Old dog, new tricks

The last time I worked with a coach was when I prepped for the inaugural Unbound XL in 2018, which means that I’ve spent the past seven years doing what some might call “junk” miles.

When your self-given hashtag is #aarpgravelpro, embracing the “old dog” mentality is probably part of your schtick, which is definitely true in my case. But you know what? This old dog has a big goal in 2026, the Unbound 200, considered by many to be one of the tougher gravel races in the world, which means that I will need to do more than just lounge on the front porch and chase cars occasionally. It means that I can’t just rely on the deep well of 30 + years of residual miles in my legs but will need to buckle down and do something I haven’t for many years.

The last time I worked with a coach was when I prepped for the inaugural Unbound XL in 2018, which means that I’ve spent the past seven years doing what some might call “junk” miles. Another way to characterize my riding habits during this period is quantity OVER quality, having ridden purely for fun with no structure or performance goals and with no training metrics like heartrate or power. While it’s meant that I’ve typically ridden anywhere from 8k to 10k in a given year, it doesn’t mean that I’ve seen any real fitness spikes or improvements. Yes, I’ve had decent endurance that allows me to ride for hours, but you could say that my overall fitness, particularly the ability to hold any intensity, has been relatively flatlined for years.

Well, that all changes this coming year because this old dog is getting a coach. The only time in my cycling career that I’ve seen any real fitness spikes/gains/improvements, was when I worked with a coach and followed a plan. If I want to be my personal best at the 2026 Unbound 200 where I will be doing a 200 mile TT, chasing down as many riders as possible, all in the name of charity, I definitely need to buckle down and get some cycling structure in my life. If I want to have a chance at doing the most good with my pedal strokes, I need to work with someone who knows how to get the best out of this old dog.

The task of teaching the old dog new tricks falls on Serena Bishop Gordon, the founder of Special Blend Gravel Camps, a pro racer, one of the 2025 Unbound XL record holders (watch video here), and someone whom I’ve spent countless hours pedaling with in the past four years. I have worked closely with Serena as one of her camp coaches and been thoroughly impressed with her attention to detail, training knowledge, and the compassion she approaches each of her athletes with. I knew it was a partnership meant to be when her first email said the following: “I’d like you to take a HARD rest from January 1–11. You may want to fire me before we even get started, but I really believe a deep reset will serve you well. My hunch is that you’ll come out of it refreshed and stoked to ride.”

As much as I hate taking time off the bike, this is exactly the advice I needed to get, especially because in the past seven years I have not taken more than seven days off the bike in a row. Following this much needed down time, her plan includes the following: “Let’s kick things off with a higher-intensity block — rev the engine and get fired up. Shorter, harder weekday rides: VO₂ work, 30/30s, fun and punchy sessions. Weekends stay endurance-focused, and we’ll build from there. After that, we’ll shift gears toward adding volume, longer high-endurance efforts, and the kind of durability that pays dividends in the back half of the race.” While all of this training lingo is a bit jarring for this endurance veteran who has just pedaled for fun, I’m really excited to see what this type of structure will do for my fitness. Can I beat my fastest Unbound 200 time in 2026? That’s TBD but I have no doubt that with Serena’s expert help I can learn a few new tricks to help me be my personal best come race day.