CHRISSIE’S FAVOURITE BIKE SESSION

Maintain fitness and power this off-season with the four-time Ironman world champion

As winter approaches, many athletes reach for the turbo – and rightly so, as it’s a controlled environment, time-efficient and safe. In fact, the trusty turbo can be used year-round to great effect but comes into its own when it’s pelting down and dark outside.

Although steady riding’s important, mixing up cadence and speed helps maintain fitness and power while staving-off boredom. It also helps develop a better understanding of how resistance and effort impact form and power, and interval sessions are great for testing limits and reminding you to dig deep. I was a creature of habit and had some go-to sessions in my career, including this one, prescribed by my first coach Brett Sutton. It’s a pyramid, gradually building cadence (and speed) while increasing duration of the effort interval until a 10min race-pace effort is reached, before decreasing all variables. For efficiency, keep your bike ready with a towel and shoes clipped in. A mirror, to check form, and a fan, to limit sweaty conditions are also beneficial.