- 5 weeks ago
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...
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...
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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
00:41followed 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. Think of it as Paris-Roubaix but with more mud and pies.
00:56Today he's let us in to one of his training days. So 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. Now can you explain what a split session is?
01:15Yeah, so basically I'll do a session in the morning and a session afternoon. This morning
01:20using 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 split up, it makes it easier. It's like you have to do five hours at once. You can do,
01:34if I'm doing an hour and a half now, two hours this afternoon. I know that's not five hours in
01:38total but still.
01:38Well that does actually lead me on to my list of questions for you because after this I'm obviously
01:45going to be as fast as you. So how many hours do you ride in a week?
01:52Currently between 15 and 20. I'd like to say I could do more than that but no about 15 to
01:5820 hours.
01:59So with that what percentage would you say is inside and outside? Now I'm sure that's going to change
02:05like throughout the season. Yeah, what sort of, is during the summer is it purely outside or?
02:11I try and keep most of it outside in summer, mainly because the weather is nicer. But anything specific,
02:18like really specific, I use the trainer for because you can just get rid of that junk miles.
02:23But also, and get me filled with all the heat adaptations. Yes.
02:27I use it in summer for that. We actually have a video on heat adaptations,
02:31and if you want to watch that, there's a link up there or there. I think it's that way.
02:37It's only 200 watts, I'm dying. Well I was going to ask you what your zone 2 power is.
02:43So I usually do zone 2 rides between around 215 and 260 watts. Anywhere 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, what's your FTP?
02:59So what
02:59would you climb at? If I was to give a number to it, it's around between 317 and 380.
03:06Yeah, I wouldn't keep up with that. I mean, I can't remember the last time I tested it,
03:10it could be lower, it could be higher, so who knows. And with testing, inside or outside?
03:14Mixture. I think, if in the winter, inside, mainly because most of my riding's inside,
03:22in the summer, I'll probably try to do outdoors. Yeah. And if you could recommend one session,
03:29I guess your coach will set a lot of your training, but if there's one session that's your go-to,
03:35you get fit quick session, what would it be? This session here, my over-unders. Right.
03:41So, I'll do one minute above threshold. So currently, if you see that, that's 395 watts.
03:48And do four minutes just below, so 360 watts. Ouch. And repeat that for a block. So these ones are
03:54three 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. And I can see here that you're using
04:08MyWoosh. Do you just think you're Tade Pogaccia? Or is there another reason?
04:13Yeah, I am basically Tade. They do call me Tade. So, I can import all my workouts and training peaks
04:20into here. So, for example, this over-unders session.
04:23Okay, so you've actually made this session yourself and imported it into MyWoosh.
04:25Coach has made it. Imports automatically.
04:28Now, if you can't be bothered to do that, and there is lots of pre-planned workouts on MyWoosh,
04:33but, yeah, if you want to 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,
04:47Yeah.
04:47It means I don't have to pay a monthly subscription.
04:49So, how long was it before you got back on, back training? Like, after a big crash?
04:54Yeah.
04:55How long would it take? Obviously longer if you break your pelvis or something like that.
04:59Yeah. 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. It's like my hip was quite deep.
05:09Yeah.
05:10So, 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. I do 45 minutes, build up slowly then.
05:24Mm-hmm. So, obviously, in cycling, there is going to be setbacks. It's a sport where,
05:31whether 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
05:41trained for several months. You might have months off the bike. You might have a crash and have
05:45a few weeks off 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. I really do think, because if you rush it,
06:00you're going to do something wrong. Yeah.
06:02So, don't get me wrong, I was there and I was panicking. At the time, I was leading the overall
06:09rankings and that's what, in my head, I was like, I want to stay number one. Of course you do.
06:13Yeah.
06:13But my teammates were the closest rivals, I guess, in that. And I was like, oh gosh,
06:18they're going to catch me. But then you just have phone calls with a few people that you know
06:23truly support you and they will help you. And just say, you know, you can have two weeks off
06:30the bike for illness and after a week of training, you're almost back to normal.
06:34Yeah.
06:34So, in my head, I was like, that's basically what I'm doing. I'll have a couple of weeks of just
06:39reset until I'm okay to just sit on the bike and pedal.
