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Most cyclists are not training during Covid19 lockdown to
race and they should look on their home training as a way to relax and socialise
rather than making it hard for themselves, Nicolas Roche has said.
Asked what his advice to amateur cyclists would be during
lockdown, Roche said they should treat training – cycling on a home trainer or
jogging – as recreation and a break from the pressures of the public health
crisis.
And while many cyclists were turning to Zwift and even
racing on it, Roche said there was real merit in doing at least some training
at this time not connected to Zwift or Strava, which he believed can become “competitive”
between riders.
“The key thing is to know that you are not alone,” Roche
said of amateur cyclists who find their training interrupted and their normal
cycling plans completely derailed by the Covid19 lockdown.
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“This crisis hasn’t just hit you, it’s hit the whole
country, the whole of Europe, everywhere.
“You are not alone in losing fitness and having to go on
Zwift or wherever to keep fitness. To keep yourself motivated, you must see
that everyone is in the same boat.
“Try and find a fun aspect to it; don’t constantly think
to yourself ‘I must train to keep fit’. Do Facetime with a mate while you are
doing it.
“Today I was talking to Dan (Martin, cousin); he sent me
a message saying ‘Nico, are you up for a call on the home trainer?’ So I told
him I needed to do some proper efforts today so I couldn’t pick up the phone
with him.
“But his is the way to do it. I’ve been putting movies on, making phone calls. Maybe you don’t train at 80 per cent on a particular day even though your coach said you must train at 80 per cent; maybe you do 60 per cent today but you make a few calls but you still get an hour in.”
Roche himself has been careful to mix relaxing and even
social chat while on his home trainer in Monaco, much the same way a group ride
on the road under normal circumstances would involve conversation with those
around him.
He believed it was crucial that riders used messaging and
video call apps to hook up with training partners while riding at home.
“You need that distraction, you need to keep the fun side
in it. Training (at home) doesn’t need to be a necessity for you; it needs to
be about getting rid of your stress or anxiety.
“And the moment there’s pressure for people who have to
stay at home (in Covid19 lockdown). And for people who have a family that’s
even more so; they have kids and a partner and all kinds of other
responsibilities and everyone is at home.
“For me, I have it pretty easy actually, all I have to do
is go for a ride, sit on the sofa or decide to go for a walk,” he joked of life
in lockdown in his apartment in Monaco.
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“I can imagine people back at home in Ireland, looking after their kids and so many other things going on in the home. They must look at the bike being their saviour almost and they should just enjoy it and try and keep the fun.”
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As a Team Sunweb WorldTour pro Roche has all the technology
and training advice he needs at his disposal.
But he believes cyclists who are riding to keep fit don’t
necessarily need to have hi-tech and expensive home training set-ups or even
follow a very structured training programme.
“If you don’t have Zwift, find something else; put a
movie on (while riding the turbo). That’s how I used to do it until a week ago
and I survived 16 years as a professional,” he laughed.
Roche said last week he had done a favour for a friend
which involved a number of people on regular home trainers all riding while
tuned into a conference call, with a routine called out for everyone like a
spin class, rather than all riding on Zwift or using precise data.
“It’s all quite expensive to be fully connected today
with all the new equipment,” he said.
“But you can find a mate who has the same schedule as you
and, even for the laugh, just get an hour done on the turbo while you are doing
Facetime with a mate; just have a laugh.”
Roche says he has also gone for a jog “just to get me off
my balcony” and recommended other cyclists could do the same.
Like Sean Kelly speaking to stickybottle recently, Roche urged caution for anyone starting running, saying it was best to start small and build slowly over time.
“You can start cycling and go for three hours even if you
never cycled in your life. The only thing is that you’d be tired the next day,”
he said.
“But with running, there’s possible injury involved. So
you need to build it up. On my first day (recently) I went out and did a
slow-paced jog and I stopped at times and took my time on any steps.
“If I felt a slight issue with my ankle or anywhere else,
I stopped and walked for a few minutes.
“And if you can’t jog, they do a fast walk. That’s nearly
better because then you really can’t get injured. But don’t go talking, no having a laugh; go
out and do a 30 to 40 minutes fast walking.
“When I went out (jogging) for the first few days I just
put on some music, disconnected myself from everything. I had my phone in my
back pocket, put my playlist on and that was my way to escape.
“It’s not about being on Strava, beating a record, or
anything like it. It was just about getting some fresh air and getting some
exercise. I think people have to detach themselves from that competitive side
of themselves.
“It’s not about competing, it’s about keeping fit, not
getting injured and just getting through this two or three months that are
going to be very difficult for people. And if you want to do something more
intense, do some of the races on Zwift.”
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