Training

"Proper Preparation Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance" - Fabio Capello, 2010

Typically we are going to be cycling for 8 hours per day with 1,000 metres of climbing carrying 15kgs of weight in the panniers. It doesn't need speed and power (thank god!) but it does need stamina and lots of twixes.  So I turned my mind to training for such a challenge. Do I train for 3 hours per day out on the bike just below lactate threshold? Should I mix in some strength work at the gym with some long runs to build muscle density? I needed to consult my coach to get his expert view on the rigours of the event and the training I needed to adopt to cope with it. But I don't have one so I asked Lorain instead.

"What do you think I should do to train for LEJOG?" I asked her
"Cut the hedges," she said
"Interesting," I replied, perhaps she had read some interesting cross training technique that cutting hedges builds up cycling stamina. Like Rocky thumping dead cows in a fridge or the Chariots of Fire chaps running along the beach drinking champagne.
"Is that a new cross-training technique?" I asked
"No, the hedges need cutting." she said
I went off and cut the hedges. My legs were killing me