06:42Yeah.
06:43And then it's go time from there. And then you just build up endurance. Don't touch the top end
06:49until you feel fit enough. Yeah. I guess the key thing is don't go and do your biggest week as
06:55your
06:55first week back. Yeah, of course. Yeah.
06:57Because otherwise, because that's completely unsustainable. You're then going to,
07:00it might seem like you're catching up for lost time, but actually you're just setting yourself
07:06further back. Yeah, exactly. You know, if you go out and do, you've still got time off work,
07:11or if you don't work, you know, you have time, you have just all the time in the world and
07:14it's
07:15nice weather. You don't go into 30 hours because, you know, the next week, you're probably going to
07:18be in the head for the week with some seriously sore legs. So, yeah, I think you are completely
07:23right there. It's all about gradual building yourself back up.
07:28Mm-hmm. Nice. Well, I will leave you to your session. It does look rather hellish. Yeah,
07:35make sure you, make sure you hit all those numbers and that you're nice and tired for when we go
07:40out
07:40and do the second part of your session. I can't wait, Jamie. I can't wait. Enjoy. Thank you.
07:56Well, we're kitted up, ready for part two of your training day. Well, part two for you,
08:01part one for me. What does it entail? Yeah, so obviously you've done the hard part
08:07earlier on this morning and now it's purely just endurance riding. So, it's mainly zone two,
08:13you know, nice endurance pace. However, I might chuck in a few digs just to make you hurt a little
08:18bit. Oh, brilliant. Well, I guess I'll see if I can, uh, can keep up. I'm sure I'll be okay.
08:47Oh, man. Thank God that's over. I think you did all right, Jamie. Not too bad.
08:53I am quite unfit, I think. You've been fitter, put it that way. Yeah. Yeah. I do actually have a
09:01newfound respect for the work that goes into it. Like, anyone riding at your level, riding
09:08Nat A's in this country, running Nat B's in this country, has put in a serious amount of time and
09:14effort. Yeah. And I'd have to sacrifice things that I don't want to sacrifice. Yeah, of course.
09:20I do. I, yeah, that's, I do think just to be at even a Nat B level, uh, I say
09:26even a Nat B level,
09:27that's a really high level of cycling. People do sacrifice a lot. They live quite a boring life,
09:32shall we say? Regimented. There you go. That's a nice, nice way of putting it. And I think then
09:36you think about the wheel tour and these riders who are even better and it's just mind boggling.
09:41Yeah. Well, maybe I do need to get back on it because, uh, I've definitely been faster and, uh,
09:48it is winter coming up though, but I guess I could do some, do some more indoor training.
09:53I mean, to fair, Jamie, a few years ago, it used to be considerably faster and you are
09:56Mr. Peak for January anyway. So yes. I did used to be famous for that.
10:02So maybe I'll borrow your session from earlier. You'd have to send me a few more. That's fine.
10:08And, uh, yeah, I'll do some more indoor training because I think that is the biggest thing that has
10:13affected my fitness and I think affected your fitness as well is the structure and I find that
10:21indoor training on programs such as my wish is a brilliant way of getting that structure.
10:26I think it's even better as well for somebody like yourself who works full time. It's when you've not
10:32got time to spend four hours midweek riding a bike. And sometimes you, if you're working weekends as well,
10:37you don't even have the weekends anymore. You have maybe an hour and a half in the evening.
10:40Yep. You can get so much done. That session I did today, hour 35. You can even, you can shorten
10:45that a little bit. I did a little bit of a warmup at the start, extended. I think you can
10:49cut that
10:49out completely and that can be an hour and a quarter. So how many hours am I going to have
10:53to do to get
10:54fast? I think you can get away with seven. Seven? Seven. Okay. Structure. There's a challenge.
11:00Seven hours of structured training. Every week. Not seven hours over a month.
11:06We'll give it a go. If you want to try out Ed's session, then we'll pop a link to it
11:12down in
11:12the description below and then you can import it into my wish. Or if you can't bother with any of
11:16that, then you can use one of their pre-made sessions that are already on the program.
11:21If you like this content, then please give it a like, subscribe to the channel for lots more bike
11:25stuff and we'll see you next time.
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