A Day In The Life Of The UK's Fastest Cyclist

Cycling Weekly

If you want to get faster on the bike then is there anything you can learn from one of the fastest riders in the UK? To find out we spent a day in the life of the rider who's finished this year ranked number 1 in the British road race rankings for one of his split sessions...  In this video we also discuss how riders overcome crashes, injuries and setbacks as well as their go to sessions to get fit on the bike quick...

Transcript

00:00This is Ed. He's currently ranked number one in the British cycling road race rankings.

00:07But what's it actually like to ride with one of the fastest riders in the country?

00:11Can I keep up? And how do they overcome setbacks in a season of racing? Let's find out.

00:18Now you might think that if you're ranked number one in the country then the season has been all

00:24smooth sailing and standing on tops of podiums and popping champagne and things like that.

00:29But actually that wasn't quite the case and in Ed's own words it's been a bit of a rocky road.

00:36It's safe to say that the season started well. A podium in his first national road race of the year

00:42followed up by multiple top tens and then a fourth place at the Rutland Sickle Classic.

00:47The UK's only one day UCI accredited race.

00:52Think of it as Paris-Roubaix but with more mud and pies.

00:56Today he's let us in to one of his training days.

01:00So let's go and see how it all started.

01:03So to find out a bit more if there's anything we can copy off of one of the country's best,

01:08we're joining Ed for one of his split sessions.

01:12Now can you explain what a split session is?

01:15Yes, so basically I'll do a session in the morning and a session afternoon.

01:19This morning, using my woosh to do my over-under session. Outdoors then afterwards, zone two.

01:25And what is the benefit of that? Is it just to mix it up or?

01:29Yeah, it's better. It makes it easier. It's like you have to do five hours at once.

01:33You can do, if I'm doing an hour and a half now, two hours this afternoon.

01:36I know that's not five hours in total but still.

01:39Well that does actually lead me on to my list of questions for you.

01:43Because after this, I'm obviously going to be as fast as you.

01:47So how many hours do you ride in a week?

01:51Currently between 15 and 20.

01:55I'd like to say I could do more than that but no, about 15 to 20 hours.

01:59So with that, what percentage would you say is inside and outside?

02:04Now I'm sure that's going to change like throughout the season.

02:07Yeah, what sort of? During the summer, is it purely outside or?

02:12I try and keep most of it outside in summer, mainly because the weather is nicer.

02:16But anything specific, like really specific, I use the trainer for.

02:20Yeah.

02:21Because you can just get rid of that junk, Miles.

02:23But also, and get me filled with all the heat adaptations.

02:26Yes.

02:27I use it in summer for that.

02:29We actually have a video on heat adaptations.

02:31If you want to watch that, there's a link up there or there.

02:35I think it's that way.

02:37It's only 200 watts. I'm dying.

02:39Well, I was going to ask you what your zone two power is.

02:43So I usually do zone two rides between around 215 and 260 watts.

02:50Anywhere in that range, I'm pretty happy.

02:52And then, because I reckon I might be able to stay on your wheel for that bit.

02:58What's your FTP? So what would you climb at?

03:00If I was to give a number to it, it's around between 317 and 380.

03:06I wouldn't keep up with that.

03:08I mean, I can't remember the last time I tested it.

03:09It could be lower, it could be higher.

03:11So who knows?

03:12And with testing, inside or outside?

03:14Mixture.

03:16I think if in the winter, inside, mainly because most of my riding is inside.

03:22In the summer, I'll probably try to do outdoors.

03:24Yeah. And if you could recommend one session, I guess your coach will set a lot of your training,

03:33but if there's one session that's your go-to, you get fit quick session, what would it be?

03:39This session here, my over-unders.

03:41Right.

03:41So I'll do one minute above threshold.

03:44Yeah.

03:45So currently, if you see that, that's 395 watts.

03:48And do four minutes just below, so 360 watts.

03:50Ouch.

03:51Ouch.

03:52And repeat that for a block.

03:53So these ones are three times 15 minutes, but the fitter you get, the more you extend them.

03:59I'm glad I'm joining you for the outside bit and not the inside bit.

04:03Ah, you beat me, mate.

04:04And I can see here that you're using my whoosh.

04:09Do you just think you're Tade Pogaccia or is there another reason?

04:13Yeah, I am basically Tade. They do call me Tade.

04:16So I can import all my workouts and training peaks into here.

04:20So for example, this over-under session.

04:22Okay, so you've actually made this session yourself and it imported it into my whoosh.

04:25Coach has made it, imports automatically.

04:28Now, if you can't be bothered to do that, there is lots of pre-planned workouts on my whoosh.

04:33But yeah, if you won't be pro, then I guess you could do that too.

04:37And then yeah, the other good thing about it is it's free on the UK scene.

04:41None of us make money unless you're a privateer.

04:43Okay.

04:44So for me myself riding on an amateur team, it means I don't have to pay a monthly subscription.

04:49So how long was it before you got back on, back training?

04:53Like after a big crash, how long would it take?

04:56Obviously longer if you break your pelvis or something like that.

05:00Yeah, so I took a full week off, but not because of my shoulder, not because of the road rash.

05:04They just said you probably shouldn't sweat since my hip was quite deep.

05:09Yeah.

05:09So they said, try and avoid sweating as much as you can.

05:13And then you start back, but it's all then you wait and make sure your body's okay.

05:19So, you know, I felt okay after half an hour, do 45 minutes, build up slowly then.

05:24Mm-hmm.

05:25So obviously in cycling, there is going to be setbacks.

