My dedicated readers—whether you’ve been with me since the early days or just joined for “The Art of the Comeback 2025” series—know I can’t simply wake up and decide to hop on my bike for a leisurely spin. As I’ve shared in posts like “Can I Ever Ride Without the Urge to Compete?” my relationship with cycling is deeply rooted in that competitive spark. To me, a bike isn’t just a tool for casual pleasure; it’s a race machine, engineered for pushing limits, testing resolve, and chasing victories. That’s why, when I recommitted to riding six weeks ago after a couple of years of sporadic activity, I needed a concrete goal to ignite my motivation. I chose the RBC Whistler Gran Fondo—a demanding 122 km ride from Vancouver to Whistler, laced with significant climbs that would truly test my rebuilding fitness.
I kept my plans discreet, confiding only in my family, my coach, and a few trusted friends. No public declarations: I didn’t want the external pressure of having to follow through just because I’d announced it. With a tight six-week window to prepare, doubts lingered—would my body rebound after the COVID-induced shift to hiking? As it unfolded, I executed my training plan with precision. I registered on Wednesday for the Whistler Gran Fondo, feeling ready. But today—Friday—I’ve deferred my entry to 2026. Vancouver, my home base, has been shrouded under government-issued air quality advisories for the past three days, with no improvement forecasted. Wildfires blazing in Oregon and British Columbia have created a thick haze of smoke, turning the air into a health hazard, particularly for those exerting themselves outdoors.
When I rose this morning, my wife immediately encouraged me to pull out, echoing concerns for my well-being. My son—a former bike racer—agreed, sharing his own recent experience of a sore throat lingering from a ride in the smog. Then came reinforcing advice from my coach and my best friend, a heart surgeon, both urging caution. This morning’s email from the organizers sealed it: a no-cost option to switch to 2026 for anyone wary of the conditions. Prioritizing my lungs and long-term health over a single event was the clear choice, aligning with the wiser perspective I’ve cultivated in this comeback phase.
I’m genuinely proud of these past six weeks—a focused block that reignited my passion without a single regret. There’s nothing I’d alter about the training: a mix of endurance rides, high-intensity intervals, and strategic recovery that harkened back to my racing prime. I incorporated sessions both below and above threshold, watching with satisfaction as my power numbers climbed faster than anticipated. Last Sunday, I wrapped my prep with a three-hour, 45-minute ride alongside a friend, feeling robust from the first pedal stroke to the last. Every sensation was affirming; not once did the effort overwhelm me. I executed the training plan flawlessly, like in my prime. This period brought back vivid memories—the thrill of consecutive hard sessions, the satisfying burn of painful intervals, and the discipline of optimal recovery, from nutrition to rest. It reminded me why I fell in love with cycling in the first place: the challenge, the process, the sense of accomplishment.
While the deferral stings—missing the camaraderie, the Sea-to-Sky scenery, and the test of those climbs—it’s the right call. Yesterday’s one-minute max-power intervals drove the point home: after the second rep, wheezing set in, a stark warning from the polluted air. My son’s lingering sore throat from a ride two days prior underscored the risks. Echoing my 2019 reflection in “How Often Do You Think About Death?” cycling is about defying limits and feeling alive, but not recklessly. Health must come first, especially as I balance this passion with family life as a husband, father of six, and grandfather.
The main question today is: “What am I now supposed to do with all this hard-earned fitness?” Today being September 5th, with fall just around the corner, I am reminded of a post I wrote in September 2011, “Fall Has Arrived, Training Season Starts,” where I wrote on the unique opportunities of autumn training. I described it as “all the fitness, none of the pressure.” I wrote in 2011: “Think about your fitness right now. You’re strong from a season’s worth of training and racing, you can go faster and further now than you could in March, May, or even July. But if your big goals were in the summer, it’s likely they’re behind you now. That means you’re in a sweet spot as an athlete – you have the strength and stamina for high-quality training, and you don’t have to worry about the intricacies of balancing competitions with training.”
While I do not currently have a full season of training and racing under my belt, the truth remains: it is not the time to back off, it is time to drive on. I also emphasized then that “the runway is as long as it’s going to get” and to improve from year to year, you have to take time to address your weaknesses. If you wait until January, you’re addressing your weaknesses while you’re counting down the weeks until you must be ready to race. It’s better to work on pedal stroke, climbing technique, aerobic endurance – or whatever your season review reveals as your weak link – now. Get it done in the fall so you can focus all your pre-season energy on maximizing race-specific performance.
And cheekily, I noted that “everyone else is watching football”: Everybody trains hard in January and ramps up for the season in the first few months of the year. Not everyone trains through the fall. If you want to make real progress, you can’t afford to give up 30% of your fitness and power by sitting on your couch or exercising casually through Christmas. The answer isn’t to walk away from training now. I can and will utilize varied training experiences to refresh my enthusiasm for training while simultaneously keeping my fitness level high. Heck, I might even try the odds easy ride solely for pleasure.
In my September 2011 post, I shared a quote from coach Chris Carmichael: “You want to kick some butt in 2012? You want to dramatically exceed the performance level you reached this summer? It starts now. You drop off, hang back, or bail out now and it’s going to be you who gets passed, dropped, and disappointed next season. This is the message: “Right now is when you lay the foundations for your fastest Leadville 100, Ironman, Triple Bypass, California Death Ride, etc. in 2012.”
I could so relate to it back then – and still today – especially to that motivational edge about not slacking after hard-earned gains: When I think about everything I have been through over the last six weeks to get to my current fitness level (pain, pain, pain, boredom, frustration, anxiety, sacrifices etc.) there is no way I am going to lose a big part of that fitness just because conventional wisdom says that cyclists should stop training when fall arrives. In fact, I think the exact opposite is true. The fall is the perfect time to step it up a notch.
That fall mindset resonates deeply now. With Whistler deferred, I’m in the “sweet spot”: fresh from six weeks of solid progress, with no immediate race looming. Rather than easing off, I’ll capitalize on this momentum, addressing any lingering weaknesses—like surge recovery or climbing technique—while the weather still allows outdoor rides. Vancouver’s fall, with its crisp air (once the smoke clears) and vibrant foliage, invites extended sessions blending roads and trails. No way am I losing these hard-won gains; instead, I’ll push forward, ensuring I’m even stronger for 2026 events.
Looking ahead, this isn’t a setback—it’s strategic wisdom. With my fitness surging and skills intact (as recent group rides confirmed), I’ll redirect this momentum into new goals: perhaps a return to the San Diego Gran Fondo, the El Tour of Tucson and even revisiting the Tucson Bicycle Classic race. The Whistler ride will wait for clearer skies next year, and in the meantime, I’ll savor the process. Thanks for following my journey; your engagement keeps the fire burning.