Starting the Innovative Fitness Autoform Cycle Club was the best thing I could have done as a new coach starting up with IF. I had the opportunity to work with passionate members who were dedicated to preparing for the Tour de Victoria, where we all got to complete an extremely challenging race together. In early June we started riding together on Wednesday nights and Sunday morning, and we did so throughout the whole summer. We completed our longest training ride on June 25th of 110 KM from IF kits to Deep Cove, Lighthouse park, then around UBC.
In July we had ex-IF coach Aaron Dobie come in and give us a physiotherapy presentation that went over cycling injuries and preventative stretches and exercises. We also had dietitian Terry Lok come in and provide us some cycling specific nutrition advice on how to fuel pre, during, and post race. Our training continued through the summer and we consistently had all cycle club members showing up to our rides.
Then the big weekend came, The Tour de Victoria.
On August 24th, I took the ferry over to Victoria first thing in the morning and had a three plate all you can eat buffet breakfast as I carbo loaded for the longest endurance event of my life. We spent the day adventuring around Victoria and checked out the Sooke Potholes Provincial Park. That night the ten of us all got dinner at Zambri’s, an excellent italian restaurant in Victoria. The next morning I was all jitters as I chowed back a giant bowl of oatmeal and an extra large coffee. We all met in front of the British Columbia Parliament building and my jitters cooled off as I knew that this is what we had all been training for, that with this team I had been cycling with, week in and week out– I could do this.
The Tour de Victoria was hands down the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. Being a rugby player, my aerobic fitness is nowhere near that of a cyclist and the last 40 KM’s of the grueling and hilly 140 KM race had me cramping like crazy, but I managed to power through the finish line with a smile on my face. After a giant mexican lunch at Cafe Mexico we headed to the ferries to catch our ride back to the mainland, as I ate my ice cream cone at the ferry terminal I was left with one thought: “What an incredible experience!”
Patryk Zuk
Professional Training Coach
Innovative Fitness Kitsilano
