Welcome to my first monthly cycling column, aimed at helping riders of all abilities, ages and gender get fitter, faster, healthier and lose a few kg. Over the coming months, my column will be giving advice on a variety of topics such as: How to get fit in only 3-4 hours a week, nutrition and hydration for the Thai climate, homemade recipes for training and recovery, general training advice, how to lose weight without dieting, training indoors versus outdoors, stretching, core and strength exercises to do at home or the office and much more.
I started coaching 15 years ago to help riders of all abilities get fit and achieve their goals. I am a former racing cyclist who loves his bike and has ridden for 36 years, but I have also been a teacher and sports scientist for 20 years and learned the art of passing on knowledge and advice and adapting to the needs of different individuals. I’m proud to have worked with national champions, helped newbie riders lose 10kg and finish their first event like the Tour De Farm or Doi Inthanon in times they never thought possible.
I began cycling at 14 as a means of transport for my 10km journey to and from school. I used to race the bus to school and invariable arrived there faster. It wasn’t long before I realised cycling was an alternative to traditional high-impact and injury-prone sports, such as football and running. A schoolfriend persuaded me to take part in a 16km time trial race and I finished third and was hooked for life. I went on to be schoolboy national champion in 1979, rode for the Peugeot French team from 1986-1989 and won over 200 races (road races, time trials and track) from 1980-2012.
I now ride for fun in events like the Tour De Farm and take clients on one-to-one coaching rides.
Cycling is unique as it’s a sport for everyone, regardless of where you live or your age, fitness, gender or weight. As cycling is a non-impact sport, you are unlikely to get injured, whereas running can leave you with injured knees and ankles. The majority of us have access to a bicycle even if it’s just a neighbour’s shopping tricycle, so often getting started is as simple as getting on and riding around the block a few times. Once you’re addicted to the buzz of fitness and want to venture further afield, there are numerous bike shops where you can purchase an entry level bike for 10,000 baht, or a high-end carbon racing bike for 100,000 baht. Cycling is booming in Thailand and there are fun social groups for all abilities that ride every weekend or evenings who welcome anyone to join them. They often ride along the safer khlongs or around the new purpose-built Green Road near Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Cycling is fun, keeps you fit, helps you lose weight and works off that pent-up stress. Whether your goal is to simply enjoy your bike for 5km or 100km, lose weight or become the next Tour De France winner, my column will help you. It will only take a few hours a week fitted around your lifestyle to get you there. How much time do you spend watching TV? Come on, you can all find a few hours a week to get fitter and healthier — start today!
Coach JJ is a sports scientist and lecturer on cycling biomechanics at Thammasat University. He can be reached via his Facebook page facebook.com/jj.koolstof.