Category: training

  • The unexpected adventure on The Fifth Continent 300Km Audax

    I woke up early on the morning of my cycling adventure, feeling excited and nervous. I had trained hard for months, and I was finally ready to put my skills to the test. I had a big bowl of pasta the night before, and for breakfast, I had my new favorite pre-ride meal: two fried…

  • What I Learned Preparing for Paris-Brest-Paris on a 600Km Audax

    I woke up early for the Wander Wye 600km Audax, my biggest ride this year. I ate my standard pre-ride breakfast of two fried eggs and a bagel (500 calories), along with oatmeal and coffee for an extra 250 calories. I felt fueled up for the challenge ahead. The first 60km to Henley-on-Thames were fairly…

  • My first endurance event of 2023

    I completed my first endurance event of 2023 on 19th March. The event was a 200 Km Audax organised by Kingston Wheeler’s , starting in Surbiton, South London and doing a loop around Reading and Basingstoke. It was a lovely ride, with beautiful lanes and a good start to the season. Giving me a good…

  • February progress, endurance power gains

    My February Zone 2 project metrics show some progress, but my training volume was slightly down on January. You can find the details of my training plan here, my goals and metrics here. Capturing the metrics forces me to reflect on progress, what I’m doing well and what isn’t going to plan, keeping me honest.…

  • The role of mitochondria in endurance exercise

    Our bodies’ capacity to generate energy relies heavily on mitochondria, often referred to as the “powerhouses” of our cells. Energy demand significantly increases during aerobic exercise. To comprehend the role of mitochondria during aerobic exercise, it’s essential to grasp their basic function. Mitochondria are unique structures found in almost every cell in our bodies. Their…

  • Massive benefits of Fueled Vs Fasted training for performance

    I did an experiment recently to compare the impact of fueling on performance. I rode a 40 Km best effort on a turbo trainer fasted. Then a week later I did the same session fueled. I choose the same flat course on Zwift for both sessions. In both cases I pushed hard for the full…

  • My January training progress – a great start

    I’ve pulled together my metrics for January to measure progress since I set out of my Zone 2 project. You can find the details of my training plan here, my goals and metrics here. Capturing the metrics has been really useful. It forces me to look at progress in more detail and keeps me honest…

  • Treat your heart rate zones as different energy systems

    I recently watched an interview with physiologist and performance coach Inigo San Millan on GCN. You can find it here. Inigo San Millan is one of the foremast experts on exercise physiology and zone 2 so I tend to listen to his advice. In this interview he talks about each of the heart rate zones…

  • My Zone 2 Training Plan for 2023

    While my overall goal is to improve my endurance in 2023, I’ve been considering a number of other factors when putting together a plan. Most of these factors are due to the results of my baseline tests that I carried out in December, you can read about them here. The key think I’m thinking about…