![](https://i0.wp.com/cyclingindoors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pre-ride-protein-1.png?resize=825%2C263&ssl=1)
One thing I’ve been doing before my rides lately, rather than after, is to have my protein shake. The reason for this is that by late morning I’m hungry, but I don’t like to eat before I ride. That just leads to a bad time.
So instead I’ve started having my milkshake (raspberry, very nice) before the ride and that, whether or not it’s a placebo effect I don’t know, seems to make me have more energy for the harder efforts.
It’s probably very much not a placebo effect. My very limited science mind tells me that’s probably a very obvious correlation.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cyclingindoors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pre-ride-protein-2.png?resize=825%2C521&ssl=1)
Also today I did another couple of laps of some route I’ve become the Strava Local Legend for. This is utterly ridiculous. Some guy then took my title so I’ve become embroiled in a fight with him to retain the title. It’s a stupid competition, but you can see from the map where I did a couple of loops of the same little lap, just to up my total by two.
How tragic.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cyclingindoors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pre-ride-protein-4.png?resize=702%2C1024&ssl=1)
Lately I’ve been trying to push for a good solid 20 minute effort each ride, and then ease off a bit. I didn’t really manage that today, with my effort not being very consistent at all. However, I did come out with a 20 minute 230w effort, which I am surprised by, and pleased with.
![](https://i0.wp.com/cyclingindoors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pre-ride-protein-5.png?resize=574%2C1024&ssl=1)
I genuinely think that’s as good a 20 minute effort as I am likely to achieve right now. Maybe indoors I could grab a couple more watts, but if we take the 95% of that, it’s down quite a lot. I feel that is reflective of where I’m at.
However I am riding more, or at least longer lately. So that’s a positive.
Anyway, I think that is it for today. I need to go and wash the bike now.