05:30It's a sport where whether you're your level, whether in my level, whether you're someone else's level,

05:35at every level, there will be setbacks, whether that is you're busy with work and you haven't trained

05:41for several months, you might have months off the bike, you might have a crash and have a few weeks

05:46off the bike. Anything can literally happen. What is your advice to getting back to fitness

05:53as quick as possible?

05:55I think the main thing is you take your time.

05:58I really do think, because if you rush it, you're going to do something wrong.

06:02Yeah.

06:02So don't get me wrong. I was there and I was panicking at the time.

06:08I was leading the overall rankings and that's what, in my head, I was like, I want to stay number one.

06:12Of course you do.

06:12Yeah.

06:13But my teammates were the closest rivals, I guess, in that.

06:17And I was like, oh gosh, they're going to catch me.

06:20But then you just have phone calls with a few people that, you know, truly support you and they

06:25will help you and just say, you know, you can have two weeks off the bike for illness and after a week

06:32of training, you're almost back to normal.

06:34Yeah.

06:34So in my head, I was like, that's basically what I'm doing.

06:37I'll have a couple of weeks of just reset until I'm okay to just sit on the bike and pedal.

06:42Yeah.

06:43And then it's go time from there.

06:45And then you just build up endurance.

06:48Don't touch the top end until you feel fit enough.

06:50Yeah.

06:51I guess the key thing is don't go and do your biggest week as your first week.

06:56Yeah, of course.

06:56Yeah.

06:56Because otherwise, because that's completely unsustainable.

06:58You're then going to, it might seem like you're catching up for lost time,

07:03but actually you're just setting yourself further back.

07:07Yeah, exactly.

07:08You know, if you go out and do, you've still got time off work, or if you don't work,

07:12you know, you have time, you have just all the time in the world and it's nice weather,

07:15you don't go into 30 hours because, you know, the next week you're probably going to be in the head

07:19for the week with some seriously sore legs.

07:22So yeah, I think you are completely right there.

07:24It's all about gradual building yourself back up.

07:28Nice.

07:29Well, I will leave you to your session.

07:32It does look rather hellish.

07:34Yeah.

07:35Make sure you make sure you hit all those numbers and that you're nice and tired

07:39for when we go out and do the second part of your session.

07:42I can't wait, Jamie.

07:42I can't wait.

07:44Enjoy.

07:49Well, we're kitted up, ready for part two of your training day.

08:00Well, part two for you, part one for me.

08:04What does it entail?

08:05Yeah, so obviously you've done the hard part earlier on this morning,

08:08and now it's purely just endurance riding.

08:11So it's mainly zone two, you know, nice endurance pace.

08:14However, I might chuck in a few digs just to make you hurt a little bit.

08:18Oh, brilliant. Well, I guess I'll see if I can keep up.

08:22I'm sure it'll be okay.

08:23Oh, man.

08:35Thank God that's over.

08:36I think you did all right, Jamie. Not too bad.

08:53I am quite unfit, I think.

08:56You've been fitter, put it that way.

08:58Yeah. Yeah, I do actually have a newfound respect for the work that goes into it.

09:04Like anyone riding at your level, riding Nat A's in this country,

09:09running Nat B's in this country, has put in a serious amount of time and effort.

09:15Yeah.

09:16I'd have to sacrifice things that I don't want to sacrifice.

09:19Yes. Yeah, of course.

09:22I do think just to be at even a Nat B level, I say even a Nat B level,

09:27that's a really high level of cycling.

09:28People do sacrifice a lot.

09:29They live quite a boring life, shall we say?

09:32Regimented.

09:33There you go.

09:33That's a nice way of putting it.

09:35And I think then you think about the World Tour and these riders

09:37who are even better and it's just mind boggling.

09:41Yeah, well, maybe I do need to get back on it because I've definitely been faster.

09:47And it is winter coming up though, but I guess I could do some more indoor training.

09:53I mean, to fair, Jamie, a few years ago, you used to be considerably faster

09:56and you are Mr. Peak for January anyway.

09:59Yes.

09:59I did used to be famous for that.

10:02So maybe I'll borrow your session from earlier.

10:06You'll have to send me a few more.

10:07That's fine.

10:07And yeah, I'll do some more indoor training because I think that is the biggest thing

10:12that has affected my fitness and I think affected your fitness as well is the structure.

10:18Yeah, 100%.

10:19And I find that indoor training on programs such as MyWoosh is a brilliant way of getting that structure.

10:27I think it's even better as well for somebody like yourself who works full time.

10:31It's when you've not got time to spend four hours midweek riding a bike.

10:35Yeah.

10:35And sometimes if you're working weekends as well,

10:37you don't even have the weekends anymore.

10:38You have maybe an hour and a half in the evening.

10:40Yeah.

10:40You can get so much done.

10:41That session I did today, hour 35.

10:45You can shorten that a little bit.

10:46I did a little bit of a warmup at the start, extended.

10:48Yeah.

10:48You can cut that out completely and that can be an hour and a quarter.

10:52So how many hours am I going to have to do to get fast?

10:54I think you can get away with seven.

10:55Seven?

10:56Seven.

10:57Okay.

10:57Structure.

10:58There's a challenge.

10:59Seven hours of structured training.

11:01Every week.

11:02Not seven hours over a month.

11:03We'll give it a go.

11:08If you want to try out Ed's session, then we'll pop a link to it down in the description below

11:12and then you can import it into MyWooch.

11:15Or if you can't bother with any of that, then you can use one of their pre-made sessions

11:19that are already on the program.

11:21If you like this content, then please give it a like.

11:23Subscribe to the channel for lots more bike stuff.

11:26And we'll see you next time.

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