And what was the first lesson? There is no perfect training timetable and fixed routine when you have two children. During the school holidays especially, Melanie has had to become an expert in finding opportunities wherever they appear. “I basically train whenever I can find a time window. I have a plan on TrainingPeaks that I follow,” she says, fitting road cycling, MTB, strength work, hiking and swimming around day-to-day life.
Sometimes, the solution is not to choose between training and family, but to combine them. She relies on people around her who have experience in the sport for advice, including her brother. A hike or swim with the children keeps her moving without taking her away from them for hours. It is a practical reminder that consistency does not always mean following the perfect plan – sometimes it means making the most of what you have. Staying focused has proved to be another thing to work on. “I can get very easily distracted by the beautiful surroundings when on the bike, but tracking my rides helps a lot.”
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Fuelling and recovery, meanwhile, have presented a different challenge. After noticing a dip in performance, Melanie realised she had not been giving her body enough. “When your nutrition isn’t quite right, your body definitely lets you know,” she quips. Sleep is another work in progress, but she has learned that recovery deserves the same attention as training itself.
The physical demands have also been greater than expected. “I underestimated how much the training would demand from my body and how much fatigue can build up over time,” she admits. Add lengthy rides and the time required to create content around them, and a training session can consume far more of the day than its duration suggests. But the fatigue is beginning to pay off. Melanie is getting faster and, after feeling stuck for a while, has started to sense real momentum. “I am definitely starting to feel that things are moving in the right direction, and I’m happy to be moving out of the plateau.” More surprising still has been what she has discovered about her own personality.
“I never thought of myself as a particularly competitive person. I would normally shy away from situations where I had to compete with others,” she says. Yet competition is proving to be a powerful motivator. Rather than avoiding comparison, she now finds herself using it to push harder and improve – and enjoying the feeling.
That may be one of the biggest transformations of The Unseen Stage so far. Melanie is not simply learning how to train for L’Étape. She is learning how to make room for ambition within a busy life – and discovering that the competitive fire she once didn’t think she possessed might actually help carry her towards the finish line.
Don’t forget that you can vote on Melania’s success on our dedicated The Unseen Stage website!