Start cycling and one of the first milestones you’ll aim for is going a really long way. But unlike the pros who pour endless hours into prepping for the Tour de France, you have a job to do.
The longest stage of this year’s Tour is a gruelling 222.5 km – the same as cycling to Glastonbury from london. It’s a heady challenge for any professional cyclist, let alone after 18 days of what has been called sports hardest event. But, alas, most of us have not been gifted with the sinewy grace of Chris Froome, or the endless time and support to train to such extremes.
For most of us setting a goal and then reaching it is just the reward we need. Be that cycling 30km without stopping or completing a course that even the pros would struggle with, finding the time and motivation to train for such a feat can be harder than the race itself.
Getting the balance can be tough, but we caught up with Virgin Active’s own Robin Watteaux, who just completed his second triathlon and will be tackling a vicious race through the Dolomite Mountains, to find out how he balances the bike with a 40 hour working week.
Plan your time
Know exactly what you will be doing ahead of time. By writing yourself a schedule you make yourself accountable and will be more likely stick to it. It also means you know the exact length of your sessions – perfect when juggling them alongside meetings.
“I would train 5 days a week minimum,” says Robin, who crams bike races into his weekends, “having the gym nearby was a huge help – I could go on the wattbike in my lunch hour.”
Robin explains that when you haven’t got long to train the length of your sessions aren’t important, but the quality is. “20km on the wattbike translates to around 35km on the road, so I could make the most of a lunch hour.”
That being said you still have to…
Go long (once a week)
Robin will be competing in the Maratona dles Dolomites; 138km long and ascending almost 3km – high enough for the air to thin by 60%. “The race will be 8-9 hours of climbing,” says Robin, “so every weekend, I would do a very long cycle of 100km.”
With a busy schedule it’s impossible to get a lot of long miles into your legs, but in the run up to a race you need to build up to at least 70% of the full distance and do that ride once a week.
Over long distances you really start to understand how your body reacts to fatigue and become better prepared to deal with it.
Train with friends
That’s not to say that it becomes any easier to be out on your bike for that long. After a tiring day at work you hardly want to get on the thing in the first place. That’s when your buddies can help.
“Training in a group makes it much easier to stay motivated,” Robin explains, “you get a little competitive and push each other on.”
It’s much harder to miss a training session when you know you are letting someone down. “One of the worst feelings I had training for my second triathlon was missing training with my sister.”
Mix up your training
Doing the same thing week in week out might seem like progress, but the mental energy it takes to stay focused through boredom may end up hampering your results. It pays to keep things fresh.
“When I first started, I went into the gym and all I did was wattbike,” Robin sighs, “do the same thing in the gym and it can remove the pleasure of training.”
Robin interspersed his training with short, sharp rowing sessions to build endurance and strength, but yoga, weight training and swimming are all hugely beneficial to cyclists.
Give yourself the day off
It’s often said that you don’t get fitter on the bike, you get fitter when you’re off it. That means making your rest days work for you by putting your feet up.
“When you train five days a week your body takes on so much,” says Robin, “It’s all about endurance and knowing your body, managing yourself and not getting too tired.”
Try to give yourself at least one day a week in which you don’t do any exercise, and preferably one where whatever you do is very light. Recovery rides are as important as the real thing.
Eat (and drink) enough
Making sure you are putting fuel in at the rate you burn it is crucial in the run up to a big ride. Fail to do so and you will run out of energy stores and feel terrible out on a ride - called ‘bonking’ in cycle circles.
Robin explains how one of the hardest skills is learning to eat while on the bike to top up energy levels. He recommends eating little and often to avoid feeling full and sluggish. The squeezy gels you see the pros use are a combination of glucose and carbohydrates in the smallest possible package. They don't taste great though, and you can get the same effects with a cereal bar or banana.
The same goes for your training, too. You don’t want to start a session under fuelled or eat too much and feel sick. A regular healthy diet should suffice, making sure you are getting enough protein to repair weary muscles.
Fight your mental demons
There will be days when you simply can’t bring yourself to be out on your bike, or midway through a session you find yourself asking ‘why bother?’
But once you’re over the initial scare, settling into a training routine and moving towards your goal is a hugely rewarding experience.
“It’s a bit like when you’re flying a plane,” Robin says, “you have the takeoff and all that turbulence and then it’s very smooth. You have to find a balance and if you do, it’s very smooth.”