At my 3rd attempt doing the 5x5 Vo2 blocks I finally managed to complete it. Surprisingly it didn’t feel as hard as the previous sessions, even tho on the previous session I had to cut short the durations. I’ll take it 💥💥. Frequent trips defo get in the way of sustained training but I actually felt much fresher today. 🫡

Hi guys so this is my latest idea for a mini series. To be honest this could be my first and last diary if my symptoms flare up but I reckon that most people could take something away from it. I will just share a few thoughts on coming back to cycling and how it is different now compared to before. A lot has changed. So I was racing on the road since I was 11 and was with Trinity Racing for the 2021 and 2022 seasons when I came into the u23 ranks. In 2022 I had 2 pretty bad crashes and whacked my head hard both times - the second crash was 6 weeks after the first so they were fairly close together and although physically I was in the best place I had ever been, my brain was probably still not ready for another big impact. During this period after my concussions I rushed back and did as much as I could. Some days I could do a 6 hour ride at 4.5 w/kg cruising around for the day, and I did one ride where I broke my 5 min pb in the first hour and then broke it again in the 6th hour, and broke my 1 min power after that (465 for 5 I think it was - I was in good nick). But other days I couldn’t leave the bed. It was one extreme to the next. I got diagnosed with POTS finally last December 2025 which explains how I could be in such good shape one day and such bad shape the next. I was 19 at the time so I have forgiven myself for getting too carried away - but life would have gone more smoothly if I had known better. Fast forward a few years to now and I generally haven’t been able to exercise. But since Christmas time my symptoms have eased off and over the last week I have done a few rides on the rollers. My last outdoor ride was at the start of June which is the longest I’ve been off the bike since my accident. I probably could have done a few rides on the rollers before now - but to be honest the act of turning the pedals inside at 100 watts doesn’t particularly interest me. Going outside, clearing my head, riding up mountains, getting lost when miles from home, discovering new roads, and all that kind of thing is what I love about cycling. Pedalling in circles inside doesn’t really do it for me on its own.

Folks, delighted to add an amazing new resource into the Nutrition module. It's the start of a series i'm building with Dr David Dunne. David is the co-founder of Hexis and consults with or directly manages the Nutrition for over 30% of all World Tour riders. In this masterclass we unpack the idea of “gas in the tank” and how to line up your fuelling with the actual demands of your training and racing. We walk through the four big building blocks that really move the needle for performance: understanding your session demands, planning your carbs across the day, matching your gas levels to key workouts, and using feedback to refine things over time. He also shares some really cool data from Bob Jungles Tour de France stage win, showing exactly the energy costs of winning a tour stage. It's in the Nutrition Module in classrooms. Here's the link https://www.skool.com/roadmancycling/classroom/fae2c6a7?md=bfadc617ba694396acf32af4a70a9b89

Ok folks, bold move. I’m deleting zwift and upgrading to training peaks premium which includes virtual. Anyone have similar thoughts ? I’m nervous 🤣

How was your week!? Last full week of January already. Still doesn’t feel like it’s 2026 to me. Been pretty busy but nothing too exciting from me this week really. Caoimhe landed back the other day and got the first half of her Assos kit (as well as everything else). Some amount of stuff as you can see from the photo. I was trying to add it up but I’d say the total valuation of everything in that photo isn’t too far off 40k (they don’t get to keep the bike but they keep everything else at the end of the year). New bike isn’t meant to be on show you yet as it’s the new unreleased frame - nothing too obvious in terms of updates from what I can see. But that’s the reason for scribbling it out 🤣 It’s the bike that they are all riding and racing already but don’t want her getting in trouble in case. It’s a bit stupid to me that they’ve been given the 2027 model but cannondale haven’t announced it yet. Makes it so underwhelming to me when they do actually decide to announce it. But sure look. Hope you had a good week! Matthew