I have been cycling now for 3 years and it all started when my husband decided he would sign me up for a 100 mile sportive, because that is as good a place as any to start right?

My longest ride to date was the Vatternrundan 300km ride in Sweden that I completed in 2017 with two amazing friends, Laura and James (you can read about it here).  I loved it and I am going back this year to do it again.  But why stop there?  I have also signed up for the Ladies 100km ride and half Vattern 150km ride in the same week so my training between now and then needs to be focused and have the appropriate structure to it to ensure I can complete these events with no issues.

Where do you start?  Everyone’s approach to training is different so I will discuss here where I will be starting and what my plan is.

I had some time off over Christmas and took advantage by getting in extra bike miles but by doing 225 miles over the 8 days I was left with very tired legs and more than a bit disappointed with my performance.  Moral of the story = train smart and don’t be like Lisa!

I then took the advice of my husband and stayed off the bike for a few days before completing an FTP test.  What is an FTP test? I did a blog post previously which you can read here and yes feel free to laugh as you will read correctly I fell off my turbo – that’s right I basically fell off a stationary bike!  Basically it is a functional threshold power test (otherwise known as FTP) is used by many in cycling training terms and is basically the maximum power you can sustain for a given period.  When developing a plan it will use this figure as a base for things such as intervals and to measure improvements.  It is used by many of the professional cyclists, which I am not, but is great for use on Zwift, which I use on my turbo trainer so is a necessary evil.  I think FTP should stand for Feel The Pain – it hurts.

With the FTP complete I can now build on my base fitness.  My training plan will include:

• Interval sessions – a workout including short efforts to build power and fitness, these may be set on the turbo based on power or on the road based on cadence/speed
• Threshold sessions – these are uncomfortable, basically riding max out and where ‘drop rides’ come into place – you do a route as fast as possible and if you can’t keep up you get dropped.  Sounds harsh but everyone rides at a different pace and you are only in competition with yourself.  Time trial riding will come into play here too.
• Long ride sessions – these are done at a steady pace that I can comfortably maintain and the aim is to develop base fitness, stamina and endurance
• Recovery sessions – muscles need to repair and whilst this should be the easiest ride in the plan doesn’t take away the value because it still ensure fitness progresses
• Cadence – anyone who knows both myself and my husband will read this and laugh as he is known to shout ‘cadence’ at me during rides – I tend to push a bigger gear but I know that wiser gear choices will leave me with fresher legs and so I worked on this last year and will continue to do the same this year too.
• Fuelling – I use Torq products whilst on the bike but fuelling can change for shorter and longer rides and so it is important to train with the products you will use in events when you are training also – never try something new on race day!
• Strength training – I saw a huge improvement in my bike fitness last year, thanks to my good friend Emma who is an awesome PT, as I incorporated strength and conditioning in my plan and so will absolutely be doing the same again – strong core always helps on the bike especially over longer periods!  Some people disagree and you need to do what works for you but bear in mind if you complete exercises that target the muscles used when cycling such as quads, hamstrings, glutes, calf’s, hip flexors, and in turn the muscles around these areas, you are also working on improving fatigue when using these on the bike.
• Be consistent – as with most things consistency is key!

The main reason for the above?  I don’t want to just get in the miles which some may call ‘junk miles’ without some structure.  The definition for ‘junk miles’ from British Cycling is ‘cycling that has little or no training benefit and only serve to build fatigue’ and they have a great post about this that can be found here.  I know what has worked for me and trust the process to do the same again.

The Vatternrundan have resources on their website and suggest that you have covered 1,000km in training for the ride itself.  I have set myself a big goal of hitting 5,000 miles in 2019 so should be well over their suggestion by the time of the event.  I know 5,000 miles is a lot and will be a tall order so wish me luck!

The Vatternrundan itself has a lot of participants and should you be able to join a peloton (and I say should as we found a lot of groups did not like this or allow you to) experience of group riding is a must, which just gives me the excuse to ride as much as possible with the fellow clubmates at Romford CC more!

I attended a talk last week at Look Mum No Hands that was titled ‘Mind The Cycling Gender Gap’.  This was the launch of the second zine from Tiffany Lam, a feminist passionate about inclusive cycling, that includes stories from women relating to cycling and empowerment.  There was also a panel of ladies including a feminist activist, founder of cycle workshop Bike Freedom, and lady who has a keen interest in mobility and health and well being.

