In 2023 I Was Faster Than I've Ever Been. This Is How I Plan to Improve in 2024

Despite being in the best shape of my life in 2023 I still go the same Life Time Grand Prix result as 2022 with a 16th place overall. Why is that, how did I improve so much in 2023, and what do I plan to do to continue to improve in 2024?
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[@ff2e]

300w normalized for 5 hours is so insane

[@Myaimskindagood]

i barely hold it for an hour!

[@joelecho]

@@Myaimskindagood Holding it for an hour is the end goal of the 6 month training program I just started. 😆

[@Schoenwetterathlet]

6h 300W average Challenge was a thing here in Europe, when there were no races during covid 😂

[@idrisbikes90]

Its my 2min max 😂

[@marcuswhiterocks]

​@@idrisbikes90 yeah it's my 1 min...😢

[@pnappier]

Followed your training tips religiously. Got 16th in esports national championship.

[@RXP91]

Would love to see a video of how you assess you’ve recovered. Subjective feelings, hrv, dfa a1?

[@GSmith215]

Agreed

[@woodsracer780]

Yesss! Don’t leave us hanging on the most important part please.

[@whip113]

Piling on here. Assessing my recovery is a dumpster fire right now.

[@thomasanderson9545]

HealthFit app is excellent

[@BikesandMusic]

Exactly! Who give a damn about training when resting is where gains are made.

[@FrapsomaticalOption]

They say "Hard work beats talent", but if the talent is training as hard as you, there's not much chance of improving in terms of ranking. In the end you gotta look at your own development and be proud of what you've achieved.

[@EdgePereira]

The right quote is “Hard work beats talent WHEN talent doesn't work hard” Someone with talent who trains will always beat a hard worker.

[@siyz250]

I come from MX background and after racing MTB for a couple of years now it has become obvious that the lightest fittest person beats someone heavier and equal or a bit less trained. No matter what you do this is always the case. MX had so much skill that I do miss in MTBing.

[@ebhkkc1]

I'm proud of you, Dylan. You had a great year and I wish you all the best for 2024! Looking forward to seeing you in Hico and Leadville. I will never forget how you zoomed past me on my Honda while you were on the pre-ride coming down powerline this year; you were really flying in the drops and scared the crap out of me...loyal fan. Earl

[@beauk7679]

See you at the Croatan Buck Fifty, I'll be aiming for 17th!

[@IlkkaHarmanen]

Gotta love the Jab at GCN!

[@JonathanHair]

There is a myth, popularized especially hard during the Armstrong era, that the winners just "wanted it more", or "out trained" the rest of the field by will power. It was bogus then and fueled the lie. "Out trained" may be true, but it was because those athletes COULD train more (or rather their dope allowed them to). It wasn't will power. At professional level everyone is working hard. I'm glad you made this point today.

[@thomasanderson9545]

Take all PEDs away from everyone and Lance still wins 7. He only raced the TDF, assembled the best team/equipment and had no weaknesses on the bike (up or down or TT). The rest is marketing, you wouldn’t buy anything if they just told you genetics is the greatest determining factor over and over again. Similar to when superstars like Kobe telling people never to give up on their dreams. Well at some point you have to be realistic (not everyone is going to be a pro athlete) and spend your time/resources wisely. When Lance got caught I was pissed because I bought his books, now I look back and appreciate all he did to popularize the sport. What separates the best of the best is not Dope vs clean, it may just be some of the factors you categorize as myth. #livestrong.

[@Leo-uo9lb]

Yeah bc the tour winners were the only one doping back then?

[@Justs99171]

Winners do want it more. That's not a myth. Winners winning because of dope is a fucking myth. Even if someone won because of doping, then they wanted to win bad enough to destroy their health by taking the dope - and the loser didn't want it as much to make the sacrifice. Your post is staunch with stupidity.

[@chadwells7562]

@@thomasanderson9545All that’s correct except your initial assertion. It wouldn’t be 7, because the dope was an additional significant factor that he was able to outcompete all the other dopers on. He probably wins 3-4 without the juice as he’s lost a previous competitive advantage.

[@joshpain349]

he said take the dope aways from everyone... not just Lance.@@chadwells7562

[@utube7930]

Ive always been in two minds about tapering before an event. The best sensations Ive ever had on a bike was on the last day of 7 day training camp, we did a 7 hour full gas loop around Gran Canaria. It felt like my body had become adapted. It's interesting to hear that there is research to suggest that this is a real 'phenomena' and not just anecdote

[@leodesforges161]

Can you predictably plan to peak like this? Vs a more traditional taper?

