Why I’m Skipping the Rapha Festive 500 This Christmas (and What I’m Doing Instead)

The Rapha Festive 500: 500km in 8 days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It’s a cycling badge of honour, but this year, I’m saying “no thanks.”

Here’s why I’m skipping it — and what I’m doing instead.

The Holiday Stress Cocktail

The festive season is already a perfect storm of stressors:

Late nights with family and friends.
More alcohol than usual.
Heavy, rich foods that leave you sluggish.
Colder weather that tests your immune system.

Adding 500km of intense riding in just over a week? That’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. It’s not “hardcore” — it’s reckless.

The Hidden Cost of Overtraining

The Festive 500 pushes your body into survival mode. Here’s what can happen:

Weakened immunity: You’re more likely to get sick.
Muscle breakdown: Limited recovery time means less strength retention.
Burnout: You start January feeling drained, not motivated.

The irony? You’re supposed to kickstart the new year feeling strong, not nursing fatigue or illness.

What I’m Doing Instead

Want to actually come out of the holiday season ready to crush your cycling goals?

Here’s my plan:

1. Prioritizing Rest and Recovery

Sleep more: I aim for at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.
Taking rest days: No guilt, just intentional downtime.
Relaxing with family and friends: Quality time matters as much as training.

2. Building Strength with Weight Training

Full-body lifts: Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are key.
Training 2-3 times per week: Consistency beats intensity.
Core work: A strong core means better cycling efficiency.

3. Doing Light Zone 2 Training

Easy rides: Keeping my heart rate low and steady.
Mixing in running: If the weather’s awful, I’ll swap a ride for a light jog.
Short sessions: 30-60 minutes is plenty.

The Big Picture

Skipping the Festive 500 doesn’t make me less of a cyclist — it makes me a smarter one. I’m using the holidays to rest, recover, and build a solid foundation for the year ahead.

Come January, I’ll be feeling fresh, energized, and ready to attack my goals — not sidelined by sickness or burnout.

Your Next Step:

Reassess your holiday training plan.
Schedule rest days, weight sessions, and Zone 2 rides.
Commit to showing up in January as your strongest, healthiest self.

Ready to hit the ground running in the new year?

Join my 6-week Cycle Lean Project starting this January. It’s designed to help you ride stronger, build lean muscle, and hit your goals without wasting hours on the bike. Let’s kick off 2025 the right way — feeling fit, fresh, and unstoppable.

Learn More and Sign Up Here!

What’s your take on the Festive 500? Have you done it before or skipped it? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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