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| Around the Academy: |
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You don't often get a chance to appreciate the scenery!
Road racing is all about endurance so you've got to be prepared to put in the hours in the saddle. With training it's a case of long, hard and often! I clock up around 400 miles a week. That's 20 hours-worth of pedalling! It's pretty gruelling but it all pays off when you cross that finish line first. I push myself really hard, but I also make sure I take it a bit easier some days. I think it's really important to structure your training well. After all, when you're riding through the beautiful countryside you should take time to have a little look around and appreciate it all! I don't spend much time in the gym. Most of my training is done out on the road.
I think it's really important to watch what you eat though so I have a healthy, balanced diet.
You need to be mentally tough too. You've got to be able to push through the pain barrier. Luckily, that's something I'm quite good at dealing with. Knowing I'm doing something I really enjoy pulls me through. But there's more to cycling than riding and racing. Sometimes you work for others, sometimes you make all the moves but don't get the rewards. Tactics play a big part. You have to keep an eye on your rivals and learn the best place to position yourself in the bunch. That all comes with experience so be prepared to learn from your mistakes.
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