We’ve been pretty hard on you for the last three weeks and your body should now be more than ready for a rest. But to keep you inspired while you expire on the couch we’ve got an amazing story that’s come about as part of our ‘guinea pig’ training scheme.

All those interval sprints will have left you and your legs feeling drained and slightly damaged too, so now is the time to kick back and relax before we begin our final training phase before the Red Bull and other big summer events.

Don’t stop riding completely though, just roll the bike out on some relaxed rides when you feel like it to keep the blood chugging round your system.

And if you ever need some inspiration and a lesson in determination then take time to read this story from one of our regular Tuesday Training encouragers.

Handcyclist Petula Watson started following our advice late last year at the tender age of 40 to get her up the hills of Snowdonia faster!

As if this wasn’t enough, with regular exercise, the rest of her muscles and back started to strengthen and straighten up. Correcting the sideways stoop that a shorter leg had encouraged, this suddenly left her several inches taller, but with an even bigger difference in leg length. We’ll let her take the story from here.

“To start with, when I read the first Tuesday Training articles I couldn’t see the training programme being that helpful. That is, till the first week you gave us some action to get into and I went out on my bike. And then the feeling of being part of a group had a real impact. If anyone thought I was gonna get left behind they were wrong!

Sure, I’ve had to be as gutsy and determined as I’ve known how. Growing 5 or 6ins at 40yrs young certainly is a bit of a challenge, but once all that got going it was like an unstoppable train. I really didn’t have a choice.

Handcycling is highly therapeutic as well as fun, but finding you’re benefitting so much from just going for rides, training and having fun really is incredible.

I had heard that my bike would exercise all the muscles of my neck, back, hips etc. But who wants to be thinking of all that when they’re out to have a good time getting faster?

Now I stand at my full height for the first time ever. It’s an amazing experience I’m still getting used to!

I’ll be able to access shops and services mid-bike ride, and that makes a huge difference to my quality of life. Having Iceland deliver my shopping for instance, instead of me cycle it home from elsewhere… so I can cycle more than ever before having already taken care of the essentials. Cool!

Mother Nature seems to agree too. This week my pulse rate has uniformly dropped by 25bpm’s while I’m riding. My average bpm is way down. Within a month it’s gone down from 125 to 107. I also have cycling friends locally who catch up and ride with me if we happen to be going the same way now. Oh… I love that!

So sure Coach, if you think hearing about me will inspire people. Get them off the sofa and out for a ride. Please be my guest. But also tell them that it is absolutely essential that they not only read your good advice… but act on it. It’s a two-sided coin.”
So whether exercise helps change your life or just keeps you sane after a hard day at work, stick with it. The rewards can be amazing.

Huge thanks to Petula for letting us relate her story here on Bikemagic, we feel absolutely honoured to have provided even the smallest amount of help.