Over the next 30 days, we trained every single day because in 31 days we were flying to Portugal to attempt our most physically ambitious challenge ever: cycling from Porto to Lisbon (about 300 miles). The truth is… we were not prepared. We knew it was coming, but between working, sleeping, and just life, fitness kept getting pushed to the side—so we made a plan we could actually follow: vigorous cardio days (spin), moderate cardio days (lots of zone 2 walking/rowing/biking), weights twice a week (full body with a big focus on legs + core), active recovery after endurance days, and one longer endurance ride every week. We also benchmarked our progress with a 15-minute Borg test on the same gym bike. Halfway through, our VO2 max numbers dipped slightly on paper, but our average heart rates were lower, we rode farther, and the test felt easier—so we knew we were improving where it mattered. We hit some real-life setbacks too: a heat wave in Budapest with no AC, bad sleep, a nausea day that forced an unplanned rest day, and then a “real bike” endurance ride on cruisers that ended in a flat tire and a train ride home. By day 30, our final benchmark was the best one yet, and we felt genuinely more confident heading into Portugal.