I talk with Canadian Pro Cyclist Ed Veal. Ed has accomplished so much in cycling; Collecting International Caps, Winning Races and bagging some pretty insane records but what is most impressive is his outlook on life.
Some much to be learnt from this interview.
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The big question is this, how do we use cycling as a tool to improve our health, happiness and our longevity? That is the question, this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Anthony Walsh and welcome to the Row Man Podcast. Well, well, well, new podcast intro, I hope you enjoyed that, yet podcast is going through a little bit of a rebrand at the moment. It just felt more like the direction we were going, the A1 show just didn't really tell you much about what we were or what we were doing. But yeah, I feel like Roadman and the new intro kind of encapsulates what we're all about on the show. And with that, in mind, a lot of our content going forward is going to be more pivoted towards answering that question. How do I use cycling as a tool to improve health, happiness and longevity? I'm really excited to welcome the first guest in the new Look Podcast, Ed Veal. Ed is all round beast on the bike. He's a former teammate of mine at Jet Fuel over in Canada, raced against him recently at the World Championships on the tandem and he is full beast mode, but he has a really interesting story and it's an important story that I think you're going to get a lot out of it. I was super pumped and super motivated after and kind of redefined the expectations I had for myself. So just before I jump into that, just let me give you a brief word about today's show sponsor. It's JUVE, J-O-O-V-V. And that doesn't spell JU for me. It spells happiness. You've got to stand in front of this puppy every morning. I'm just bading in that near and far infrared light. Incredible benefits. So many peer reviewed studies on the efficacy of this product. It's unbelievable. I was a user of JU of long before they were a show sponsor and I absolutely love it. Increased tests are strong. Reduction in seasonal onset, the press of disorder. Increased skin health through collagen production. It is a beast of a machine and it's an essential part of my morning routine. I'm going to put a link in the show notes and I highly recommend you go and check them out. So if you jump on over to jubjovv.com forward slash a one coaching, the good people over there are going to hook you up with a free gift. Obviously you got to purchase their system. They're not just giving out gifts for free. Right, let's go new look podcast. Guess number one, Ed Veal. Take it away. Ed Veal, welcome to the podcast. Hey Anthony, thanks for having me. Some background on Ed's Ed before he jump in. It's going to run through a few of the impressive and also some pretty bad ass crazy things you've done. You've written in the Pan Am games, the Commonwealths, the world championships on the track of the Canadian team. You don't 5,249 laps of forest city Velodrome in 24 hours. You don't 952km on Zwift in 24 hours. I only found that out today. You have the Canadian error record and also the World Age Group error record. As a former team ADORES I can personally testify that you're a man who corners like he's not too worried if he comes out the fireside in that corner. I can't say that about many people. I gotta add that on my resume. That's awesome. Yeah, I absolutely love carving a corner. How are you getting on? Oh man, it's good. Yeah, going good. I mean, as well as anybody, it's a weird time. Weird time going through right now, but is WIFT has been unbelievable for coping and kind of having to stay indoors and look after ourselves. So, but you were on Swiss. Like I only got on this with last week, but you're even on Swiss like in long time. I know, but it's funny. I don't feel like I have. I feel like I'm still new to it too. But yeah, if you know, it's been a couple of years, but I remember people me tell me about Zwift and I was so hesitant. I remember thinking, what a joke. Like, no, I don't want to be on. I'm not playing bike video games. And that sort of feels like still to me. Well, it is. Yeah. So that's, but I like it. That's the problem. think, you know, when I first started, I was like, there's no way I'm going to like this. It's not real. There's no wind in my hair. You know, I'm not carving those corners. I'm not getting this, the fix that I like. So there's no, that's not going to happen. But how about as the cheat down there? Wait, because I was actually going to soak some context. Me and Ed used to be teammates with Jeff fuel. And then his coaching company has a trade team as well, real deal. But I remember one of the races, Edward, I wore a forcing was the midweek Chris and I actually seen that list that on Zwift, is it Tuesday night or Thursday night? Yeah Tuesday, yep. And I seen you were like 11th or something on it last week and I was just like, man, I was like, the way doping that is going on is Zwift. I were on a sport eve last week. I averaged 380 watts for the first 20 minutes and I was like 150th on the road. I was like, this is fucked. Okay, so I like to, there is a lot of cheating. Yep, I like to give a lot of people the benefit of the doubt. And with all these new people coming to the platform, so many new people with trainers and you know, like your dabbling was, as we have some things, someone who just got up their first power meter, you know, or, you know, they just don't even have the, their equipment calibrated or don't even know how to calibrate. I mean, it is rampant. It is, like I'm getting thrashed daily. And I mean, like when the midweek crit, for example, okay, so you know, the local crit here, we do get some really strong guys. I know same guys show up on this with platform. So I know when I go up against Anton Verbe, what I'm gonna get and he's a boss, you know, but when I show up online, there's 100 Anton's, okay? And I know, and so that's the thing. So I'm used to handling one and I know what it takes and I know what it's, man, it's straight up. Like he's gonna punish ya. but when you see there's 100 of them and a lot of times you saw me get whatever limit. I've been 30th, I've been 40th. This is a race that I win, I don't know, half the time and lap the field and win the handily. And then I go there and I'm getting dummied. Like absolutely, there's last Tuesday, I probably wanted to quit from the opening, from the very first 30 seconds all the way through. Like I thought every lap was my last lap. No word of a lie. Like I was like, I can't do this. And I struggled right to the end and then just got blown up in the sprint. And I'm laying on the floor afterwards and I'm wondering like, who could possibly put me through this kind of pain? And then I go through the list like I shouldn't. And I see this guy rides five hours here. And there's another guy that's kind of like a journeyman master rides maybe eight hours a week. These are the guys that are putting this hammer down. I worked out a local guy, I know, because he has a YouTube channel and he live streamed his YouTube and because you know, you can see the Watts per kilogram. So I worked out his weight based office Watts per kilogram on it and he had his weight in a 40 kilogram. He is not a 42 kilogram writer. That's half me. That's half my body. Yeah. So yeah, that's just my lower half racing. I mean, I would be, my power to weight would be crazy. If I could just cut right at the waist, Oh man, I'd crush on Swift.
