關於這一集
What if eating more—not less—was the thing that helped you become a stronger cyclist?
For years, elite cyclist and cycling coach Serena Bishop Gordon could ride for four hours with little more than water. She trained hard, rarely missed workouts, and knew plenty about sports nutrition. But actually fueling herself consistently? That was another story.
Serena started cycling around age 30 after years as a runner and ultrarunner. She quickly moved through the racing categories, won an age-group national championship in mountain biking, and eventually began racing professionally.
But there was one big piece missing from her training: nutrition.
Like so many endurance athletes, Serena had learned to pride herself on getting through long workouts without much fuel. Four-hour rides without food weren’t unusual. She’d finish completely depleted, struggle through the final hour, and come home starving.
Eventually, she realized something had to change.
In this episode, Serena joins me to talk about what happened when she stopped treating nutrition as an afterthought and started treating it as part of her training.
We talk about increasing carbohydrates on the bike, prioritizing recovery nutrition, eating consistent meals, and letting go of the old “calories in, calories out” mentality.And one of the most interesting parts? As Serena started eating and fueling more strategically, she also saw changes in her body composition.
This conversation is such a good reminder that you can have all the nutrition knowledge in the world, but knowing what to do and consistently doing it are two very different things.
What You’ll Learn
- How Serena went from runner and ultrarunner to professional cyclist
- Why she used to ride for four hours without eating and how it affected the end of her rides
- The moment she realized training harder wasn’t enough if she continued skipping meals and underfueling
- Why increasing carbohydrates during training initially felt so uncomfortable
- How fueling more on the bike changed Serena’s energy, training, and recovery
- Why she separates her on-bike carbohydrates from the old “calories in, calories out” mindset
- The surprising body composition changes Serena noticed after she started fueling more
- Why eating consistently throughout the day reduced her intense evening cravings
- How recovery nutrition helps you get more from the training you’re already doing
- Why lunch was one of Serena’s hardest nutrition habits to change
- The simple post-ride habits she now uses to jump-start recovery
- Why having personalized guidance can be more powerful than reading another article or listening to another podcast
- Serena’s advice for female endurance athletes overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition information online
Guest Serena Bishop Gordon
Bio: Serena Bishop Gordon’s passion for playing outdoors and competitive drive motivates her to ride, train and race at the highest level. Off-road racing provides the perfect playground for pushing limits and striving for the next level.
She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, Ben, and her medium-sized pup, Piper, and loves coffee & chocolate almost as much as she loves riding her bike.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
If you’re putting in the training but still struggling with energy, recovery, hunger, or figuring out how much you actually need to eat, you don’t have to piece it together on your own. Apply for 1:1 Coaching with an ALN Dietitian
Connect with Me:
Instagram: @alexlarsonnutrition
Website: alexlarsonnutrition.com
Don’t Forget to Subscribe!
Click that follow button to stay updated on future episodes packed with actionable insights and expert advice for endurance athletes.
Have Questions or Suggestions?
Send me a message, and I might cover it in a future episode!