[@Clincalbeats]

Problem with excessive iron TL:DR: it will cause liver cirrhosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy and joint disease longterm similar to a disease called haemochromatosis

[@laggypirates]

I'm just here for the B-roll shots of Dylan's quads.

[@palicar]

Congrats on making the 24 GP! It’s fun to follow your racing. Good luck this year!

[@MainUkraine]

Switching your hard intervals to the end of the training block may actually be a great idea. Pro runners do this as well on the track where they do an 800m hard followed by 400m easy then 400m hard and the 400m hard at the end of the week interval is what makes the most gains.

[@MAxilixAM]

maybe WADA should come around more often in professional gravel racing?! respect to you Dylan and every athlete achieving this performance.

[@Schoenwetterathlet]

Us Gravelracers literally reinventing training camps😂 what's next? Going to altitude?

[@mikemaldanado6015]

your results in gravel racing are eerily simiilar to the cyclist in icarus. so now that gravel racing has gone professional with proper prizes and sponsors don't you think there is a high probability that some people are doping? it is cycling after all. thanks for your videos. I don't race professionally, i just like to achieve certain goals every year and since i am in colombia my pharmacist thought it would be interesting to put me on a doping program. Yeah it made a huge difference, especally when it came to recovery times.

[@bababaanarama]

> that some people are doping i would say: doesnt change anything about him >own doping programm? Biggest Improvment gives you EPO, but dude there is a reason for 50% rule, its not to "detect" Epo User, its tries to prevent death over night by thick blood. Other doping substanzes have only minor effects, like low doses testosterone (but look at the sideeffects, small balls, bad own test production).

[@fatbloaterdave]

Of course it’s possible. But untill there is proof all that thinking about it will do is ruin the sport for you.

[@JoshuaTootell]

Replace "cycling" with "professional activity". People just get all worked up about cheating in cycling because we actually don't like it. But in other sports, "If you're not cheating, You're not trying".

[@VelcorHF]

Considering how the standings change this year, I think you had an incredible result. Just keep pushing you’re doing great. Data is just a viewpoint.

[@dhldt1021]

Great video Dylan, Definitely waiting for some better local weather to get out and get a good volume block notched up during Spring, down under.

[@TheGroupRide]

This confirms the way I've trained most of my adult life. With a full time job and all that goes with that I would plan two 3 week blocks per year where I would aim for 20 hours per week for those three weeks. When you're stuck at 9-12 hours this has been a key to my fitness long term.

[@Galaxieguy428]

Same boat here, but only about 5-8 hours per week. I did some of the longer Gran Tour series (FRR and Chase Race) on Zwift last year and hit some of my best numbers after my body recovered weeks after.

[@dhldt1021]

Sounds great, I’ll try two blocks in 2024 and hopefully by October should see some good performance for spring season.

[@timcarnes3467]

when you retire from being a youtuber, you should go full on into coaching. Your perspective and willingness to do detailed self examination are so admirable. Good stuff Dylan.

[@urouroniwa]

Random data point for unfit individual who also has very little experience with structured training and is in their 50's: I need a rest day after intensity. For that reason, I've move the intensity from just after a rest day to just before a rest day. It seems to be working so far (only a tiny bit of data since I'm also battling back from illness *and* a crash). I only mention it because I know that you coach other people, so it might be a semi valuable data point to take forward.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Dylan, thanks for your introspection and honesty in this video.

[@rainney]

hey Dylan, could you cover possible causes as to why some don't perform well on fresh legs? I have the worst performances after 1-3 rest day/easy rides. Which is immediately followed by peak performance + strong legs the next day (after the horrible day). Even being on ~3+ hard days in a row, I'll still easily outperform post rest/easy ride days.

[@irfuel]

You should check out “openers”. Seems they would work well for you.

[@ucanskixc568]

You pick 10 people who are racing year in year out with you, and average their time and compare it to you % wise. That way in the end you can tell if your race was better or worse regardless of your placing. Keep riding, have FUN, be safe!!

[@ישראלשורץ-י2ק]

Your competitors see your video so they also improve 😅

[@x98grow]

I’m 43, 5’9”, 175lbs, 260ftp. In other words, old, overweight and slow 😂. But I still turn these on and listen intently as soon as they’re released. Great content!

[@DwyerGreen]

It would be nice to see some of your plans on Training Peaks reflecting this high volume block approach. Also (unrelated), it would be nice to see a video where you analyze Garmin watch "Training Status". It seems bogus for cycling (ok for tri weirdly), but a science critique would be interesting.