So what's going on with someone that's crazy? I didn't even know I'm more of a content creator than a consumer social media, so I end up missing a lot of stuff that's going on. But you wrote 952 kilometers on Swift. What the fuck was that about? Yeah, okay. So where do I begin? I guess I did the four city 24 hour on the indoor velodrome first. Okay, so we did a nice charity event to save the velodrome, you know, as a fundraiser and I went after the Canadian record for distance 24 hour distance. So when that happened, some people that in my circle heard about and said, hey man, like you should try and do the Zwift record as well. And so this guy might do Puy from Splunk. They were having a conference down in Las Vegas and he said, hey, we're looking for, kind of like a show, a performance, come down and collect all the data. Yeah, you come do something crazy for the fans. We want to collect all the data and show what our business does. And so we'll have all these screens showing your distance, your cadence, your heart rate, your calories burnt, and then a map showing how far you traveled. you traveled, so you know from San Francisco and then you know the distance covered and we're just gonna wow the crowd with how we you know manage the data from the performance. So that's that's how it all came about. So and we contacted the Guinness Book of World Records and I can't remember what the first thing they said but I think in order to be a world record it had to be like 1,800 kilometers in 24 hours and people were like that's not what I thought. Well they had these like the Guinness Book of World Records has all these crazy stunts. People do it. I guess someone said with a cadence sensor, like a speed sensor, and that got this really inflated number. So we had to really fight for them to say, hey, that's not possible. Like, that didn't happen in your record book, and there's no way we can do that. So then they came back and said, it had a thousand kilometers is the only way we'd get against world record. And so it's a new category. It's a new thing. We thought, hey, we'll get in the record books. And then they came back with that. It was like, that's like 42, or whatever, that's 41.6 kilometers an hour straight for 24 hours, right? And it's with land, what does that work out? You're like an 80, 485 kilo router? Yeah, I think I might be in there's 83. So I mean, when I, yeah, 185 pounds or whatever that is, like around 185 pounds, so 83 kilos. So what's our mean? You know, my weight fluctuates, you know, if you weighed me today, I'm actually pretty close to that. But like maybe two weeks ago before I started on, like, you know, I I might have been 195. To my weight, I'm always in like a 10-pound window. But of course, if I, when I signed up on Zwift, I haven't touched my weight since. So I mean, yeah, I just put it in the light, Mark, and I stayed there for the last three years. Look, it's a lot more honest than that dude on 42 kilograms. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like there are times if you caught me in the last three years, I'd definitely have not been 185 pounds. So what power are you? I do get there. What priority right now for 24 hours? For that sort of... Average 221 watts for 24 hours. That's solid. Yeah, no, it was work, man. It was not an easy... No, we went after it. And so when we actually felt like we missed the mark, so because we're chasing 1,000, we got 952, it felt like a little bit of a letdown. And Guinness wasn't gonna give us the world record. And so we really went back and forth with them over and over and over, saying, hey, we crushed this. Like there was no, it was like NASCAR pit stops. You know what I mean? Like what barely took any breaks. Like I was on it the whole time as far as like, so anyways, a couple weeks later they came back and said, yeah, we'll recognize it. And so now that 952 is a Guinness World Record for 24 hours on Zwift. So like I've written, I don't know if I've done any crazy long rides, I think, like probably 300, 310 K as the longest trying to ride off don't. What goes on in your head for a 24 hour ride? You go into a dark, dark place. Yeah, but I guess some of the stuff you just, I have hyper focus. There's something that you have your little gifts. I mean, on some others, your life, you miss shit or you're like, the days go by, you haven't contacted anybody. Like I have that. So when I'm in the moment, I'm in the moment, and it's kind of with this conversation. Like, I, when people tell me that their mind's all over the place and they're thinking about things and they're multitasking their head and they're, you know, squirrel, like, you know, having to fight all these different thoughts, I don't have that. So when I'm, I'm on the task, I'm in the task. So when I'm, when I was there, honestly, it was the only thing I was thinking about. So really, we made it quite simple. I had to be fueled, you know, I had to make sure I was eating. I had to make sure I was drinking. I had to take little breaks. You know, a big part of what was the drafting. I had people coming in and joining the ride all the time. So I had to be on and looking at the screen. Like I wanted a blob. Like if for people that aren't familiar with Zwift, the blob effect or the draft effect in the group is massive. So if you're gonna try and average, we know outdoors averaging 41 kilometers an hour, like give me a break. So put on Zwift. Yeah, there's no way, but on Zwift, if you had a good group and you were managing it well, and you always had someone kind of like, keeping the pace high and then you could sit in I mean, yeah, the pace gets pretty good, right? And so that's what I had to be like, you know, there was only a few times in that 24 hours. And I mean, maybe two or three times that I wasn't on a wheel. So it was completely assisted. You know what I mean? Like in order to pull that off, you need help. You need like a lot of help. And I had, they, the, Spunk said there was 260 people that rode with me in the building because they had bikes set up beside me. So they asked me bikes on the last three bikes. Yeah. And so people could just come off the floor. They're at the conference, you know, their jeans and runners and ride beside me. So there was 260 or 270 people that took part in the building. And then online, we tried to keep a list, but it got crazy. Like all like, so on the people I know, like there was probably, you know, 100 to 150 people that just in my circle that jumped in. And we estimate there's probably close to 500 that were, you know, at least came in and rode with me during that 24-hour period. And what's your fuel and strategy look like for us? Well, this is what's wild is another, you know, so I got, focus is a really good thing. I also have an iron gut like I can eat whatever I want. And so, you know, I'm working with different athletes and, you know, teammates over the years and, you know, as sensitivities of this or this upsets their stomach or this gives them gas or I have none of that luckily. So I had a buffet beside me. I had you name it. And so because I've done this before, I, you got to have stuff that appeals to you.
Like you really want to eat. And so it's not the healthiest stuff. You know, M&Ms are sitting there, or if it's jub jubes, or like I literally had a plethora, like it was incredible of what I had. On top of, you know, my infinite drink mix and like stuff that I use on the bike, you know, for like performance. But I also had like, you know, all kinds of real food. So when I did the 24 hour in London on the velodrome, London Ontario velodrome, I, you I had burritos and pancakes and I had some waffles and they even went and got me like a McDonald's breakfast sandwich. Like we're talking terrible, right? But what was crazy and that's what I expected on this 24-hour attempt in Vegas, I Couldn't eat and this is one of the things that we just didn't know would happen. My I guess it was stress I don't know if it was the crowd. I don't know what was going on But nothing appealed to me and I nothing and every I had a gag reflex never had that before before. I put something in my mouth, even just like plain oatmeal, to just kind of like eat something. And man, I struggled that whole 24 hour eating. So that was, I drank most of my calories. So what we did was we just doubled up on the drink mix. We doubled up on this cold brew, which is like a protein kind of like caffeine mix, coffee, cold drink. I would say the majority of my calories was all liquids for that particular ride. And I'm just going crazy here, but what was nuts is everyone just was like, what's wrong? And I was like, I don't know. I've never experienced this in my life. Like I eat like a carburetor, right? Like I can eat all like this is. And then as soon as I finished, it was crazy. As soon as I finished, and I mean like literally I looked at the table and I wanted all of it. I was like, saying that was that there the whole time? Was that sitting there like, and I just started eating? So it was stress. I can think of it as a stress because then I ate all I eat three pizzas I eat I ate two pizzas for sure and then I would just I eat everything there was afterwards so but during no interest or Un-unable when I look at all the stuff you've done Adam We're going to some of the specifics of it and they're like the late age you got into cycling and stuff But an overarching trend that all you can see is you always have the next big target What is that? You need that big next milestone. It needs to be this big shiny object that pulls you towards it. So you can beat me to it? No, no. Not what is the target. What's that need for it? Well, last time I checked, you piloted tandem too, right? So I don't