How to Build Endurance Without Running

Gday Mate,

Typing this one out from the streets of Boston 🇺🇸—my first time spectating a major marathon, and the energy was absolutely electric. It reminds me of why I love these events so much. If you have never been keen on running a race, go cheer, it will fire you up! Whilst your HR does not spike as hard as the runners, you are still giving your lungs a workout. It reminds me of why I never train in true zone 2 on the bike and only in zone 1. Even though your HR may be low, you can still be exhausting your physical state, impacting your recovery and ultimately your gains. Let me explain… 

In this weeks Newsletter (4 min read)

🫁 Zone 1 vs Zone 2: Why riding easy isn’t always easy
💪 My free NYC HYROX panel on 5/1 (come through!)
🍝 A pasta recipe to fuel those long runs!

If your mate has been doing zone 2 training wrong, send them THIS link with a mate who would be interested and make sure they accept to get a referral prize!

🚴‍♂️ Zone 1 vs Zone 2: The Mismatch Most Athletes Miss

If you caught The Secret Sauce to Endurance & Longevity Newsletter I wrote, you know Zone 2 is a cornerstone of performance training. It’s that 60–70% max heart rate range—easy enough to hold a convo, hard enough to stimulate mitochondrial growth. Done consistently, it improves fat metabolism, insulin sensitivity, cognitive health, and cardiovascular performance.

But here's the thing…

When you're running, holding Zone 2 feels smooth. You’re breathing easy, your form is natural, and the stress is distributed across your whole body.
When you're cycling, though? Totally different story. Your legs get smoked—way before your heart rate even registers strain.

That’s because you're loading a more localized muscle group. Your heart says "we’re chillin’,” but your quads say “we’re dying.”

💡 So What Should You Do?

As noted in my instagram post last week, Here’s my recommendation for the bike:

➡️ Aim for Zone 1—not Zone 2—on your aerobic rides.
You’ll still get the mitochondrial benefits without overloading your legs and compromising recovery.

If you’re skeptical, try this experiment:

1. Calculate your true Zone 2 HR (use a lab test, or MAF method).

2. Ride at the low end of that Zone 2 range for 60 minutes.

3. Now do another ride 10 bpm lower—classic Zone 1.

4. Compare how your legs feel.

For me, my true Zone 2 is 131–141 bpm. But when I sit on the bike at 131, my legs are toast by minute 40. Instead, I ride at 124 or lower, and I can double up, recover better, and still improve my endurance engine.

How I program my zone 1 bike rides

During my marathon block, I peaked at 95km of running in a single week—but I also added an extra 3 hours of Zone 1 cycling across that same week. At first, I wasn’t sure if it would make a real difference… but it ended up being a game-changer for my aerobic base. I’d throw on a YouTube podcast, keep an eye on my heart rate, and just spin. I had the time to knock out three 1-hour sessions, but even if you can squeeze in 90 minutes total across the week, that’s a win. It adds up.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday PM sessions were where I put them

🗽 NYC HYROX PANEL — 5/1 @ On Flatiron

If you’re in NYC, I’m putting together a panel to help you prep for race day—whether you’re doing relay, doubles, or going full savage in Pro.

This is about giving you the strategy, confidence, and tools you need to crush your goal—just like this newsletter and the YouTube channel.

🗓️ May 1st ⏰ 7:30pm
📍 On Running Store – Flatiron, 162 6th avenue, NY, NY
🎟️ Free RSVP CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Come hang, bring your questions, and let’s sharpen your game.

🍝 Recipe: Creamy Tomato Pesto Pasta

This has become one of my favorite pasta dishes before the long run. Low in fat, high in protein but still creamy without the cream. Check out the recipe HERE

Quick Notes

🏃🏻‍♂️ Less than 5 days until the London Marathon, The chicken has been prepped it just needs to cook 😎 Thank you for all your support

🎥 A Full week of training for a sub 3 hour marathon is out on youtube, if you want to see the block click the link HERE

👊 Congrats to Lee Miller for winning the Hone test after providing the most referrals to the Legendary! you will be getting a full blood panel done!

DC

#EatGoodFeelGood