[@erniemartineziidvmmba9220]

Huge racing and a great video as always. You should remove the plaque behind your head and keep that spot clear while you're narrating a video. Would just look cleaner and I can never see what's on the plaque!

[@marcus_velo_9970]

well done mate, you're doing your best, problem is as more pros come into the sport chasing bigger $$s, the prospect that you're racing against doped up riders increases, [hence power numbers, times increasing etc, same as world tour trend] as a clean rider you wouldn't want to base your training regime around what doped pros are doing, as we know its all about recovery and of course the right doctor knows how to address that. unless you go over to the dark side, this is a tough situation.

[@MrUbersven]

Those numbers are eye watering dylan 🤯

[@kenannable4747]

Is Felt a new sponsor? I saw a Felt bike in some of the clips, and it looks like that was the bike behind you during the video. Will you be doing a bike check?

[@justinofboulder]

Yes, Felt is the new sponsor. He has a video up about it

[@kennethelliot8164]

I really wish they would pop an actual mountain bike race in the series. Imagine a technical NUE stlye race to let the MTBrs shine once

[@garysladek9110]

Best wishes for '24. Cheers

[@thewhitecarrot]

You should do a more personal in depth video on your struggles with low iron/ferritin , blood testing and supplementation. This is something a lot of cyclists struggle with but are unable to diagnose or rectify.

[@epicdoge2233]

Have you tried using high molecular weight complex carbohydrates during your races? Examples include Vitargo or Karbolyn. Easy on the gut and quickly digested and a good way to easily get in 500-1000 grams of carbs during your races.

[@trad5790]

I’m going to be controversial but I’m Interested in the conversation that will follow. What exactly is “doping”? If you take iron supplements to maintain a “normal” level to boost performances. Is this not the same as taking androgen or EPO supplements to maintain the same “normal“ level?

[@robertg.5932]

With the good medicine is all possible.

[@IAmRetail]

This is great 👍 wish I could see more indepth into your training. Wish I had more time to ride, I can't get more than 10 hours a week

[@siyz250]

Fantastic channel Dylan. Love your honesty and science approach. Great to have someone like you actully out there doing it. Keep up the good work on the channel and with your training. Si, Christchurch, NZ.

[@MichałFabisiak-j1r]

Dude you are smashing. Both in racing and videos. They are real food for thought and inspiration to my exercise plans.

[@h20s8804]

Stage Race effect is so real, and has always happened to me accidentally. I would love to make it happen on purpose. Good luck this year Dylan!

[@willjones7132]

Do they test for doping in these gravel races or series? If not, you can pretty much guarantee people are doing it, even average Joe's who don't compete in anything do it so they can say to their friends and randoms that they bench a certain amount at the gym, do it to get bigger arms to satisfy their egos (or lack there of), or any other number of reasons for fitness or looks. I really wouldn't put doping past people at any level of racing (or even group rides) among adults, some people are incredibly driven by winning or feeling superior, and feel they are a failure if they aren't in that top spot many of these people will do anything in their power to make it there, including shortcuts or toppers such as doping.

[@jasonrider6349]

This video makes me feel like I'm not even moving.... awesome

[@mattwilliams3104]

I hope you truly understand how valuable and insightful your videos are, especially from a cyclist in your position

[@ac3ys]

You gotta put in the work, bro 💪

[@becksteadmtb]

Can you make a video that compares a vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore diet and how it translates to performance???

[@colinmcc8564]

As an endurance runner I get a lot out of your videos and following your training. Recently finished my first 100 miler averaging 100 carbs per hour, I credit nutrition a lot (having struggled through a 62mi run with maybe 70 carbs/hr). Would love to see you breakdown your nutrition strategy / planning / logistics during one or more of your races. Appreciate all the videos, keep it up.

[@fabuliciouss7208]

How do you fuel while running? I can imagine liquids and gels would slosh around in your stomach?

[@colinmcc8564]

@@fabuliciouss7208 practice is key and everyone is different, but for marathons (+/- 3 hrs) I can do a gel every 30 minutes, gatorade/water from aid stations, but ultras 8hrs+ I do high carb drink mixes (~40% of total), gels (~30%), bananas/oranges and some simple carbs (~10%), and then some things more calorically dense like a snickers bar when I can afford to walk/hike a bit.

[@levbobrov1398]

I'm curious if you have tried beet juice. My mom had issues with low iron, few times had to be admitted to a hospital and I remember that beet juice was like magic. She was tested daily in the hospital and as soon as she would start drinking at least 0.5l per day, those numbers went up and through the roof pretty quickly. Pomegranate is also great, but so much more work :)

[@jfritzinger]

Tremendous. Great video.

