Lockdown with Ben Foames

This latest lockdown Q & A is with Ben Foames of TBW23/Stuart Hall/trainSharp who has just spent three years in Belgium and is now based In South East England in Kent and working part time.

Lockdown with Ben Foames
Brought to you by trainSharp

Q: Your last race was and how did it go you?
Ben: My last race was the Roy Thame Cup. It went very well for me and the team, we marked every move before I managed to get in the winning break. After most of the day out front, racing hard, I finished 9th.

Q: With racing cancelled, what’s a typical week training wise for you?
Ben: With the races being cancelled, my typical weeks training consists of strength and threshold sessions, while still riding endurance miles but keeping everything steady until there’s a sign of the racing starting up again.

Q: How long have you worked with trainSharp and how has your training changed?
Ben: I have been coached by trainSharp for two years now. For me having a structured training plan, isn’t just about being physically fit and ready to chase my goals. It’s also being able to put yourself in the right mind set, having extra confidence and knowledge that you haven’t wasted a pedal stroke.

Q: Is the coaching just about number and efforts or other parts of the training/racing?
Ben: I feel extremely confident in trainSharp’s training plans and I know it’s my best chance to succeed. With trainSharp, there’s a lot focus on watts and efforts so this makes me know I’m getting the most out of every session. However they offer a massive range of support in different areas of training, from gym work, to brilliant racing/training advice and plenty more.

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Q: Enjoying the turbo or avoiding it like the virus?
Ben: I don’t mind the turbo for my efforts as sometimes they are best completed on the turbo, but for me the road is where I get the most enjoyment.

Q: What’s the hardest thing for you about the Lockdown?
Ben: For me, the hardest thing about lock down is not being able to see my girlfriend or my pals and I do really miss being busy with day to day life.

Q: Besides cycling, what’s your biggest distraction as lock down continues?
Ben: Apart from training, I’m keeping sane by redecorating my room, watching films and chatting to mates.

Q: What’s the bike that gets the most use by you and what is the best thing about it?
Ben: I use my Bottecchia 8avio for most sessions at the moment. It’s setup perfectly for me, feels comfortable and fast so it definitely gives me an extra bit of motivation training on my race bike.

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you have seen since this crisis began?
Ben: The weirdest thing I’ve seen since the lock down was a guy out walking his dog with a WW1 gas marks on.

Q: Finally, where you do you enjoy riding the most in this country or abroad?
Ben: The place I enjoy riding my bike the most is for sure Belgium, Flanders where I stayed when I was living there. so iconic and makes for epic racing and training always.

Thank you to Ben for that Q & A, good luck in 2020 and take care, stay safe. If you are unsure about any aspect of your training then why not drop paul@trainsharp.co.uk an email. He can then put you in touch with one of their coaches.