Peaks Challenge
Meet Mich
Each year at Peaks Challenge, nearly 2000 riders set-off from the Falls Creek start line on their own 235km journey. Every rider stepping up to the challenge has their own unique riding story that got them there, and motivation for tackling the infamous “three peaks” loop.
In 2022-23 we followed Peaks Challenge first timer, Mich and joining her Peaks Challenge training journey in preparation for the big dance in March.
Rider profile
- Name: Mich Pasmanik
- Weekly KMs: Approx. 200km
- Bike: Factor 02 VAM
- Favourite loop: Friday Girl Ride loop and Mt Pleasant
- Training program: Low volume (10 hours per week)
- Zwift username: Mich Adventures
Q&A
What do you love about cycling?
I love that it’s possible for anyone to ride a bike and that you don’t have to have the most expensive bike or “all the gear” to go for a ride. Some of the best rides I’ve been on have been rickety bikes where you pray that the brakes work while meandering through rice fields or tiny villages exploring the countryside.
There’s the thrill that comes with conquering a mountain climb and the utter exhaustion after a long day in the saddle. The sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something that you never thought you’d do. It teaches you so many things and I love that it’s something you can do on your own or with other people. Cycling really has no age barrier and it opens up the world to everyone.
Is this bigger than anything you’ve done before on the bike?
Absolutely yes! I only took up cycling 7 years ago so compared to many people who’ve ridden since they were kids, cycling is relatively new to me and something that I never thought would become such a big part of my life.
The biggest ride I’ve done is 200km with about 2000m vert but never 4400m of climbing!
Photo: Kirsty Baxter
Why do you want to ride Peaks Challenge?
I’ve thought about Peaks for at least 5 years but never undertaken it because it honestly just freaked me out. I want to do Peaks because it’s a huge goal, it takes commitment, time and energy and now is as good a time as any.
After the last 2 years of COVID where there were some very tough times, I don’t want to look back and say I didn’t do it because I thought it was too hard or that I wasn’t the “right” kind of cyclist to give it a go.
I think the fact that it scares me is a reason to do it, that I’ve got a support network around me who believes in me and that I will look back and be immensely proud of myself.
What’s your biggest concern before kicking off your training?
Finding balance between rest and training while fitting in the other things that are important to me in life.
I think the nutrition side of things is also a factor that I need to learn about, how to fuel all the training and not eating too many pastries 😝
Week 4 of 16 – Training check-in
Overview
It’s so weird to think I’m nearly four weeks into the training programs! Here’s a little wrap-up of how things have been progressing so far.
Week 1 – A change of scenery
Week one of the training program was great. I rode more than I thought I would and was super proud to accumulate 12 hours of riding across the week. Given that I hadn’t ridden more than a 9 hour week before this, I was so happy to reach this goal.
Completing a fundraising ride on the Friday was a big help in adding to my weekly kms and providing a nice change of scenery on the bike. It was refreshing to be out in the countryside on a beautiful sunny day and exploring new roads with like minded people, all for a good cause.
I did have a “slow fall” that day – which ended up being 1 of 3 in the first 2 weeks of training. There’s a very steep hill near Healesville which starts at about 16% and ramps up to 22%. My tipping point was about halfway up the hill because (rookie error) I got new cleats on new shoes at a bike fit the day before and couldn’t unclip at my tipping point of about 18%. I winded myself, bruised my leg and grazed my knee.
Getting back on the bike (after walking up the rest of the hill) wasn’t hard, but the mental challenge of knowing I’d lost the group I’d been riding with and had to slog it alone until I caught up was disheartening. It was an uncomfortable, less enthusiastic ride to the rest stop, but some food, sugar, a bandage and finding people to ride with again kept me going.
The next day, I did a gravel ride on a different bike to learn some new skills and hit a pothole on a grassy hill – sliding down it for some type A fun. On the flip side, I was way outside my comfort zone, I had a blast and got some km’s in while having a stack (pun intended) of fun.
Week 2 – Riding with friends
Week 2 felt great early on! I have a group of friends that train on Zwift while chatting on Discord and having them as company during training is incredible! We have a rule that to be on Discord you must be on your bike, so the days where I’m tired and think about postponing a morning session, I know that having people to chat to will make it go faster.
During the week I went to see a movie at IMAX and was meeting a friend after work. I was pedalling along outside IMAX with DJ’s playing music, people walking around, commuters on bikes and then out of nowhere I got hit by a skateboarder. I smacked my mouth into his collarbone and hit the deck (Stack 3!). Short story, he was fine, I had a fat lip—that proved that 5mm fillers are not going to look good on me—and spent the time watching the movie with an icepack on my lip. A trip to the dentist the next day, more bruises and mild concussion for a day or so and I was a very sore human!
