I’m not sure if this is the best place to post this, but let’s give it a try. I come from a family of four children. When we were young, our parents didn’t have the time to drive us to different places to practice different sports. My parents’ house wasn’t close to cities where those sports were available. My father worked extremely long hours to provide us with the essentials, while my mother stayed at home to take care of us. She simply couldn’t manage four different sports commutes every day or every weekend. Our parents taught us the value of hard work, and at a very young age I followed my father everywhere — helping with home and apartment renovations or working at the convenience store they had bought at the time. Because of that, and to pass the time on my side, I ended up hanging around people who were using drugs. I have to say, it became our way of spending time. I skateboarded for a few years, and like many kids we played outdoor sports with my brothers, sisters, and neighbors. I started practicing a “real” intense sport in 2010 — CrossFit — and I stayed with it for almost 10 years. Then in 2019, I started cycling, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I absolutely love the feeling that endurance sports give me. That said, I’ve often focused on my heart rate — which is frequently higher than many people I compare myself to — and through this post I’m looking for some clarity. Does the fact that I didn’t practice organized sports when I was young have an impact? Does having a higher HR than many cyclists mean that I’m more limited or that I fatigue faster? Do I have less potential than someone with a lower HR? Am I less fit? Last summer, I did a 4-hour road ride with friends and averaged 160 bpm for the entire ride. I think my body is used to it, but still… I’m curious. What do you think?

Just got back from my 3 hour ride today it was 2 degrees but felt like -2 with the wind. Lucky live close to the coast so no snow and not much ice to contend with. I fuelled as usual for my long rides and what Hexis recommended but came back feeling quite empty. Is there any evidence or experience of fuelling on colder rides. As your body is working harder to say warm aswell is there a consideration of uping your carbs slightly to help?