Travellers’ tales: Slaying the Dragon with a digital coach
In January 2026 I decided to sign up for the Dragon Ride Gran Fondo, a 222km (137 mile) sportive through the hills and valleys of South Wales. I had taken part in a few shorter events in the past and wanted to see if I could manage a long endurance event as I approached my 70th birthday.
The Dragon Ride is a big event with more than 5,000 people taking part. It begins at Margam Country Park near Bridgend. The first 7km is an easy flat stretch to Port Talbot that skirts the now dormant steel works.
After leaving Port Talbot the climbing begins as you work your way through a series of old South Wales mining villages with tightly packed terraced houses, the many boarded-up shops showing that they have still not recovered from the closure of the pits.
Eventually you reach Treorchy and follow the Rhondda valley northwards into the scenic Brecon Beacons and the big climbs of the Gran Fondo.
AI training support
Realising I would need to do a serious amount of preparation, I decided to test whether an artificial intelligence tool could help plan my training by pulling together information on how to prepare for an endurance ride.
My job involves a lot of investigation into the safety of AI so I know that it can be prone to ‘hallucinations’ or making stuff up. But it can also be a helpful tool for doing research like this.
I began in February by drafting out a plan that combined training on my indoor exercise bike with gym work and longer outdoor rides. I asked Gemini, Google’s AI tool, to review this. Gemini suggested several sensible changes and turned my draft into a 12-week plan.
This focused on a combination of hill climbs, gym work and longer endurance rides to build my ability to tackle the Gran Fondo's eight major climbs and 3,583 metres of ascent.
Annoying habits
I continued to ask Gemini questions in the run up to the Gran Fondo. It did have an annoying habit of reminding me of my age but usually in a helpful way. For example, it warned me about the dangers of overtraining and advised me to build proper recovery days into my schedule. I came to appreciate these as my training intensified.
Gemini also gave me useful, if common sense, advice on nutrition: eat plenty of carbs before a ride, and during the ride have an energy bar or gel at least once an hour, along with regular sips of water and electrolytes.
When I reported that I had developed bad acid reflux on my final long training ride, Gemini identified that the likely culprit was the ‘fat bomb’ I ate at my café stop – an extra-large toasted cheese sandwich – which interfered with my digestion. From then on, I stuck to high-carb, low-fat foods.
Having a structured plan gave me focus and helped me to prepare for the Gran Fondo. When the big day arrived, I was feeling nervous but reasonably confident that I could complete the whole route.
Perfect start
Most of this year’s Dragon Ride took place in near perfect conditions. Partially clouded skies, little wind and mild temperatures, at least until the sun came out late afternoon.
On previous sportives, I often shot off too quickly, trying to keep up with fast younger riders, and then tired badly halfway through. This time, I stuck to Gemini’s advice and kept a steady endurance pace from the start, joining up with other riders going at a similar speed.
I completed the first five climbs of the day relatively easily and felt good enough to enjoy the spectacular scenery, particularly the 6.1km climb up Rhigos and the long but gentle 13.9km climb to the top of Penderyn Moor.
As the day progressed, I realised that the back-strengthening exercises Gemini had suggested seemed to have reduced the lower back pain I often get during a long ride.
Climbing concerns
I had worried about the sixth climb, the Devil’s Elbow, with its 10% average gradient. The Dragon Climb Guide calls this “the event’s signature climb, its vicious slopes epitomising the harsh beauty of hidden Wales”. It was definitely a slog to get to the top but I just about managed it, overtaking riders who had given up and decided to walk.
Things started to fall apart on the penultimate climb, Black Mountain. This 5km climb has an average gradient of 5.8% but is as steep as 17% in places. By the time I began the ascent, 160km of non-stop riding had drained my energy. The hot afternoon sun was beating down relentlessly and I began to feel lightheaded as I fought my way to the top.
Rather than having a rest I decided to head down the hill and have a break at the next feed stop. When I arrived I couldn't face having any more solid food. Assuming I was just getting dehydrated I drank loads of water – this turned out to be a big mistake.
The last 25km of the ride via Neath are still a bit of a blur as I became more lightheaded and was running on empty. It didn't help that the organisers had tacked on a final kicker as you left Neath: the 2.8km climb up Cimla Hill with a maximum gradient of 9%.
Big mistake
At the start of the day I’d have flown up, but after 10 hours of solid riding it seemed practically vertical. Even the slight upward gradient on the final 7km flat section back to Margam felt like an ordeal. When I crossed the finish line I realised why marathon runners often collapse at the end of a race.
Fortunately I could have a sit down and a cup of tea in the marquee for Macmillan riders and quickly revived enough to have a post-ride massage. The sports masseur’s work on my tired and knotted muscles turned out to be more painful than anything I experienced on the ride, but I did feel good afterwards.
When I got home I asked Gemini what had gone wrong towards the end of the day. Its response was somewhat alarming:
What you experienced after the 167km mark at the top of Black Mountain is a very common but scary condition known as exertional hyponatremia (low blood sodium) which systemic GI shutdown (gut ischemia) compounded. When you reached that final feed station, your body was essentially in survival mode
Too much water, not enough salt
In other words, I had over-hydrated on plain water while completely running out of salt and fuel. Gemini’s solution was that after seven hours of riding I should have switched from trying to eat solid food and gels to drinking specialist endurance drinks that combine carbs with electrolytes.
But Gemini hadn’t warned me in advance that I would need to switch to energy drinks, or that I needed to be aware of the symptoms of low blood sodium – a condition that can be dangerous.
This highlights an issue with conversational AI tools. There are always ways of checking the advice an AI has given you, but it can be much more difficult to spot when it has left out something important.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the Gran Fondo even if the last 30km were a bit gruelling. I completed the ride in the time I planned: 11 hours of riding plus food stops. Without the training I did and Gemini’s advice, I doubt I would have made it round at all.
Take on the Dragon
If you want a challenge I would strongly recommend trying one of the routes on the Dragon Ride. There is a choice of four routes: Cymru Classic (99km), Medio Fondo (155km), Gran Fondo (222km) and for the super fit the Devil Route (298km).
It really is an event for riders of all abilities, and you can even do it on an electric bike. The sheer number of participants does mean that it is very busy at the start and at the regular feed stops along the route.
It’s also a great opportunity to support a good cause. I was able to raise £2,190 for the Dragon Ride's charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support, from friends and family who cheered me on even if they shared the view of one generous supporter whose donation came with the message “you’re gutsy but totally nuts”.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll say when they find out that I have already signed up for the 2027 Gran Fondo.
You can still donate to Macmillan.
Please note
If you decide to use AI to help you train, always double check the advice it gives you. If you have an injury or medical condition, talk to your GP or a qualified practitioner before taking on an endurance event.