know. Yes, I mean it actually on obviously I didn't listen to podcast and I also been riding the tandem But what you don't know is that Ed handed it to me in the world championships I had a clanger by the day Ed had a good day, but it was bad it was tragic We got me going card and so look who was laughing? Yes, I I don't know man. There's a lot of things that I'm always ready for opportunity. Okay, so I train crazy. I'm ready right now, even with this holding and not having any races till June or whatever it is. I'm ready to go. And I've just been doing that my whole career. So I don't, I might seem like I've it all planned out, but no, that's not the case. A lot of times Sometimes someone like yourself or these wonderful people in my life, they just kind of present something to me. You know, hey, we thought of this when you want to give that a shot. And because I am pretty spontaneous and ready, yeah, I usually jump at it. I don't usually say no. So, I mean, the tandem is exciting. I love the speed of that thing. You know, you put two, like my partner, Lowell Taylor, you know, he's 200 pounds, man. He's got some big watts. So, you know, when we get on that thing together, we get to do it. do some things that I just can't do by myself. You know, instead of doing 400 watts, we're doing 800 watts. And so, I mean, right here, right now, that's exciting. I'm really enjoying it. So I mean, that's the four-course championships. Well, I mean, this is, I don't know what it's like with you at, but we had some other stuff wiped off the calendar. Like, we had to go to Deafy Sportif, which is a World Cup here in Montreal, in Quebec. And yeah, so without that going, like, you know, I would say yes, we haven't officially been invited, but I mean, we've done everything to be invited. But I think, you know, depending on what events on the horizon, you know, we were supposed to go and do some more to kind of, you know, meet the criteria, or at least have the committee vote to send us there. So. And what's your next step if you do go to qualify for the games? If we qualify for the games, no, like are you in the mix of the qualify for the games or do you have to like do you have a certain Oh, yeah, I see you need to hit Okay, so it comes down to the CCA I guess the committee selection and because we have such an amazing parrot Team I mean in our team We you know we're gonna go up against the other tandem who went to Rio and they're unbelievable They're really, we have a really good tandem that we're trying to compete with. But then also internally we have like world champions and we have like, you know, Olympic medalists, you know, we like so, we only have so many spots and all the spots are, you know, going to be sent by other really quality athletes. So I think even what, you know, we can do the everything we can. And then it comes down to, you know, the Canadian cycling deciding who has the best metal hopes. Right. That's hard for me to take, you know, because you're, you know, say me and you're on the same trade team and we're going for a selection on a stage race. And it's obvious that they pick the best five riders for the race. But in this case, it's, there's only, we've two male endurance tendoms, but they might decide to send none of the male endurance tendoms and send a guy in the C5 category with, you know, some other disability because he's a better metal chance. And that's weird because you can't, like, I can't directly compete against him. So it's a strange one to wrap your head around. Yeah, that's it. I agree. So I mean, this is the thing about committing. You're committing to something that's going to come down to a judgment, sitting at a table and people deciding it's not a criteria, it's not a time, it's not a wattage or something tangible you can touch or go after. So I'm with you, man. It's very hard. Very, very hard. So, Ed, we were talking in the pits. Actually, it worked out. I hadn't seen Ed in a few years, and then he's piloting for the Canadian team. And I was piloting for the Irish team at the World Championships in Toronto. And we were chatting about just all war stories about when we were teammates. And I mentioned that day, I'm not sure if you remember, but I was saying when I look back on cycling, especially years, right in full time, there's one or two moments that stand out I was just really proud to be a part of it and one of them was it was Milwaukee Super Week. Me and you I literally just got I think I got to Canada two weeks before that I raced the midweek Criterium I kind of remember I was in top tray and one of the guys racing their Peach Morse he'd asked me you know like hey hey man who are you what are you doing here I was like I'm I'm over for the summer and it was a good piece of impression, wasn't it?
Yeah, it was so good. I was like, I'm over for the summer and he's like, do you want to come? We've jet fuel, we're an ex-Kanti team and they've had the Yellow Jersey here in the Ross in Ireland, so a lot of the Irish listeners know them. But he asked me if I wanted to go to Milwaukee, you guys, did I didn't know any of you guys? And I was like, yeah, sure why not, sounds good. We went down there and we raced and I can't remember the name of the race that you won at. What was that? Oh man. You remember the race I talked about? I apologize. I totally remember the race. Yeah, I do. I do. But you have a name escapes me as well. So to set the same for it, like why I think it was one of the best performances I've been involved in. Like it was just it summed up for me why I love cycling. That's sort of a sacrifice and the winning and losing together. It was in the early break and they were just about to lap the field in a criteria. I think it was only like a two kilometer circuit or something. Real short circuit, I remember. That's a long one, 2k. Yeah, that's a good, that's, I thought it was pretty solid. Yeah. Okay, sorry. Keep on. So it was about to lap the field. And I was in the chase group, which was getting out. And obviously I was sitting on the back of a gun. Yeah, I have a man up the road. And it got to the point where Ed had just lapped the field, but my chase group was actually getting a bit of momentum and we we could have potentially come around and lapped the field as well. And my director said, you need to drop back out of the chase group and get back and start riding on the front of the bunch so the chase group doesn't catch. So we had a great day there and me and a couple other lads riding on the front of the bunch and obviously I don't really know it at this stage and it's a lot of trust to put into a complete stranger but I'm like, you know what, that's what we do in this game. So put all the trust into and I remember coming around the last corner and it was one, I still get goosebumps thinking about coming around the last corner and just hearing the commentary Shouting your name it's it feel it's it feel it's it feel it's it feel And I just I let a little smile coming around the corner Anthony When we shared that moment And relived that you know, and you said how important that was to you that was It was really big for me too because I That was my first year on that team. I'd only you know, I've only been racing a little while I actually hadn't won too many races, you know, and even though I had, you know, sprint and you know, Even that start of that season was terrible for me. There was lots of times where I know I shit the bed And I didn't come through and so the pressure, you know, it was it was pretty cool And then for you to do that and then you know, everybody leave me out and it just was building and building I That was probably when I thought of like we heard that you were gonna come you were coming across or whatever and And I was like, what? And I was in the bag, like we got this. And I got a guy coming across with another group. And then I was really confused. I was like, that's not helping. That's not going to help us. And then we got. And then it was like, no, no. They're sitting up there, they're waiting up. And they're going back to the group or whatever. And I was like, oh, I went from be careful with your wish for it, right? Now it's like, oh, now I've got to come through. And now it's all the chips are down for on ceiling the deal. So yeah, Pete Morris was, I mean, everyone did awesome polls. It was awesome. I remember there was other trains, you know, other teams trying to like lead it out. And I was, I don't know, chirping and fighting for the corners. And it was amazing. But I remember that last corner too was Pete took us in and man, did he swipe across the road and leave me an awesome lane. And I got right to the middle and there was a yellow line. It was two lanes. And I did not even look up. I just, he put me in the center of the road and I just laid into it and I remember staring at the whole line and just giving it everything I had. Yeah, that was an incredible feeling. Because there's also pressure to come locally in Canada with riding for a team like Jeff Field because they've a big rep and I didn't realize it when Pete asked me to go on road for Jeff Field. Like it's a bull's eye on your back. Every bit you move, like the entire bunch is on you. Yeah, well isn't that, see that's a cool thing about not like the history, like that means how many guys before you, you know, killed it and got that reputation and went places and then yeah, you got to, you're showing up with that on your chest. Yeah, it was awesome and I didn't know that until I joined the team as you know, so when people were asking, there's lots of races where I go to, and we're like, hey, is Joe Joe Julie, I don't come in and I'm like, you know Joe Julie, I'm sitting there going like, that is