If you have never been to Look Mum No Hands then I would suggest checking them out – they are a popular cafe in London especially with cyclists but they host regular events also.

Whilst the talk was very insightful and it was good to hear the individual stories from people I found myself having different opinions to the others and if I am honest I left feeling a little sad.  Why? Maybe I am lucky with those I surround myself with that I have not had the same negative experiences that others have had but also because a lot of the questions that were being posed could be answered easily with some simple research and there are resources available out there that are clearly unknown.

I also think there is a gender gap in a lot more than just cycling but will stick to the topic at hand!  It led me to think more about women’s cycling, specifically what barriers there are that women experience?  What would stop a female from starting cycling?  Is the answer to segregate the two sexes or does that not simply compound the issue?

Since the talk I have taken the time to speak to a number of female cyclists in person and online to find out their thoughts on this subject and try and understand a little more about what some potential reasons could be for the lower number of female cyclists on the road.

Fear and safety when out and about on the bike is one reason that I heard consistently more than anything else as a reason not to cycle.  However, whilst this can be true, sometimes it is the perception more than reality and how can we change that?  I admit when I first started this was my main concern but with experience comes confidence and of course some common sense with certain roads avoided for safety. I live in an area where after ten minutes of cycling I am on country roads, which are quieter.  I am also lucky that I am not too far from two closed cycle tracks in Redbridge and the Velopark and these are great to start without the fear of traffic and other road users.  The answer suggested at the talk was that the government need to make changes to the roads but is that realistic?  It is important to remember that significant changes to infrastructure come at a huge cost, using the cycle paths pre-Olympics at Epping Forest as an example where the cost was £839k according to TFL just to implement, which is actually an insignificant figure in the grand scheme of the highways spend and more importantly paths such as these, while worthwhile, do not cater for road cyclists so is not an answer to the initial problem raised but a step in the right direction.  When I refer to road users I am doing so intentionally as the responsibility for safety should be shared equally whether that be by car or bike users or pedestrians.

Cycling clubs can also be a deterrent but again, in my experience, this can be perception rather than reality.  I am not saying all clubs are the same but speaking from personal experience I am a member of Romford Cycle Club and Havering Tri and both are super inclusive and gender does not even come into it.  We are all equal and we are all undertaking the same activity.  For me this is key and again this is just my personal opinion but I want to ride my bike and there is no necessity for me to do so with just females.  I appreciate the position that some ladies may feel less pressure being surrounded by women only and a great example of this is the Breeze programme.  ‘HSBC UK Breeze offers fun, free bike rides for women of all abilities across the UK’.  Though in speaking to some ride leaders from Breeze most feel this is viewed as a platform people use to then transition into club riding.  It is important to remember that different cycling clubs have different purposes and you need to find one that will suit your needs and goals – some want to race, some to explore, some to get from a to b and no reason is right or wrong but a club opens up your accessibility to like minded people.  Just because one doesn’t should not make them a bad club but instead simply not aligned to your needs.  You can search on the British Cycling website to find local clubs to you here.

Don’t be put off by the MAMIL!  I heard this word over and over again and I loathe it!  For those unaware MAMIL stands for middle aged man in lycra and for a lot of people this image of cycling is off putting.  BUT what is wrong with the middle aged man in lycra?  Why does he have such a negative reaction when people refer to him?  What says he is not supportive?  Why the negativity because he chooses to cycle in lycra?  It is also something not just off putting to females but males in the same demographic too.  I didn’t want to wear the whole cycling get up when I first started as I felt stupid if I am being completely honest and yet now it is all I wear when I cycle.  It is comfortable and it serves a purpose.  There is nothing saying you have to dress like this though – it depends what sort of cyclist you want to be.

This Girl Can is a campaign ‘funded by The National Lottery, believes that there’s no right way to get active – if it gets your heart rate up it counts. And we want more women to find what’s right for them’.  They cover cycling on their website and provide some useful resources for those wanting to know more.  Remember everyone starts somewhere!

Specialized UK also have a number of female ambassadors who host a range of rides across the UK (both road and MTB).  They are run by the appointed female ambassadors and are female only led rides, all free departing from a nominated store.  Details can be found here, where you can sign up and it also provides all information about pace and requirements.  The ambassadors are super helpful and more than happy to answer any questions you may have.  Again this gives the opportunity to ride with like minded individuals and widen your network of those you can regularly ride with.  I have been on one of these rides and even completed a 100 mile sportive with the same ladies who met through the Chelmsford led rides.

