Transform Your Running: AI Coach for Race Preparation [2151]

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In the fierce competition among top cyclists, athletes must follow a strict training and lifestyle regimen to optimize their potential and compete for podium finishes in the future.Of course, some top athletes ride full-time and can earn money through cycling, often training and competing with a professional team.

But what is life like for those who achieve great results in competitions, even standing on the highest podium, while working a regular job like you and me during the weekdays? Let's take a peek into their busy daily lives.

Richard Bussell

Elite individual time trial cyclist, postman

Age: 27

Hometown: Stourbridge, Worcestershire

Achievements: Recently, Bussell won his first national 10-mile individual time trial and successfully defended his title in 2016, also finishing second in the national 25-mile individual time trial.

6 AM - 1 PM: Delivering mail. Bussell wakes up with the birds, quickly eats his breakfast—usually a bowl of porridge and one or two cups of coffee—then rides 10 miles to work.

Upon arriving at work, he changes into his uniform, stores his bike bag in a locker, and starts planning his delivery route for the day, followed by four hours of walking the streets delivering mail.

In the evening, or sometimes during lunch, you might see a postman riding his Cervelo P2 at a speed much faster than usual. Besides his daily job, Bussell competes with professional cyclists and performs just as well.

So how does he balance work and competitive cycling? How can someone reach the top in national individual time trials without riding full-time?

"I try to focus on the big races. I occasionally participate in local races, but racing every week can be stressful," he says.

Although the big races are sporadic and never disrupt his schedule, he still trains 10-20 hours a week, fitting this training time into his daily life alongside his job as a postman.

"In the summer, I usually train after work, but in the winter, I find it painful to ride outside after work, so I choose to ride very early in the morning, often when it's still dark. I do have a training partner, so we can train together. I find that if I train before work, I don't have to think about work all day, and I can relax when I get home."

Pre-work training usually means a 55-mile loop around the rough terrain of the West Midlands before carrying a heavy mailbag through the streets. The most challenging aspect of combining work and racing is carrying the heavy bag.

"The hardest part is recovery. I don't mind riding to and from work, but carrying a heavy mailbag up and down hills means you don't get any chance to recover. No matter how you go, you'll be very tired by the end of the day."

In summary, although Bussell has a flexible work schedule as a postman, the job is physically demanding, making his victories over full-time cyclists even more remarkable.

Paul Oldham

2015 Three Peaks winner, Hope Technology engineer

Age: 38

Hometown: Colne, Lancashire

Achievements: Current Three Peaks champion, winner of the British National Cyclo-cross Championships, and 2011 champion in the same event.

Such a big race seems to require a particularly comprehensive training plan, but 2015 Three Peaks champion Paul Oldham trains outside of work and is clearly very successful.

"I train 6 to 12 hours a week. In the autumn and winter, I race almost every week, and in the summer, I usually race every other week. But I do take a break from January to March each year."

Although the Three Peaks is relatively long compared to other cyclo-cross races, the training for it is more manageable compared to his previous life as a road cyclist.

"Full-time work is half the reason I gave up road racing. If you work full-time, training 100 miles on tarmac is very difficult. But training for an hour on rough terrain is much easier. This makes it more feasible for full-time workers to be competitive in cyclo-cross races than in road races."

Fortunately, Oldham found a suitable position with his bike sponsor, Hope Technology, allowing him to finish work early for training without receiving written warnings for leaving early.

"I'm lucky to work for my sponsor, so I have more flexible hours and don't have to sacrifice too much family time for training."

"I can now start work in the morning and finish early in the afternoon. But before I joined my sponsor's company, training was very painful for me."

As a family man, Oldham is also adept at balancing his family life.

"On weekends, I go out early in the morning and return home when most people are just getting ready for the day. The main downside is that I can't ride with others."

Working for his sponsor allows Oldham to work with peace of mind without worrying too much about affecting his family and work.

Edmund Bradbury

NFTO rider, recent university graduate

Age: 23

Hometown: Richmond, Greater London

Achievements: Second place in the 2015 British Cycling World Championships.

After graduating, he signed with NFTO. While studying full-time, he pursued a degree in neuroscience and management, maintaining an intense training regimen. Like Oldham, who focused on cyclo-cross to minimize training time, Bradbury concentrated on individual time trial training during his four years at Cambridge University.

"At university, individual time trials were simpler and easier to focus on for consistent training. I used to row before switching to time trials."

"I trained 15-18 hours a week, mostly on weekends—so I would do 5 to 6 hours of training in a single day on weekends. During the week, I did very intense, short burst training." So his training pattern was long-distance on weekends and short burst training during the week.

He found that university life blended well with the cycling season. "At the start of the season, you generally invest more in endurance, which coincides with the time when students are studying and not taking many exams. Then, as the season progresses and exams increase, your training volume decreases."

In summary, Bradbury managed his training and study needs well, completing base mileage on weekends and doing specific training on the bike trainer during the week.

Luke de Quay

Job: DK Glovesheets family brand manager

Cycling identity: Road racer, hill climb and individual time trial trainer

"I schedule my two longest rides of the week on weekends, usually around 2 hours each, and then go out on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. This allows for recovery time between high-intensity sessions.

During the short days and long nights, like many cyclists, "I set up a bike trainer in front of the TV and use cycling software to monitor my heart rate and other data in real-time. This helps with specific training. I firmly believe that quality is more important than quantity, so there are no junk miles in my daily training."