cool. I remember just being like, what did he do to you? Or like, you know, this is years ago, like, you know, these are wounds, these are like deep stuff that, you know, this guy must have ripped your legs off you, to remember his name and ask if he's still, you know, still around. So yeah, I was so shocked. I still kind of wonder what Shiller's up to. I'm like, oh, that dude, he ripped me apart so many times. I'm glad. Yeah, Jeff seriously was my biggest nemesis in the sport. You know, we've had 10 years of head to head, you know, combat, you know, like full on. Yeah. So yeah, Jeff still is an absolute animal, even though he's, you know, dad and kids and, you know, he's a teacher. You know, when he shows up and gets himself in good shape, like, yeah, he's incredible. is incredible. But one of the cool things about that, like I obviously sacrificed that day and didn't guess, you know, personal glory. But the universe is a strange way, or definitely cycling has a strange way of just paying that stuff back for you because we fast forward probably two seasons. Then I'm up the road in Niagara Classic, which is one of the bigger races over there. And I've you behind just blocking and I win one of the biggest one day races in Canada off the back of an event in my mind that happens like two years before. So I think it's a funny way of working. I see you have a seat. That's crazy that you connect those two. Like that to me is wonderful. Like it's so true. And I never saw it that way. But I got to say like you coming down and making a name for yourself and riding really hard and getting known locally. You know, you come to the time trial, you're getting all these great times. You know, you're riding with different teams. You, you come on our team. And yeah, we get up with four guys and I remember you getting away with Jeff and Who was I with I was with Anton you? and and So we both have like an Like an opponent like you know It's I don't know It's like a queen and a queen if we're playing chess or like a bishop and a bishop like you know you you matched up perfectly And then when you got away with Jeff, you know, I was like that's it I was so and I remember just giving it to Anton like you that's the race I was I was so confident that you were gonna you know give it to him and so we are and then you know show the podium with you because not only did you be Jeff I got a and it's a cool picture for your company and it's such a big race to on the podium it was amazing yeah well I mean this is this is where you're doing a little differently than me I a lot of people know real deal racing and they have no idea of a coaching business.
I get that all the time, you know, and that's, that's a fail on my part. But I also, I don't know, it's a cycling team too. So even in those, those years, like in those photos and putting it out there, I think a lot of people see real deal racing. Just think it's a bike team. They don't understand it's, you know, it's a business that sponsors a bike team. So, so we got to work on that. I got to, I got to get some tips from a one coaching. And is the teams that are going this year? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, definitely. We, we did start a new project. called Hamilton United, which is a North American professional team. And then we have Real Deal Racing, which is Elite Amateur Team. So run in two squads this year, which is two squads. I know races. Yeah, like the best. Imagine you know having your inaugural season, you know, for a new team and yeah, no races. So I'm I'm going to jump around a bit in this chat at the world error record. It's something that's always fascinated me, probably for a lot of reasons, so that captivates any cycling fan. It's just that cross section of mental strength, physical preparation, and then just getting the science of it right, getting the pace of it right, getting the fuel and then the days lead up to it right and getting the equipment right. What was that like, logistically to do? Okay, so I've done it twice. So the first time I did it back in 2015, I was full gas with the men's truck endurance program and everything was about the team pursuit and doing World Cups. And so my coach at the time, I told him that I wanted to give this a shot. I don't want to say, I thought it was low hanging fruit. I thought it was something that I could kind of roll off the couch or come out of this program, do the hour, get the hour record and then come right back in the program without any, you know, real prep and that's how I presented it to him. And he said that's the only way I'd be able to do it. He said, if I put any effort into, you know, one hour efforts and that, then you can pretty much, you know, forget my chances with the team pursuit squad. And so he said, if you want to do it like you say you just presented it to me, like you want to just show up, do the hour and see how it goes. And you like your training program does not change that you put no, then by all means. And so we, we, we shook on it and that was it. So I went into that first one, ill-prepared, and it was, I gotta say, it was torture. It was terrible. If I could have left the building, it just kind of did the matrix, like, erased it from everyone's memory and leave. Like, you know, I don't even think before the 20-minute mark, I would have. I was, you know, I've had so many moments where I've suffered that was, I just remember being embarrassed and embarrassed. That was the other thing. It was not only was I suffering, it was Ontario track provincial. There was people on the infield. There was already a crowd there for the other track events. There's people in the stands. There was an announcer, and there were filming it and here I was going out doing 50k an hour and then it just popped. Then it was just like every lap got worse and worse and worse. I was standing, I was standing, I was sitting. So anyways. And the fixed gear gets on top of you so bad. Like if anyone hasn't ridden the fixed gear, when you crack on the fixed gear, it's not like you can't shift up the block. No. It's... I made so many mistakes. I made so many mistakes. Different saddles, different positions. The gearing, the prep was... There was no prep. And so all I can say is when I finished, I think I did 47.5. You know, it was, I missed the, because I was trying to go for the world age group hour record for that as well. I got the Canadian record because, you know, no one did really, like we didn't have a facility, you know, we didn't have like a world class track to do it on. The guy that did it previously, you know, he'd, he'd traveled to Manchester and he's, he's an awesome athlete and that. But I mean, like all that travel and that is not ideal when you're doing these records unless you're staying there for a while. going and do like a week and attempt a race like I think he would have went faster if you know he raised him as well. That's Michael Nash. Michael Nash had it. So I mean and it was 40, I think it was 45 or just over 45. So I mean so anyways that was it. So the second time around though got it I actually put some effort into it and I did some prep and I would say the experience was there's beautiful because I actually never hit my, I never, every time I came around, I was like, I was in doubt. I was like, am I going fast enough? Because I'm not hurting. Like, that's how I felt. I'm like, and then we come around. And so the pacing was absolutely perfect. I was like a metronome. I just stayed at my pace the whole time. And I got to say, I was enjoyable. I was looking around. I could see my friends and family. I feel like the person on the, on the, the infield giving my splits was just like every time I come around perfect, perfect, perfect. And at the end I could actually lift. So I got 48.5, but I finished going, oh my God, I could go so much faster. I could actually, so on one hand I really screwed it up and shit the bed. The other hand I left quite a bit out there. But I got 48.5, I got the Canadian record, the new Canadian record and the hour record. I mean, it is something I want to revisit for sure. Is there a hard part in it? That's obviously maybe a stupid question. The end is the hardest part, but mentally, is there a positional challenge to hold in that position? Hi. OK, so I like driving the bike. I don't know if everybody likes driving the bike, but I like the line. And so that keeps me interested. So I really pride myself on taking the shortest line. And I am looking at these little minuscule gains all the time. It's even with the tandem. I pride myself even like we look at the video like I'm about piloting the bike. So the interest level for me even for an hour of it is to just try and nail the black line or try and take the shortest possible route all the time. And I'm very hard on myself. Like if I just deviate a little bit or I wiggle here or go high or come out of the corner and you know I'm thinking about this stuff all the time. So I don't know if everyone has enjoys that as much as I do, but I loved it. The hardest part, I mean pacing, if you're not naturally good at pacing, then you've got to really rely on the person on the infield, your coach. And it's always a delay. It's always behind. So you're always getting feedback from something you just did. It's not what you are doing right now. So you're kind of making adjustments from the past 15 seconds ago, you know, 10 seconds ago. So I mean, once again, you do it long enough. That's just what you do. And I enjoy it. I think it's great to try and nail it. And getting that perfect, every 15, 16 seconds, you get a perfect, it's like a pat on the back. I don't know if it's like a poppy getting pet or what. Yeah, I know not feeling the pursuit.
