Zwift Chasing Yellow Tour: The (very much Delayed) Post-Tour Reflection....

 

this is something I should’ve written in July, but here we are...

So,

December is around the corner..

and I’m just now sitting down to write about my first-ever Chasing Yellow Tour in July. 

Procrastination? Maybe. But, you know,  

it’s not like I've been binge-watching Netflix for four months—nah, 

just reflecting on

my glory- I've been introspecting on my glory days, 

my agony- I've been analyzing every ill-fated decision..

and the questionable decisions I made while attempting to become a cycling 'legend'.


For those of you who didn’t follow my ride in real-time (lucky you),

here’s a quick recap: 

In July, I embarked on a Chasing Yellow tour, which, in hindsight, was basically a 21-stage, mimicking Tour de France, 

'Hey, how fit are you?' reality check. 

Spoiler alert: I’m not that fit. But I managed to finish 14 of those stages, so we’re going to pretend that’s a win?


The Stats (aka 'I Survived and Didn’t Die')

  • Total Distance completion: 604 km (well, nothing says 'I’m committed' like voluntarily turning yourself into a human puddle of exhaustion)
  • Total Elevation completion: 7705m (Cue the sound of my knees crying out in pain, while my calves plot their revenge..)
  • Podium Placings: 10 times (which is far more than I expected)
  • Gold Medals: 6 (Yes, you read that correctly.. SIX!!!! I’m going to milk this like a dairy farm. These are now part of my identity, and I’m here for it.)
  • Average Speed: 32 km/h (faster than my mental breakdowns, but still slower than my cycling ego wants to admit)
  • Average Heart Rate: 153 bpm (because my body was in a constant state of 'wait, did I sign up for this')

The Final Thoughts (aka 'Would I Do This Again, or Should I Stick to Couch Surfing?')

It’s November now, and while my legs still twinge occasionally when I walk up stairs (thanks to almost six rides a week since July), I can’t help but feel a little proud of what I achieved during that sweaty, chaotic months /weeks/ days. 

And to top it off, my FTP — that magical number that tells you how much power you can sustain over time — jumped from 185 to 207. So apparently, all that suffering did do something positive...


and sure, there were moments when I seriously questioned my life choices, but there were also times when I thought, Hey, this isn’t so bad… right up until the next climb, of course...

Well.. would I recommend people to join this grand race tour? If you’re into pushing your body to its limits, screaming at your bike, and discovering muscles you didn’t even know existed, then go for it. If you prefer avoiding pain, discomfort, and all the brutal climbs, maybe find a race with a slightly more forgiving profile.

As for me? I’m already eyeing next year's tour. locking my calendar. 

Probably not on a sugar-based diet next time. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stretch... warm up... back on saddle in a sec.



Catch you later, Pedal pusher!

See you on the mountains, meet you on the podium!


cheers!

Kim



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