{"id":204570,"date":"2026-01-20T11:06:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=204570"},"modified":"2026-01-20T11:06:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T11:06:19","slug":"why-is-everyone-suddenly-training-like-a-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/01\/20\/why-is-everyone-suddenly-training-like-a-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Everyone Suddenly Training Like a Pro?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It starts innocently. Someone mentions a training block. Another casually drops their HRV score like it\u2019s small talk. Before you know it, your group chat is full of lactate thresholds, recovery metrics, and arguments about the correct zone for threshold work (Zone 3? Zone 4? Zone 94?).<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And you \u2014 once a happy little gremlin riding for croissants and sunsets \u2014 begin to wonder: should I be doing four-a-week interval sessions too?<\/p>\n

The cult of the structured ride<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Somewhere along the line, cycling became\u2026 serious. We downloaded apps. We started naming rides \u201cTempo Build Wk2\u201d instead of \u201cLoop With Ducks.\u201d We began referring to our legs as engines.<\/p>\n

And yes, metrics are cool. Structure has its place. But it\u2019s getting harder to find a rider who\u2019s just vibing anymore. Everyone\u2019s got a plan, a coach, a nutritionist, and a resting heart rate lower than your sense of self-worth.<\/p>\n

What happened to the chaos ride?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Remember the ride that had no plan?
\nWhere you stopped for coffee.<\/a> Then stopped again for another coffee. Where you rode a weird hill because it looked like a good idea at the time?<\/p>\n

That ride is dying. It\u2019s being replaced by \u201cSorry, can\u2019t. I\u2019ve got sweet spot today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"the-unspoken-rules-of-the-coffee-break\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n Socialising and Culture<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n \n

The Unspoken Rules of the Coffee Break<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

You are not being hunted by Jumbo-Visma<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is your seasonal reminder that unless your rent depends on watts per kilo, it is still legal, and in fact highly encouraged, to ride for fun.<\/p>\n

Not everything has to be a fitness gain. You can ride to feel wind in your ears. To see if the sheep are still in that one field. To process the weird thing your boss said in a meeting.<\/p>\n

You are not morally superior for peeing in your own kitchen between intervals.<\/p>\n

Signs you\u2019re in too deep<\/strong><\/h2>\n