However, the show must go on! So, I rode in the Dandenong’s the following day and still got the program done. 11 hours and lots of green ticks for the week!
Week 3 – Striking a balance
Week 3 and I’m tired! The body was still sore from hitting the deck. With the uptick in training, a few late nights, and busy days at work, it’s easy to feel weary!
Again, my Zwift buddies were there for encouragement and motivation. There are Zwift challenges to be achieved and sometimes having a friend whose workout is harder than yours makes the whole thing much more achievable. Nothing like heavy breathing to make you feel like you’re doing it easy.
I attended Bicycle Network’s Women’s Community cheese and wine night (not just because of the cheese and wine), to gain some insights into Peaks Challenge from the wave leaders and past finishers. A key takeaway was how to make the most of a rest stop during the event – e.g. planning the order of things (food, water, toilet, etc) before you get there and not wasting too much time thinking about what I need to do on arrival.
Training notes
Having already done some structured training before starting the training program, I did invest in a power metre and it’s turned out to be way better than I thought it would be! I swore that I’d NEVER get one yet here I am – staring at zones, figuring out what things feel like and how to train smarter.
I also changed my gearing to “make me a mountain goat” which has been incredible. Having an extra two gears on the climbs when it feels like I’ve run out is a fantastic change. I’m still grinding up hills but I’m hoping that in 13 weeks’ time I’ve got a slightly faster grind 😉.
Having a solid base of riding has absolutely helped me as well. I was consistently riding about 7-8 hours per week in the lead up to the beginning of the training program in November and that has made a big difference.
My favourite long ride so far is heading out past Mt Pleasant to Hurstbridge and along the quieter country roads. There are some beautiful roads in every direction and being able to complete a loop without repeating a section is fantastic. The Dandenong’s have been a great alternating weekend ride, because it’s easy to get the strength efforts in on the climbs. The low cadence, low heart rate strength sessions have been fascinating and mostly enjoyable – even if my legs ache for a few days after!
For recovery, making sure I’m getting in post-ride stretching and going for a walk has been very helpful.
Nutrition
When I first considered training for Peaks Challenge, I was a bit worried about nutrition on the bike, but I’ve learnt that if I’m eating regularly then all is well. I generally take peanut butter and honey sandwiches on a ride, and I’ve started making my own energy bars – check-out Ben Shewry’s (from Attica) ‘Ben Bar’ recipe which is great.
I’ve been staying off gels because they don’t really agree with me. Plenty of hydration tabs and salt tablets come with me on longer rides as well as some dark fruit cake. You could leave me all day and I probably wouldn’t go hungry because the more food the better. I’ve been trying to add more protein into my diet with scrambled eggs and toast before a big ride and a protein shake afterwards.
Approaching the festive season
There’s so much going on at the end of the year – with friends and family to see, work finishing up and a lot more time on the bike to come. I’ve made some changes to how I arrange my social life such as keeping weekend mornings free for riding. Having an afternoon nap will probably become a priority as the weeks go on!
While my relationships with friends and family are incredibly important to me, I am also prioritising good sleep, good food and surrounding myself with the people that are encouraging, supportive, motivating and understand how I ride.
Now time to enjoy week 4 of training… the first recovery week!
Dr. Stephen Lane
Coaches tips
Weeks 1–4
The first 4 weeks of the Peaks Challenge training program is all about finding a rhythm and weekly schedule that works for you. The sessions in this block are not ‘hard’ or high intensity, rather they are mainly focused on strength and should leave you feeling like you did a workout but you still could do more.
The lessons you hopefully learn in this block of training are:
- How to prioritise the ‘key’ sessions within the week so you can perform at your best during these sessions. e.g. Do I perform better in the mornings or the evenings?
- Where is best place to perform the session so you can complete the prescribed intervals. e.g. Hills are best for strength efforts while the trainer allows you to complete a nice even set of intervals.
- You should have learnt to pace your efforts and find that ‘sweet spot’ that is hard but not too hard so you can’t complete the set of intervals.
Weeks 5–8
The next block of training starts to get harder. It focuses on longer efforts just under your threshold. This is the type of effort that begins to make you faster and builds your threshold power. The key things to consider in this block of training are:
- These long efforts require good pacing. Always start off a little easier and build into the effort until you find that ‘sweet spot’ that is hard but sustainable. Remember the fatigue will build over time. Usually by about 10 minutes into each effort you will get a good gauge if you are going too hard or too easy.