British Cycling one in a million is a new campaign that is looking ‘to encourage more women to feel safe and confident in the saddle and inspired to ride’.  Do you cycle?  Why not take part?  More details can be found here.  According to British Cycling 723,000 more women have been influenced to cycle since 2013 as part of their four year #WeRide women’s strategy which has a target to get one million more women cycling by 2020.  The aim of this strategy revealed extensive changes that have been put in place across all levels to begin to counteract the legacy of a 50-year gender gap.

So come on ladies (and gents) lets get on those bikes!

With my 2019 being largely focused around events on two wheels I am keen to make sure my winter training contributes to giving me a good base for the beginning of the season and that is not just about training on the bike.

Pre injury this year I had worked hard on the bike and the results showed in some of my events.  To compare to the previous year I could easily see the changes I had made that I felt contributed to this.  They were as follows:

• I introduced more structure to my cycling.  My husband is a qualified cycle coach and so he set me sessions to complete that made sure I was getting in a range of riding including recovery, tempo/at pace, intervals and working on my cadence.  Cadence is the number of revolutions per minute and at first I found the cycling to cadence really tough – I generally push a big gear and I know this is not efficient but working to different cadence sometimes felt like I was spinning like crazy.  It became a bit of a joke in our cycling club as you would randomly hear my husband shout ‘Lisa, cadence!’.  The main point is that I was not cycling simply for cycling and what some would call ‘junk miles’.
• I gave strength and conditioning training a priority.  My best friend is a qualified PT and she set me sessions and trained with me knowing the goals I had in mind including a lot of core work.  Before I took part in my first triathlon relay a fellow tri club member predicted I would get sub 3 hours for the 56 miles, which I thought was out of reach and he said to trust the strength training I have done.  I finished chuffed to bits in 2:56!
• I made sure I stretched!  I am useless when it comes to stretching before and after exercising and really have to build this in to my training to make sure it is not missed.  Post injury I needed some massage therapy and was recommended someone who is amazing though a sports massage is not the luxurious treat you may think – it hurts but it so worth it afterwards and just highlighted to me the need to stretch the muscles properly.

From the above I have learned what to make sure I focus on over the coming months including the following:

• Core workouts – a strong core is essential when cycling.  A weak core can lead to poor performance (a lot of movement side to side/rocking) and even injury as a consequence.  Gripping the handlebars (something I am guilty of) is a sign of a weak core also and can contribute to back pain and also neck pain.  When cycling your power should come from your legs and this can be lost if you are moving too much from side to side.  There are many movements to help strengthen your core, you don’t need a gym and it doesn’t take too long either. Why is this important?  The core is what is keeping the body stable whilst cycling and is put under a lot of pressure when in the saddle.  When I first started cycling I would suffer from back pain and this can often be a result of a weak core so I knew I had work to do.  Some exercises that would help your core could include mountain climbers, Russian twists, leg raises, plank, abdominal crunches, scissor kicks, boat pose and bridges.

• Strength training – my workouts tends to include both core and strength exercises and focus on specific muscle groups.  For cyclists a focus on the muscle groups used when on the bike is beneficial.  Some exercises that would help could include squats, reverse lunges, deadlifts, push ups, shoulder press, renegade rows, kettlebell swings and burpees (I know no one loves a burpee sorry).

• Yoga/Pilates – cycling can lead to tightness in certain areas of the body especially the lower back, neck, hips and pelvis.  A strong core will help reduce this especially if your spine is lengthened and low abdomen engaged, both of which will support your core.  Some poses that would help with this and in turn maximise your potential on the bike could include cat/cow pose, downward facing dog, bridge, camel, chair pose into forward bend, sacrum stretch, hamstring stretch, quad/hip flexor stretch, child pose, reclining bound angle pose and not forgetting legs up the wall.

I will be trying to get out as much as possible as I much prefer getting outside whenever possible though sometimes excessive rain, ice, snow and similar weather conditions can make cycling dangerous so will also need to incorporate some targeted training on the turbo (a necessary evil).

As they say winter miles equal summer smiles so here we go!