Inside the peloton: Raul Gamarra

From a sedentary lifestyle to the start line, this is a story of discipline, consistency, and change. Read Raul’s story and join him on the GFNY Miami start line this April 17.

Growing up here in Miami, I had always been very active. My main sport was soccer and I played competitively through high school and then some. Training daily was normal for me and frankly it was something I enjoyed.

Throughout college I remained active but that facet of my life began declining sharply. As the years wore on training was further de-prioritized and when you factor in the birth of my son, a completely sedentary lifestyle had taken ahold of me.

Weight gain, general fatigue, and poor dietary choices became normal. “Impossible, I don’t have time” became my mantra when it came to exercising and eating healthy. It wouldn’t be until 2023 that I realized my health choices would also impact my son who was now becoming a teen leading a very active lifestyle himself.

I had always loved riding my bike so it seemed like a natural choice. I would ride my old GT mountain bike around the lake close to my house which was about 3 or 4 miles long. I say 3 or4 miles long because frankly I had no clue and no equipment to track distance. What I did know was that even that distance felt incredibly challenging since I had ballooned up to about 240 lbs (I’m 5’11”).

But that’s how I started. Bike that route some days, run 1 mile other days. Sneakers, gym shorts, and a T-shirt for both activities. Speed, time, HR, VO2, none of that mattered. It was all about establishing the habit. I did that for about 9 months. By that point I had lost 35 pounds and was biking 7 miles alternating with 2 mile runs.

At that point I splurged and purchased a gravel bike I found online for $1200. It was the first time I had a bike with drop bars so I figured now I’m “fast”. I took it to ride around the Miccosukee golf course which is a popular 4-mile loop for local unofficial cycling races. It went poorly. I got dropped by everything that moved. It was a reality check, slow and completely out of breath I figured now was a good time to turn it up a notch.

I started weight training in addition to structuring my rides and runs. My dietary habits were now purpose driven instead of randomly selecting what appeared to be healthy. Time limitations still existed so I made it a point to couple workouts in the morning and afternoon right after work. It transformed to pursuing discipline instead of motivation. The delayed gratification started paying off little by little.

I upgraded to a race oriented bike beginning of 2025 and began riding century rides and HIIT sessions regularly all throughout the year. I’m now between 157-160 pounds and I feel more energetic and sharp than at any other point in my life. Now with my son being an athlete in high school, I’m glad that I can be an example for him in that regard.

This led to me signing up for the GFNY race in Miami. To me, any long distance cycling race felt like an impossibility a few years ago. Signing up for a 75 mile race was like saying I think I’ll race in the Tour de France. But like everything else up to this point that has seemed so far away, I’ve managed to claw within reach. And that’s how I see this race, it’s a challenge that felt so impossibly out of reach but now thanks to hard work and consistency feels attainable. Regardless of my placement in the race, I’m excited to have the ability to compete.