I like that as well. Yeah, so you could do that for an hour. I mean, if that's enough, then maybe you should try the hour record. It is for me. Did you look deep? That's all I need. Did you look deep into the tech on it, or did you get too involved in it? Like, like, tar, choices, like drive, shine, chain choices like you're talking to me. Cave man here. Meet fire. Like you've got free speed again there. Did you even ride like? Yeah. No, no, when we spoke at Worlds and you were going to the skin suits of this, we cut the sleeves off here. You know, like you're just like, I'm so dialed and I'm just, I just question myself. I just talked to you for a couple minutes. I'm like, why don't I think of these things? like, why am I not interested in that? I am not. I need to, I need someone else like yourself or coach or support, support staff to the craft of that. What I'm, I love the mental game. Like I said, I love piloting the bike. I'm really into the mechanics of as far as like the pedal stroke and like just being a metronome, you know, like the pacing. I, these are things that I, but as far as no, like researching the tires. I would never even know you need to move over. You didn't even write pieces for the world. I don't think No, yeah, you need to like that's that's that's not that's out of my scope that someone else looking after that We were down the tandem lol lol. I gotta say is way more into that stuff than me He's always researching stuff always looking at things always looking at new bars or you know You know and I have no interest. I'm kind of like I love it Dude, you get us the fastest setup and I will crush myself on that fastest setup But as far as they putting any energy into it now, that's just not made not my thing I remember going to China camp this year and I knew we had aerodynamic tests in there and I had a list of stuff I wanted to get tested like as far down the list is like tested the difference between aerodynamic sucks versus Shoes with the shoe covers over them and it turned out the sucks with a Bond shoes were faster than the overshoes, which I never would have guessed going into it and significantly Yeah, look at the Danes, look what they did. As soon as I saw them, you see them go break the team pursuit world record. They have those crazy paw helmets, but look, they had the cut sleeves with their arms shaved and they had what you said, the shoes with the overshoes, just over the shoe and then an arrow sock. And I was like, right away I'm telling anyone around me, like Anthony told me that was the fastest way to go and look what they're doing. exactly like to the letter of the law of what you told me, boom, there it is world record. So yeah, it's what's cool. It keeps me over. And like, you know, someone will tweak it next year in a new helmet. It'll be faster and I'm fascinated by that constant, like, betterment, because it's just, it's different areas. Like we're, we're obviously as athletes trying to make ourselves a little bit lighter, a little bit faster, a little bit fresher going into events. But this is another area that you can kind of tweak and push as well. What kind of fascinated by that? Well, and that's why I need a team because I'm not. I'm fascinated and I'm so glad there's engineers and these scientists and people that are like consumed by this and just keep pushing the envelope. But in my makeup, I get the benefits of that. I'm looking at my time job like right now with the disc wheels and all the dimples. But I guess I just have a flaw or a weakness that just does not get me out of bed. That's not my thing. Let's talk about your age. If that's not too close to home. You're 40, 40 trade moment. I'm losing you. We have a static. Well, yeah, man. But like 44 in August, like I've made that are 43 44. And the conversation we're having now is a conversation that it's future based. We're talking about, you know, racist are coming up. We're talking about stuff that we're doing right now. Their conversation is like talking to a retired soccer player who talks about their shit back in B.D. But no matter what age people are at, like I'm 36 now and... Oh man. How do you do it? 36? I know. Is that painful saying aloud? And it is painful. But I tell you, I actually draw quite a lot of inspiration from you and other athletes I look at gone. Like, why am I saying like, because I retired for basically two years and came back. And a lot of it was just looking like, why did I retire? Like, that was just like, it makes me happy. Why do you just like quit something that makes me happy? And I tell you, from someone, you've kept your level quite good for as long as I've known you 10 years now. From someone that's had a very low trough, I've had some peaks, but I've had a very low trough. It is for care to get back into shape after you've let yourself slip when you're staying fit It's just the maintenance thing, you know, you're whatever your 10 to 20 hours a week You're good when you're on the way back up again, man. That's a battle. That's a battle that I know a lot of people don't have in them Okay, so that is one thing that I've been avoided never I I have been tied in an illness or an injury or any setbacks and I'm very fortunate. So, I started late, I started when I was 30, okay? So 13 years later and coming into my 14th year, you can look at my training, there's never been a setback or what you said. So it's just been compounding. So just imagine, that's one thing that even with the athletes that I coach or people in my circle. I don't know too many people that haven't had a broken collarbone or some sort of family emergency or whatever, the ups and downs of biking that remove them from the sport and then they have to make this comeback. I have been very consistent and just goes up and up and up and up over the years. I think that's one of the secrets is that if you can avoid that, you know, and I don't know how I've avoided that. I can say with crashing, like I am, I hit the deck, you know, I'm covered in road rash. I've had lots of, you know, close calls, but I've had lots of times where I've gone down and, you know, like, no concussions, no real, like I bounce. I'm very pliable. Like I, when Tom Brady talks about being pliable. Like I eat that stuff up. I, the dynamic movements and lots of range of motion stuff and very flexible. I do all kinds of floor exercises and I don't know if this is just like an old guy thing that I do now and do now. But I do it. I do it every day. And so when I hit the deck, I want to make sure I'm, you know, I use what he says, pliable. And it's, I think it works, you know, like, but what's funny is I remember rooming with Zach Bell, Olympian, Canadian legend. We were at the Commonwealth Games, we were rooming together. And I'm just eating it up. I'm like, I'm in our room with Zach Bell. This is great. I'm going to soak up as much information as I can from this guy. And so we were talking about like he, he's a wrestler. He carried a little bit more muscle on him on him. He was trying to say some of the reasons why when he hits the decker, he's never broke his collarbone or never broke a bone.
