How a few days in 2024, deep within the Spanish mountains, helped shape my attitude and approach to health and longevity, and proved a catalyst to starting Uthful...
I’ve been riding bikes for over ten years now, ever since my second daughter, Roza, was born. I was on paternity leave, and my father-in-law took me out for a spin. I don’t remember the route, or even the weather, but, having not ridden a bike since I quit my paper round in 1994(!), I remember falling in love with the feeling of it all over again.
The movement, the headspace, the rhythm of being outdoors. There’s something about the kind of distance you can cover on a bike within an hour or three, that makes me feel free.
These days I ride a mix of solo and social. Cycling can be beautifully meditative alone, and really connective with others too. The only problem? Riding on British roads is... not great. Which is why my brother, Adam, and I often head to Spain for our fix of smooth tarmac, empty roads and mountain air.
We stay with a friend, Kev, who’s from London originally but retired out there. He lives a few kilometres inland from Oliva, near Denia, within touching distance of the mountains.
Kev’s 60 now, a pensioner(!), and rides his bike almost every day. Not just a little loop either, he’s out there for 50 to 60 miles at a time, climbing serious mountains, putting in two- to four-hour rides like it’s nothing.
He used to race as an amateur back in the day, but it’s not just nostalgia that fuels him now, it’s routine, consistency, joy.
Kev is fit. Not "for his age." Just flat-out, impressively fit.
He often rides with Neil Martin, a former Olympian, now 64. And, when Adam and I join them, we’re clinging on to the wheels of two guys with 20 years on us, and they’re still flying. It’s both humbling and inspiring.
After visiting in January 2024, I remember flying home and thinking: “I want to be like Kev when I’m 60. At 44, what can I do to maintain my level of fitness, strength, energy, and health into my 50s, 60s and beyond?”
That question sent me down a rabbit hole of research, testing, and experimentation, different workouts, diet, routines, supplements, recovery tools. Over time, that personal exploration turned into something more structured. Eventually, it led me to start Uthful.
At its core, Uthful is a daily commitment to aging well. It's for people who want to keep doing what they love – whether that’s riding up mountains or chasing around after their kids (or grand kids), with energy, clarity, and strength.
So thanks, Kev. You probably didn’t realise it, but you helped spark something. I’m building Uthful for people like you, and for people like me who want to follow your lead.
