Started the Cycloform training plan as much as I could and built it up steadily.
4 out of 5 of the days are on the turbo trainer working on building a really strong base to work from. 3 of the 4 turbo sessions are working on zone 2 (118pbm – 130bpm). After a 10 minute warm up and getting steadily up to 118 bpm I do five minute intervals at the top and bottom of the zone, swapping between 130 bpm and 118.
The other turbo session is working on cadence, again having had a 10 minute warm up, the work begins, 30 second intervals of high cadence without bouncing (117 for me) and then 30 second rest at 95 cadence.
Both those sessions last an hour this month with a look at extending them by 10 minutes.
My last session of the week is a two hour outdoor ride – I’ve done both road and MTB this month although struggling to keep tempo as slow as should be. The aim is to stay less than 120 bpm for the ride which is easier said than done but this is how you build a good base. We looked at doing it on minimal fuel to encourage fat burning but struggle to make that work for me at the minute – I just end up hypo and have to have a Gel.
Then of course there’s two rest days per week as they are as important as training days.
How do you cope with turbo training that regular? Well I don’t have a smart trainer or anything but it’s how you approach it really. I tend to train after the kids have gone to bed, watch tv on my laptop in front of me and it’s a great unwind at the end of the day. I certainly don’t see it as a chore and have been seeing improvements.
The first three weeks went really well but by mid week 4 I just felt exhausted all day, completely drained, so elected to listen to my body and rest. Ended up being 10 days off but feel better for the rest. There’s no point pushing to the point of illness and needing even longer off, it’s definitely best to learn to listen to your body and stop before it becomes something greater.
Cycling with any long term illness is a battle but the benefits far outweigh the negatives of inactivity will create. I can’t say it’s great being a Type 1 Diabetic but I will not let it define me.
The main driver for me is the fact I have committed to events for 2020 – Our own Flat 200 and Ventoux Raid (Three times up Mt Ventoux in a day)