

Howard Calvert of Team ShortList blogs about his progress so far
Monday, 2 June, 2014
ShortList
One essential purchase is a turbo trainer. With this, you can set it up at home and grab some time in the saddle pre- or post-work. I was lucky enough to trial the new Wahoo Kickr . Endorsed by Team Sky, this stationary trainer replaces your back wheel and requires a plug socket and an iPhone (you can then control the resistance via your iPhone). The Kickr automatically sets your power output, and, due to the cutting-edge electromagnetic resistance, feels just like riding on the road.
Set up in my shed á la Bradley Wiggins while training for the 2012 Tour, (although I doubt he was inches from a humming freezer like me), I signed up to US training programme Trainer Road (trainerroad.com) to use its library of workouts – $10 a month gives you unlimited access, featuring hundreds of rides, most 60-90 minutes in length.
Trainer Road syncs with the Kickr, so you simply select a workout and start pedaling. The first session you must do, however, is one to determine your FTP (Functional Threshold Power), which involves a tough 20-minute, all-out ride. Once you’ve recovered from that, you can set your FTP and the workouts adjust to match it. Then, simply sync your heart-rate monitor and cadence pod, if you have them, and away you go: an hour of pure fun awaits.
You can choose a training plan, or just pick and choose from the library – there is even a sprint triathlon-specific plan. If you love data, you will be overwhelmed with it post-workout. You can even upload your session onto Strava.
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It’s a great way to get the hours in if you can’t get out on the road as much as you’d like.
As Shortlist’s Staff Writer, Danielle spends most of her time compiling lists of the best ways to avoid using the Central Line at rush hour.
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