John Gwite's Long Ride to the Finish Line

John Gwite came fifth in the Race Around Poland, the fastest time recorded by an Indian rider

- Shail Desai

"The distance alongside the elevation gain makes it a tough ride, so I knew I wanted the experience," Gwite says. The day job with a consultancy firm meant that he could dedicate about 10 hours over six days of training. Most of his workouts were planned indoors to efficiently manage time. Three days of cardio revolved around power workouts on an indoor cycling trainer and spot sprinting with a weighted vest of 15-20kg. On alternate days, he would take on strength training sessions. Most of the endurance work was done during brevets on the weekend, ranging from 200-1,000km. It was also when he honed his climbing skills during a few rides towards Mussoorie and Nainital.

"The big difference while preparing for this race was the increase in intensity and maintaining continuity of the workouts," Gwite says.