[@MainUkraine]

Similar to how our bodies are designed to feast and fast, I think our bodies are designed to train to the point of hospitalization and then take a week or two off the bike. Pushing to the max and fully recovering is the key to any training.

[@McGruffy]

That gcn comment was the best 😂

[@m4giq]

we finally know what kind of bike it is for the new season - nice FELT !

[@jaredj631]

I recently saw your iron supplementation video and tried it and had the best bike ride and run of my life in the past five days. I know that’s not conclusive and I never had blood work done since I started running but this is basically the only thing I’ve changed in my routine. I am especially noticing that I am not getting winded as quickly or easily.

[@milododd]

Great info Dylan. Thanks for the great video. I'm vegetarian and struggle with maintaining iron levels during extended training periods.

[@philipholenstein5685]

Good luck for 2024 Dylan! I’ll be watching every race. Great content as usual.

[@dirkalbanus9242]

I mean, it's more or less your own fault that your opponents got that much fitter, because you're producing these really good videos with all the information how to do it 😉

[@joseott6364]

To get a quality interval day in I need 1 preferably 2 z2 days in a row before. If I do an interval day after a rest day or active recovery day my legs feel so heavy

[@BRZBigInJapan]

Maybe your the only one in the top 20 not on PEDs?

[@leetaylor9368]

Regarding YOY performance for other riders an the gravel scene and you being the same place despite your numbers...are there doping controls at these races?

[@rynkydynky]

I admire how you actually approached the Iron deficiency problem by staying vegan. Some people will blame veganism for this by going back to eating meat/dairy just for the convenience. 💚

[@neilashton9459]

I also have low iron on blood tests and interestingly among the recommended dietary solutions is eating more green vegetables like spinach and broccoli

[@livingwithfshd]

Good to see you showing Matt Beers props as new comers

[@donaldryder5534]

great video - lots of real life info.

[@edlaverack]

Can’t wait for your 2024 campaign💪🏻Even more so after binging the Lifetime KZbin Series!

[@toddgallaher2756]

I hope the level of testing completed with World Tour Riders is going to be applied to gravel here in the US I have my suspicions. Not in your case as I see your consistent.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

The level of testing isn't remotely high enough to prevent doping in the world tour

[@nicholass9000]

Hell ya! Very inspiring to see another endurance athlete who is a vegan! I had no idea you were vegan but always excited and validated by this sort of news from such an accomplished athlete.

[@bestretirementever7931]

Great, informative video Dylan, thanks. I was going to ask about the Felt, but see other had made mention of it.

[@swissmetal69]

Would love to see some info about your diet and how you fuel as a vegan endurance athlete.

[@mikesima9396]

Tour riders seem to have the formula right, I don't just mean with training. Hope your new blocks provide with more of what you want. I also wonder if riders chasing Keegan work together tactically ? Or is the spirit of gravel still alive and it's an individual time trial out there? At worlds, I would find it hard to believe the 4 tour riders who placed higher didn't play thier cards well. Not that you don't keep BH in check, I just wondered if there is any room for improvement there. In any case, we will be cheering you on!

[@seanmoran5973]

Ok, I don't comment much on videos, but this video was playing while I worked on inventory, and I was like - wait, what did he just say? (3x!!) Super informative, well layered, well paced. Having raced Cat 3 for years back in the day - the volume & intensity of some pros now is INSANE (as are a lot of amateurs). I love these looks behind the scenes into racing & training I could never have dreamed of doing. Can't wait to see how your season builds!

[@coreyreeder3549]

Incredible power numbers! Thanks for sharing. Power is like money these days. We don’t really talk about it, but we want everyone to know. I appreciate the honesty.

[@Jhumanghjngg]

Did you get yourself a new gangsta tattoo?

[@CatManDoSocial]

Great stuff, Dylan. Congrats on your continued progress. Will you be doing a video on your new Felt bike setup?

[@MrVrob8]

Best cycling training video series out there.

[@fpgamemearray]

does the felt replace the idea of aero gravel bike for fast races and drop bar hardtail for mtb races? will you get an mtb to replace the lando?

[@MaximilianSterlingTv]

I look forward to your coming season and how youre training for it. But i want to see your equipment checks more and how you get on with your new Felt setups and hopefully another hybrid MTB gravel bike

[@MOSloan]

Great authentic, open content! Great to hear you have overcome your anemia! It can be so demoralizing! Oxygenation of the blood is so important - breathe diaphragmatic deep brother! I found Blood Builder to be a great supplement. Also, world organic chlorophyll was recommended by a doctor friend who deals with post-natal anemia in women. I'm looking forward to seeing how this season goes for you!

