS (Training Stress Score): 453 TSS
- Calories Burned: 7,734 cal
#1 Takeaway: The Importance of Keeping Your Head Cool in High-Pressure Moments.
At the last feed zone, we all stopped for 45 seconds. There were people helping us fill up our bottles and providing nutrition (I grabbed 3 gels). With feed zones now being a crucial part of some of the biggest gravel races of the year (Unbound, SBT GRVL, etc.), I felt quite agitated going in, wanting to make sure I didn’t waste extra energy chasing back. This state blinded me from noticing that one of the volunteers was handing out big ice socks (looking back, the heat was most likely what cost me the race). I just had to lift my head, but I was so focused on getting my bottles filled as quickly as possible that I didn’t notice her. The takeaway for me is that this elevated, uncontrolled energy not only doesn’t make me more efficient, but works against me. In situations like these, staying cool and in control is crucial—taking 1-2 deep breaths and using “Calm & Confident” as a mantra will be my strategy from now on.
AR | Energy Tip
Creatine
I take creatine because I believe the benefits outweigh the cons. For me, an extra 1-2 pounds of weight due to water retention is worth the trade-off.
I want to preface this by saying I take creatine more for health reasons; I’m less concerned with the performance benefits, which mostly come from improvements in short/maximum efforts (though I’ll take those too!).
Benefits:
- Muscle mass preservation.
- Improves glycogen replenishment by increasing the water content of muscle cells.
- Helps mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation (especially useful for travel days and races—Gravel Worlds started at 5:55 a.m.).
- Reduces brain damage after TBI in animal models, which is actually why I started taking it after my Paris to Ancaster concussion.
My Protocol: Perfect Sport Creatine, 7g/day, and 10g on days when I’m missing sleep.
AR | Book Suggestion
As a Man Thinketh – James Allen
3 Quote I’m pondering from the book:
- “Man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind.”
- “Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance.”
- “Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control.”
AR | Technologie(s) that Enhanced My Work
E-reader
- E-ink technology doesn’t have the same effect on your eyes and brain as reading on a phone. The screen does not emit light but rather reflects ambient light, avoiding the downsides of reading on a phone or tablet (e.g., eye strain, blue light, distractibility, etc.).
- Great for travel—no need to bring five books!
- Transfers notes directly to a computer, which is useful for future content creation.
- Changes your relationship with books—you don’t need to finish a book that no longer provides value.
I use a Supernote Nomad.
BONUS: Sturgill Simpson – Passage du Désir
Thank you for your attention, and as always, take care of yourself by making the most optimal choice in every moment and do the same to take care of the ones you love.
