Full-on training, full-time work: How four amateurs stay competitive around their day jobs

How to find the time and energy to keep improving on the bike while also holding down a full-time job? Michelle Arthurs-Brennan speaks to masters of the work/training juggling act

Train guard Boyman's learned to adjust to an irregular timetable

If you work full-time and also try to maintain a competitive level of bike fitness, you’re probably familiar with the following scenario: dragging yourself into the turbo den after a day at work, staring at the bike and wanting nothing more than to turn around and go to bed or divert to the sofa in front of the TV.

Combining work with hitting cycling performance goals can be a tightrope walk between progress and burnout. But get it right and the results are immensely rewarding. "Amateur athletes have much less time to train," muses former national champion and coach Matt Bottrill, who worked as a postman while dominating the domestic TT scene.

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