[@matthewrepucci3564]

Great content, thanks for sharing and good luck in 24!

[@poerneki]

Great video again! How do you plan that much volumen before a long race When do you taper ? How many days And what to do the last week up to the race

[@mediaburn2]

I would like to see some of these gravel guys do the Tour Divide. A marked gravel race isn't really an Adventure™.

[@Michael-hw3vj]

Your vids and guidance have been a huge help with keeping me on track, motivated, and always aiming to improve. About 6 years ago I started riding with a modest 16mph average. Fast forward and I'm now holding 21-23mph averages on the same routes. I've done several 10k elevation gain rides, completed my first ever 100mile ride 2 years ago. This hobby has truly been the best thing in life.

[@TylerTafelsky]

Good luck this year, Dylan! We'll be rootin for you!

[@TheXeroBand]

So what is your final stance on iron supplementation? If I remember your video with regard to this topic correctly, you had actually discouraged it and suggested consuming it with real food instead. By the way - kudos for that mentioned material, turns out that I had also had iron deficit and I adressed it by eating more beans and soya.

[@JayRappa]

Great video Dylan. I always enjoy your uploads and I’m happy you were able to supplement for maintaining proper iron.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

When your diet is so healthy that you literally need to take pills, in the birthday cake flavour, to make up for extremely common micronutrients. Most of the vo2 max gains are reaped already by lacto Ovo vegetarians, so what’s the reason for abandoning milk and eggs, which are both high in calcium and iron, for preventing bird bones, and anemia?

[@rodrimora]

I'm worried what impact Doping is having in gravel

[@matismud]

Wish they had more of you on call of a lifetime season 2. You’re my fav LTGP contender. 👊🏼

[@DanielHandorff]

Dylan, how about a video on what you eat, consuming enough calories on a vegan diet would be challenging at best, thank you. I'm vegan and struggle to get enough calories in.

[@theradlad4252]

I think if you moved your saddle further up then you would easily break the top 10

[@ZenEndurance]

Needs a reversible seatpost before he snaps the rails at least. Bike choice is definitely smart overall though. Tire clearance like that gives you options for race day others might not get. Wide tires are faster IF also paired with wide deep dish aero rims at their speeds.

[@mavfaria]

To give you an idea, lance armstrong won with 6:28 in 2009(full of enhancing drugs) Your time is impressive

[@mervinscorgie3197]

Well done on your improved performance Dylan. Great content as usual

[@Ginocamaro]

Compare gravel to world tour is a joke even the best gravel rider will not even win a amateur road race in Europe

[@Swilliamandrews]

Brilliant video man! See you on the start line soon! 🤙

[@TheMrbrookster]

I'm surprised back hat Dylan didn't give some solid advise about more drafting to save energy.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Great insights Dylan! Excited to see how you do this year. Very interesting stuff on the iron supplementation video. I myself eat plant based so adding that to my blood work in the future.

[@hankingram6251]

Plus love seeing the backdrop being my favorite gravel road in the world! Love that little climb.

[@jacobdeangelis7702]

Love it Dylan! keep it up dude

[@martinandrews2860]

Fascinating post, many thx for sharing. Good luck 2024……wishing u strong legs and no punctures…..

[@PatrickvonMassow]

When did you do your 2 weeks high volume block? In the 3rd month of your base training? And when did you fit your lifting in?

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

You can check his strava. He really does traditional peridoization, with a build, base, pyramidal, polarized, taper, race, block week, recovery , race, off season type of schedule. Nothing really ground breaking. Although I don’t think he stravas his barbell front squats, you have to go find backwards hat Dylan for that.

[@xuchenglin6256]

I think it's an reversed version of "a rising tide lifts all boats". The gravel/off-road scene is a riding tide, but unfortunately this rising tide also draws a lot of fast riders... Another thing is the diminished return nature of cycling, this sport generally punishes fast riders. More watts equals to more watts wasted, the speed doesn't go as much up. And my another speculation is the off-road nature is somewhat different with road, the drag/energy-loss is not constant, it's comprised of a lot of sharp bumps and clicks -- we know from high school physics (at least in our country) and common feeling that the worst senario is hard-to-hard collision, things just turn into nothing but heat. These things could be eating powers... I suggest you look deeper into this, maybe something like some magic suspension system could remedy this... By the way, it's all felt like an old joke that the rank doesn't move a little.😂 I'm actually laughing now, hahahaha, but don't take me wrong, I'm a huge fan and I love your content! Keep going!

[@hhansen3551]

Not many comments on the bike 😊