6. LESS IS MORE

Well, sometimes. “Recovery is a key component of any well-devised training plan,” says Cook, “but is often neglected by riders who train in an unstructured way. Whether it is recovery from individual hard or long sessions or from a solid block of training, your body only gets stronger when it recovers. Always aim to follow hard days with easy ones and, if you have put in three or four weeks of solid, consistent training, schedule in an easier week with less volume. Simply piling on the miles week after week can lead to hitting a training plateau, boredom and, in extreme cases, illness or injury.”

TRY THIS

Build at least one rest day – do nothing – into your training week. This allows your muscles to adapt to the stress your training puts them under.