And I was like, I've never broke a bone. That's crazy. And so he was saying that about being just an athlete off the bike, doing a little bit more off the bike than just being a cyclist. And so I'm sitting going like, Hi, five and I'm going, yeah, that's the secret. And then I don't know about two weeks later, he fell and broke his collarbone. And I remember thinking like, that's not it. There is some luck, you know? But yeah, no, I mean, there's some luck, right? But there is a lot to be said, I've had this coming back now from like my version two of me as an athlete, because, you know, a true college and stuff, it comes easy because you can do so many errors. But I fell into the old Sean Kelly, never stand if you can sit, never sit if you can lie down, if you can lie down always go asleep. Like I was 68 kilograms racing in France and I was like 70 kilograms or something when I won the Niagara Classic with you. But when I wasn't riding the bike, I was completely like a slug. Like I've done nothing. Like I wouldn't guard and I wouldn't run. I wouldn't lift any weight. Now coming back, it's just looking and going, what was I doing? It's just not a healthy, like we say we're athletes. No. And this is not healthy. Like I got into sport way before I ever heard about winning bike races and just to be healthy and feel good. Yeah. Well, it worked for you though, Anthony. That's the thing. If you want to be the best at being a cyclist, I mean, there are people out there, you just look at their bodies, they're emaciated. They go up mountains like crazy. I mean, they are Are they fragile? Absolutely. Just think of getting sick. Like your body's weak. Like, but can you ride a bike? Yeah. So you're trading a lot of things for those bike races. And that's what comes to the discipline and like being a little crazy for it. So you were right. I would put you in there. Like you did it. And it was amazing. And men riding with you is awesome and winning races. But I got to say, like, I've never traded that. And this is one I think even back then, like I like being able to take the groceries out of the car and walk up a flight of stairs. You know what I mean? And I also think if someone comes into my apartment or comes into my house like I'm going to defend myself. You know what I mean? I've never traded. Yeah, yeah, like I've never traded. I'm not all in. You know, and that's, you know, when I do talk to some of the guys that I've raced against and they want to be world champion and they want to be Olympic gold medals, there are a lot of sacrifices. And so that was one of them that I was not willing to do. I'm just like, nope. No, I need to have a little bit of, you know, like I laugh, like my pose on the podium for years was, you know, flexing my, you know, doing the double bye. The gun show. Over the years. Yeah, the gun show. Well, I don't have any guns, you know, like I'm a cyclist. Like, you know, it's quite comedy. If you, if I were to do that anywhere else, other than around other cyclists, it's funny. I go with a bunch of cyclists. I actually look like I have some arms. If I were to the gym, I would get laughed out of the place, right? Isn't there such a piece in that now for people listening to this? And you know, my clients and your clients, those guys, like, you're not most of these guys, they're not training to be the next Tour de France rider, they're training, you know, to win the local cat to Chris or even the local cat one road race. You don't need to be emaciated for that. Like that stuff, it's been fed to us from that, from the mainstream, you know, it's like the media where we're watching Tour de France's Tour de Flanders. And we're seeing these guys as role models who are emacias. I can't do like, like you're saying, can't lift the shop and out of the car. But I actually think it's a much healthier role model. Like 43, you're still going strong in this sport. It's a much healthier role model to look to someone like you as the blueprint, rather than to someone like, you know, Dan Martin, who's, I don't know, what's it, 57 kilograms? Yeah, I mean, I'm a Dan Martin fan. I'm a Dan Martin fan for this style, the way he races and the way he attacks, not. But like I gotta say, and this is not Dan, this is, you know, any world tour cyclists that I've come in contact with, I see their spine through their jersey, I see their ribs, I see their hip bones sticking out. Sometimes their knees are bigger than their quads. I don't know, I wouldn't trade whether it's vanity, I don't know, I've thought about this. I'm like, I just looked at it, it's not worth it. I wouldn't do it. And that's the thing. So If that limits how far I go in the sport, then that's been a limiter. I just, I, from day one, I'm like, no, I'm not chasing that. But you've never seen your age as a barrier. Like what age did you force break into the Canadian national team? I made the national team at 37. I'm still a year out. Like that's insane for most people listening to this because they're singing their athletic in their head. It's their own self-defeaten nerve of that. Does a guy here you don't know, he's the local fast guy. He's a team out of mine, has been for the last four years. His name's Greg Swinnend. Greg, I don't want to deal with Greg at this service here and make him older than he is, but Greg's around 55, 56 years of age. He has the age group world record as well. He has the Irish era record. He's still a Cat 1 rider, wins 3-4 Cat 1 race this year. He's a team out of mine. He's a beast to stick on the front of Weaver Jersey and a race. Stick him on the front. He's a motorbike. Now, when I talk to a client or I talk to anyone about cycling, when they see someone like him or like you, they always have an excuse as to why, oh yeah, it's fine for him because he doesn't have any kids. But like, I know you, you're a great father. I know Greg. He's a great, uh, like, minus sitting right beside me. So he's here doing his homework while I'm doing this podcast. So, um, you know, I've had a child, he's going to be 17. So the whole time I've had a cycling career, I've been a dad the whole time. Like you have a successful business, you're an international level cyclist. It's when you have someone like you or Greg and you stick them open and you go, okay, well now what's your excuse? Because he's doing, he's older than you, he's doing all the shit you say you can't balance and he's seemingly managing to balance it all. Now what's up, bitch? And they're just like... Well, wow, Anthony, man, I love that you're saying this. I think this stuff, you're better at putting it out there. I mean a little bit unfiltered. I mean, I... This is why I like the mental game. This is why, you know, I'm wondering myself, always trying to figure out why do I continue to do this? What is... what is my drive? What do I need? What am I chasing? You know? And so when I hear like there's a 55 year old out there just pounding the shirt, it's still racing count one. Like it's inspiring. But you know what? I just know No, it's not an age thing. It's more of a, the second this isn't a challenge, the second this isn't exciting, or this doesn't get me out of bed or I don't want to train them out, it's not an age thing.