- You will need a good consistent hill if you are outside. These efforts are all about consistent pressure on the pedals. Find the longest steadiest hill you can find. If it isn’t a full 20 min climb that is fine. Just use the hill you have and do a few extra repeats.
- Remember to eat! Nutrition is key to feeling good on a longer ride. Once you start to get beyond durations of 3 – 4 hours, fueling from the start of the ride is super important so you still feel good at the end.
- Don’t be scared to ride more often or ride longer. You should have a good base fitness now so it is time to push your limits. Making the most of your time to train is important so if you can ride more then ride more! Just keep in mind to fuel your body with carbohydrates and also to look ahead to future training sessions. If you have a key ‘hard’ session the next day then maybe extra riding the day prior isn’t a great idea.
- Don’t be scared to shuffle the training plan around so the order of the sessions best suits your other commitments each week. e.g. A long ride mid week is fine if you are busy on weekends.
Peaks Challenge 2023 – A false start…
With Peaks Challenge devastatingly not proceeding in March 2023—due to a landslip impacting Bogong-High Plains Rd—many first-time and returning riders alike are shattered to be putting their #Peaks2023 goals on ice for 12 months.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, we checked in with Mich who has a plan to not let all of that training go to waste…
First of all, how are you feeling about the cancellation of Peaks Challenge 2023?
There were a few things that I’d heard that made me think it was unlikely the event was going ahead, so when the news came out about the cancellation I wasn’t too surprised. My first feeling was actually a bit of relief!
I’d found myself starting to be really challenged by the process. Friends had commented that they missed riding with me because I’d been so focused on sticking to the plan. It didn’t feel unsupported, I just felt lonely. I felt like while I was getting fitter, so was everyone else.
A wise person said that “comparison is the thief of joy” and it absolutely is. I really got stuck in my head for a while and I think that it took me going to TDU to realise just how fit I was and that I needed to add some fun back in to it.
How was your training tracking in the lead up to the event?
Up until the event cancellation my training was going really well. Most of my riding previously was about friends and fun, rather than a structured program. Since starting the training program I haven’t done less than 250km a week with the exception of a week when I got a cold.
For me that is mind blowing. I admired and looked up to people who had that level of commitment and all of a sudden (when I look back) I had become that person. I’m just a regular person with a day job, I love seeing friends and family and never considered myself an ‘athlete’. Doing the program changed my body, my eating habits and my sleeping patterns and maybe being a woman made the changes more obvious.
The consistency and commitment to this very public undertaking was a bit of weight on my shoulders, but I think that I gave it a good crack. There were definitely aspects I came to really enjoy and the Kickr sessions were no longer a torture session but highly productive and focused.
Stephen Lane was amazing in checking in with me regularly and at one point basically said “just go ride more hills”, but I often needed the guidance on the best hills to ride to achieve the goals of each sessions and determine if I was productive.
How will you be spending your March long weekend now?
After chucking a bit of a tantrum when Peaks was cancelled, my friends and I decided to tackle #notpeaks (ride an equivalent route of 235km & 4000m+ climbing), so our training has continued!
We’ve done rides that I never in a million years thought I’d do. A few weeks ago we rode from Warburton to Marysville, up Lake Mountain back to Warburton and up Donna (the Devil’s Double).
The following week we rode from home in St Kilda to the top Mt Baw Baw. I last faced Baw Baw in 2017 on a fundraising ride with TKM and I only made it up 1km. This time, I rode the whole damn thing! I couldn’t have done that without the training, the strength efforts, knowing my zones, controlling my breathing and a very solid pep talk from a friend.
I am inspired by the women I ride with that do not let me quit. We have created a support for each other on so many levels that I can’t express in words how glad I am that we set out on this ridiculous journey together.
Have you got #Peaks2024 on your radar? How will you reset and approach the new year?
Peaks 2024 is not something I can say a solid yes to right now because I know how quickly and how much things can change in a year. Having said that, this is the fittest I’ve ever been and while my habits and routines have changed I don’t realistically think it’s sustainable for me to keep this level of training up.
I will go back to mixing up my training a bit more, swimming, maybe get back into salsa classes and doing other kinds of adventures on my bike. I won’t take up knitting that’s for sure but I would like to sit on the couch and drink more cups of tea, spend more time with family, friends and have a bit more time up my sleeve on weekends. Let’s talk in Spring 🙂
Last chance to ride the legend. Your time is now!
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