THE CW BIG FITNESS PROJECT 2022

With our participants all now recovered from Covid, the season can finally start in earnest...

- David Bradford

DANNY LLOYD

'HAPPY AS LARRY TO BE FOCUSING ON FRED!'

I’m just back from the Yorkshire Classic sportive, which went really well – despite a few technical snags. My power meter packed in before the start, so I had to judge my effort on heart rate alone. I also punctured, but luckily, because I run tubeless tyres, the sealant did its job and plugged the hole – once it had sprayed all over my bike! My goal was to finish inside 4hr 30min but I did it in 3hr 56min, much of it solo, averaging 30.6kph, so I was really pleased. It was annoying not to have power data, as it was probably my best ride to date.

It was a mixed month overall. I’d intended to do the Manchester Sheffield Manchester sportive (3 April) but the weather was horrific and I was feeling a bit rough, so I decided against it. After catching Covid in February, I was really cautious in coming back, as I’d heard about footballers returning to training too soon and suffering from heart damage. I even invested in an ECG machine for extra reassurance. Although this time it was just a chesty cough, I was determined to keep up the good habits, and took a few days off the bike, then eased myself gently back into training. I had a great weekend in Yorkshire in mid-April, combining a family holiday with some big hilly rides in preparation for the Fred Whitton Challenge (8 May). My training structure remains the same: 12-14 hours per week, set by my coach Jack Rees, but I’ve also been enjoying using the Wahoo Systm app – particularly the interactive training, yoga and core sessions.*