I'm not chained to this. This is not something that I have to do. But I would say there were times when I first started where people would say you had no potential. I'll never forget that. And I'd be like, what? They're like, you have no potential. whatever, 30 years of age. And I didn't furyate me. Like seriously, like burning really painful, like I just couldn't believe that. That was the thing. I was like, you're factoring in my age to my potential. And so I had these long talks with many people that would be like, hey, it's like trying to make them NHL, you know, and you never played hockey. You never played like junior hockey, you never played like in the NHL. And then you think you're gonna walk on and make the, the make beliefs. And I didn't see it that way. But I was like, it's cool that you do. I was like, I think that's cool that you think that. And then as, you know, I didn't really, I was just a local fast guy. I was, you know, the jet fuel guy. Like I didn't aspire to be, I didn't know where it was going. It wasn't my living. It wasn't, I didn't think I'd be world tour. I didn't think, you know, in the national team, if you back then, I never talked about that. You know, we never talked about national team. That was still four years out. So I was really content just being the local fast guy. But then, you know, I don't know, just like back to what I've seen earlier, but the right person leads you to the right thing or opened your eyes to something or say, hey, have you tried this? I don't know, I really am trying to write a book right now because the story is whacked. How would this pathway to even this podcast, me and you were chatting about how we met or all this? I'd never planned any of it. I never, there was no plan for any of it. Well, like a big thing I'm gonna take out of this podcast because we're obviously all in COVID, locked down at the moment. you could throw it dart at a board. Like maybe we're in lockdown for two weeks, maybe we're in lockdown for the next 60 weeks. None of us know. But this idea of just being ready, because even I could find myself, I was starting to make these excuses, and I'm like, why am I staying fit here? Maybe I should just let this fitness go, and then kind of just start building it back up when I have certainty. But it's just you just keep that level, and then you're ready when there's a Winston-Chorachail quote, I'm gonna butcher it now, because I don't have it in front of me, but it's like, fate comes and knocks on everyone's shoulder once in a while and on what a tragedy it is, if we're unprepared or unwilling to accept that, no general shoulder. I love that stuff, okay? I saw a tweet the other day and I'm gonna butcher it, not do justice, but it said something about, you know, when this is all said done, no one knows when it's gonna end, but the premise is who used this time the best? That's it. Some people are going to pull up the video game, some people are gonna pull up a book. Some people are gonna, you know, lay on the couch and say, why is this happening? This, I'm so mad and miserable. And then someone else is gonna go, you know what? The second these doors open, the second I'm set free, watch me. Watch me. Okay, let's show it up. And yeah, man, and that's the whole thing. And I'm struggling that with, I had a Zoom call with my athletes the other day and I really wanted, you know, that was the whole thing. It's just, you know, see their faces and, you know, the laugh and share and we're all in this together. It was the message. this together. But it's like what do you do at this time? And I have people that I love and they are mentors to me. I look up to you and they're not riding their bikes because they're just they don't know they can't cope and it's very overwhelming and I'm like it is for everybody. But man, the bike has been therapy to me. The bike has got me through everything and continues to do so. So I did the opposite. I'm struggling over here. I'm like I never planned so much this year. Like with the Olympics and like every race and like trying to intertwine the whole thing. Like I, this is the most detailed if my training plan has ever been wiped clear. And so what do I do? I'm like the very first week. You know, I just, you know, I wrote 38 hours. I never set all my records, set all my time records. I click into yours because I said, I just set up Zwift like two weeks ago. So I'm flicking around looking for people I know I'm like find Ed, click into his profile. And in the last seven days, it says Ed is ridden like one day at 10 hours or something. I'm just like, what? Here's what they're trying to do. And day is in a seven day period. Yeah, well, the what? Okay. So the coaches and everything gave us a free so the national team coaches are kind of like, you know, flexible and, you know, they just want us looking after ourselves and they don't want us going too hard and hard. And they, but it really was like, you know, do what you please, you know, like that was what I got from. I was like, what did you just say? Like, do what you like. Let's get through this. And I'm like, OK, if I'm going to do what I like, I'm cranking it up. And what I want to do is I wanted to get, inspire a bunch of people. I'm like, hey, I'm going to go and do 200k a day. I did six 200 kilometer rides. And then I cranked up. I did 205. I did 225. I did 245. I did 265. And I think the last day, I don't know what I did. But it didn't matter. The point was, on those rides, so many people join me. And they went and did their distance record, or their time record. I know the distance is inflated on Zwift, so it's not real. It didn't really ride 200 kilometers because it was Zwift 200 kilometers. But if I did a six hour ride and then I did a six hour ride and then it was a seven hour ride, what happened was all these people joined in and said, hey, I'm gonna ride with you. And I'm gonna set a distance record. And that's my fuel. That right away, I was like, let me get this straight. So I'm out there having fun connecting with people, meeting people, like chatting on the forum and like getting some of my stuff taken care of. And then afterwards, I get all these like, rewarding like response to saying, hey, you might not know this, but that's the farthest I've ever ridden or the longest I've ever ridden. Thank you so much. And right away then I'm like, okay, it was worth it. Right then, I thought it was worth it. So if someone says what you've nut job, what are you doing, 38 hours? I'm like, hey, not only did I do 38 hours, I, you know, half a dozen people or a dozen people, they all set their records this week too. You know, and then, you know, I don't know, that's one of the kind of things I sleep at the well at night. I'm like, sorry. It's the exact same thing that motivates me while I do this, like, get messed, like, you know, you put anything out on the internet. You're always gonna get a portion of people who are just dickheads and want to abuse you. But you get the fuel from the people who come back out. You know what, that video or that podcast, it really was the spark I needed to get going.
Like even the coaching guys, like people are saying, why don't you go back to law? Like what are you doing working coaching guys and running a coaching company? Like the motivation of how well I sleep at night when I get a client's going. You know what, I'm loiter than I've ever been. I'm happier than I've ever been. relationship my messes is better and it's ever been like we haven't had sex in three years I'm back on sex twice a day I'm like for this shit's really you know it's like that's bigger than just like you know what my FTP it has such a powerful effect on every aspect of our lives yes okay so that's see this is this is a new you so I got to start listening to some of your podcasts because I think I have an idea of you in the past and this is to me this is a you know evolving. This is a new entity. So maybe it's always been this way and this is just, you know, you're sharing it more. But when you talk about the science and the engineering and like the details in that, that's, I don't know, that's the kind of path. I know it's not the same, but that's where I'm like, oh, that's, you know, that I like the other, the very light and airy, the therapy, and you know, the energy and like how wonderful you feel and it brings out the best and best in and people, right? So I know you can do both, okay? But when I think of some of the people I've been surrounded with that really ruin the sport, you know, they take it, they are alumps and they are not eating properly, they're starving themselves. And they are just addicted to their power meter and they're really ruining like all the things that I enjoy. And so I look at it as a hub, it's very social, brings people together, like all shapes, sizes, abilities, that's why I have these clubs, that's why we would do these races. I know that I've kind of taken it to another level but no one else has to. No one else has to. They look to me and say, I've kind of ruined it and made it my job where I've had some days where I don't enjoy it that much and I'm very disciplined to continue because I got these big goals. But for the most part, cycling is, it's like riding a bike. It's not high performance. So that's the thing. I'm very fearful of anybody that tries to drag me down that path. And that's one of the things where it comes to cheating on Zwift. No, I'm not cheating on Zwift to friggin' win bike races. I can actually go to bed and get 30th. I'm actually really good with it. And no one, they don't get it. Like people are pissed off. You see this guy, you see this guy, he's cheating this guy's. It's the same thing with drugs. Like I'm like, ah, I don't give a shit. I never have not interested. And I just could never even imagine. You know, it's not worth it. I will actually, I'm not really okay with whatever place I get is, you know, as long as I'm clean and I can look my family in the eye and anyone around