I’ve got a strong base of endurance, how do I get faster?

In our ‘Get Me Ready’ series, Steve Shrubsall speaks to cyclists taking on new challenges, hooking them up with cycling coach Jon Sharples in a bid to prepare them for the event. This month, James Benson-King – fresh from an 31,500 kilometre epic ride – gears up for the 100km ‘Team Townend Dirty Double’, a punchy sportive in the Lake District, with the goal of setting the fastet time possible over the distance.  

James is no stranger to the saddle – the 31-year-old recently completed an 31,500km odyssey from Alaska to Argentina, riding for children’s heart charity CRY. But he wasn’t aiming for speed. Terms like functional threshold power and maximum aerobic function didn’t register on his radar at the time – the man from Bournemouth had the logistics of an intercontinental escapade to plan. That the wheels kept turning was enough. Indeed, dive into any given day of his Strava stats during the trip and you’re understandably greeted with wall-to-wall Zone 1.