HOW CYCLING CHANGED MY LIFE...

Borrowing his father-in-law’s bike took Mark Kelly, 43, on a route to physical and sporting transformation

I just started doing small spins and gradually built things up from there

Heaviest: 14st 1lb (93kg) (Body fat approx 30 per cent) Now: 11st 3lb (72kg) (Body fat 5.5 per cent)

HOW HAS CYCLING CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

“While I was off work recovering from surgery on my shoulder and suffering with bad asthma I asked my father-in-law if I could borrow his bike for a few weeks. I just started doing small spins and gradually built things up from there.”

WHAT ELSE DID YOU DO TO LOSE WEIGHT?

“I suffered a lot from fatigue and lacked the energy to work out. But I started to read up on nutrition and calorie intake. I still use a specific sports nutrition shake to give me that energy boost I need.”

HOW DO YOU TARGET BODY FAT?

“I will do three-four hour endurance rides with big gear efforts in hour two and three at about 80 per cent of maximum heart rate, which is great for fat burning. I will also do a two-threehour speed/power endurance ride and a series of hill repeats (one-two hours with a 20-minute warm up) on a hill that’s about 3km long. I ride as hard as I can to the top in the biggest gear I have. My legs are usually screaming by the time I come to the third ascent but I figure no pain no gain!”

HOW OFTEN DO YOU CYCLE?

“I train four times a week and race at weekends. I came first in a Mayo Cycling League race, sixth in the Loughrea Grand Prix and first overall in a Time Trial League, among my other achievements.

“Instead of the bike that I borrowed from my father-in-law, I now ride a carbon Colnago built with a full Shimano Dura-Ace groupset. My favourite route is a 157km loop of Lough Corrib [lake in the west of Ireland], which I did on one occasion in four hours of absolutely torrential rain!”