me, there's no special potion and I'm not even looking for it, right? So I mean, these are all these little, yeah. When I flicked back into the sport, I definitely had a change in mentality. So like we haven't even spoken with this, but sure, since I've been a vulnerable usher a bit, which is, so I went away from the sport and I taught, like, anyone coaching was going, okay, but you know yourself coaching, it's up and down, it's turbulent. So I was like, right, I'm this, I'm not going back to law, I'm this businessman. So I need to figure out how to bring in like two tree streams of revenue here. So I set up a social media marketing agency, that started going well. We heard a bunch of staff, I bought an office and put some staff in there, and then I bought a cafe and I work and run an A1, the cafe, the social media marketing and saying, and another sort of consultant and other stuff. And like I just found this like, fuck, you know, like I don't like to use the word depressed because that seems like it's a destination. I more or see it like it's a continuum. And we're all on this continuum somewhere from, I'm super happy or it's maybe mildly stressed I'm sitting in traffic to I'm gonna blow my brains out and we're all on that continuum somewhere. I was definitely further up the continuum than I had been previously and I was just like you know what I'm not as happy as I used to be and then chatting to a buddy of mine who's going to mentor us and he's just like he's in his 60s and he's built some massive businesses and massive success for an entrepreneur but he gave me some mental advice he said just press pause on fucking everything. He said, so I was like, seriously, and he's like, press pause on it all, and just focus on figuring out what the next step is. So I sold the marketing agency, sold the cafe, put a one coach on pause, didn't cycle. And I just literally focused on what's the next step here, what brings me happiness. And I came to, I boiled back to one question, and I was like, how do I get cycling into my life again? And then more specifically, how do I use cycling as a tool to make me healthier, to make me happier and to make me live longer. And I just focused on that with laser focus. And it's been the best decision I ever made. I'm so happy, seriously. I'm not that you, you know, whatever happened business-wise, that it's terrible. And the pause is a great way to call it. But I've done that myself. And, you know, I have these thoughts all the time of like, if I had one wish, you know, like, if, you know, my, I had one wish and I wanted to help under the healthy boy. I got it. So everything else is a bonus. That's how a lot of times I would look at life. I mean, it's, it's not for everybody. But I, I'm like, if I had, you know, all I wanted was a healthy son, got it. Everything else that I do is like, whoo, and I'm getting emotional. But I think of that. I've never gotten through speaking engagement without crying in here. I think it's good luck getting through a podcast a little bit in the sense. But the, I think of that all the time when I think about my health and it's trying to get, you know, like other people to understand, but it's, this is why I don't chase money. I've been around so many people that are like, you know, oh, you could have this or you could have that like financial success is not even in the radar. Like I just need to get by. You know what we understand this is how we you know you got to pay the bills or we got to have rent you get it But I'm not that's not for me and I don't understand why people are after that It's I just don't get it. I don't and so I'm the oddball. I'll be the oddball till the day I die. I don't care. I'm chasing a lifestyle. I I Want to share that to any many as people that can listen if they look to me and go why why you seem so happy or why? Why man your life? It's like all these choices like I may made these choices They're hard choices and there's things that you have to give up to get this freedom But when you get like a little bit of freedom you get to go to ride your bike or you like it's it's a Monday Here at noon and I'm talking to you on the phone for an hour like not everybody gets that Okay, they don't get and when you call me up and say hey Can we do this call and I'm like like yeah, you tell me what works for you and I'll make it happen Not do you know how many people's calendars are not they don't that freedom to me that?
Spontaneity that is worth everything. It's fantastic. Like I just can't share that enough to people. And then with your time, when you take these pauses, you say, what would my ideal deal be? A day be. And I don't think I've ever heard anyone say counting money or moving gold bars from one side of my room to the other. Like, you know, like what do you do with this stuff stuff? Like, once you've masked like your little possessions, then what? You reel it, make it real simple. Yeah, I want to have real deep connection with people. You know what I mean? I want to have a hobby that excites me or makes it fun. You know, I want to have some sort of like purpose. You know, I want to give back. You know, I want to like, and so once you do that, I'll be like, okay, so all this time that you have during the day, how much are you doing that to get there? None of it. We can go through it all. And so I've had great mentors too. You know, I've had business mentors that say, everything I do there, like how does that make you money? Okay, I love that in the beginning. I love it. I was like, great, I never thought of that way. Yeah, I'm doing a lot of things that don't make me money. And then I'm like, actually got to get rid of you, because that's not my purpose. That's not what I'm doing. Sorry, you've been wonderful for business. But as far as my lifestyle, this other part of my goal, goal, not in line with anything I'm thinking about ever. I don't wake up in the morning and go, how does this coffee make me money? How does sitting outside in the sun making me money, washing my bike, having a great relationship. I chase love. I have this unbelievable partner right now and she came out of nowhere, but you know what? She didn't. I purposely did this pause and was like, I want love. I want, I know what I want. Okay, I'm gonna break it all down and I'm going after her and I found her. And now I'm like, you know, I would tell anybody if you do what you just did, like, you know, so anyways, I'm rambling all the place, but I'm so wonderful. I'm so happy you were on the same page now. Like you're, you know, you're coming around. And to wrap it up, one last question for you. What does the future look like for you? Any big plans? Any don't even have to be cycling? Ah, I think, man, I'm ready for anything. I love these stunts. I've done a couple of these cool stunts with the 24 hours and that. Without giving too much away, that's not the secrets, but I would like to go after the land speed record. I think that would be fun. Get behind a drag car and on soul flats and try and do 300 miles an hour. I ram, I definitely want to do Race Across America. We've got to come and do a Race Around Ireland. very similar to race for us, America. Okay, so there you go. See, that's how this stuff happens. It's crazy. I've sort of got him on the tandem with Peter Ryan. He rode last year. And man, it like it ruined them. Like he couldn't get a hard on for a month after he was real. I'd love to have that problem. No, I got the other problem. Maybe that'll take care of one problem. No, that's not an issue. But yeah, that's the, yeah, anything like that. I want to do some craziness. I really, I love the stunts. I love performing. I love the bigger the better, the bigger the audience, the bigger the crowd, the bigger the reaction. Like when, you know, I love when you're like, what the fuck? You know, I don't know. I wish I could pinpoint why, but, you know, and that's just opening people's eyes and myself. like, well, what you can accomplish, you know? So, and it doesn't have to be bike specific. That's the thing. I am open to moving on and doing something else. So, but in the meantime, going to the Olympics would be checking a box, you know? Paralympics would be insane. And if anybody out there has a pitch, needs a crazy, ready athlete that's right now could flip a car. I mean, I'm willing and able. And where's the best place for anyone listening to go follow your journey or check it out. Well my nickname since high school has been real deal, veal and so that's my Instagram handle and we put a lot of stuff through that. You can find me on Facebook or website or our team is real deal racing.ca or realdereacing.com I don't know and then our new team you know unfortunately I have no braces to promote but really excited about this new project. It's HamiltonUnitedProSickling.com. So yeah, we've got an unbelievable roster of people and really want to change the way racing is in North America when we get the chance. Who knows when that'll be? Yeah, it was a pleasure. Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it. That was a lot of fun. Enjoyed it. I'm absolutely pumped. That interview from Ed was a beast. I was emotional at times and I'm inspired to just get on. I'm gonna do 200k on this weekend, just for Ed, that was Epic. He is just so pumped every time I chat with Ed. It's just amazing the life choices that he's made to get himself into this perpetual state readiness. And it does come, like you said, or a sacrifice, but Epic, Epic. Let's wind it up there. I'd like to thank today's show sponsor, JOOVEJOOVIVI, go over to JOOVE.com forward slash A1COUCHE and we're gonna hook you up on a free gift when you get your magical red box of sunshine, light and happiness. Thanks for listening, I'm amazing guests in the quite line so make sure you subscribe and do all that cool stuff from the viewer if you haven't already because the podcast is here, turn up and gear. Thanks for listening, Jump this out.
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