No one knows more about endurance cycling than Mark Beaumont – the British World Record breaking, long distance cyclist.
Based in Edinburgh, Mark hit the headlines last year by becoming the fastest person ever to cycle around the world. His Around the World in 80 Days Artemis World Cycle, saw him finish the 18,000 mile route in just 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes, beating the previous record by more than 40 days. All whilst being married with two young children to look after!
Mark has been cycling since his school days. At the age of just 12 he cycled across Scotland and by 15 he had made his way from John O’Groats to Land’s End by bike. Aside from his round the world ambitions, he has also cycled and climbed the Americas from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego – an Argentinian province. And in 2015 set another World Record for the fastest solo ride after pedalling the entire length of Africa in 42 days and eight hours.
But you won’t always find him on a bike. Mark is also a keen rower and in 2011 he joined a six-man team to row the Arctic to the 1996 location of the magnetic North Pole. And the following year, he was part of a team attempting to break the mid-Atlantic rowing World Record surviving a capsizing.
Mark is still cycling but also enjoys life as an author, broadcaster and ambassador. He loves sharing his inspirational journeys and supporting many charities.
Ask him how you can become an endurance athlete and this is his answer, “Almost everyone has the ability to take on adventure challenges, but it is sensible to build up experience and fitness over time, rather than immediately taking on the world.
“For most expeditions you should start with good all round fitness and then you will get fitter and more conditioned to the long hours during the challenge. If you are setting out to break World Records and be more of an endurance athlete than a nomadic adventurer, then this will take a more systematic approach to training. Injury and illness are your biggest concerns on long expeditions.
“If you are cycling, then correct bike fit is essential to avoid repetitive strains, and for all sports think about cross training to build all round muscle balances. But the biggest transition from taking on one day challenges to major adventures is your mind set and there is no training book that will help with this. Experience and time in the great outdoors is the only way to build resilience and your comfort zone so you can take on tougher challenges.”
