The ride that nearly made me quit

A few years ago, I nearly packed it in.

Not because I didn’t love cycling.

But because I was doing everything “right”

and getting nowhere.

Club rides every weekend.

Midweek spins when I could squeeze them in.

Trying to eat “healthy.”

And still…

Heavier than I wanted to be.

Getting dropped on climbs.

Constantly tired.

Sound familiar?

One Saturday, it hit me.

I’d emptied the tank again.

Ridden hard.

Proved nothing.

And on Monday morning, I was wrecked at work.

No plan.

No structure.

No recovery.

Just effort.

Here’s what changed everything:

I stopped asking

“How can I ride more?”

And started asking

“What does my body actually need?”

At 40+ you can’t train like you’re 25.

You need:

A structured plan.

Purposeful intensity.

Strength work that protects your joints.

Nutrition that supports performance and fat loss.

Recovery that actually lets you adapt.

When I made that shift:

I leaned out.

Climbs felt controlled.

Energy came back.

Work didn’t suffer.

Less junk miles.

More intent.

That’s the foundation of Cycle Lean.

Not more training.

Better training.

If you’re working hard but not moving forward,

It’s not a motivation problem.

It’s a structural problem.

If you want help building a plan that fits around your career and actually works for your body at 40+,

Click here and book a call.

Neil