Christopher Juul-Jensen describes unique training plan that allows him to spend more time with family: "If you plan it properly, you never completely overtrain"
Cycling
Cycling is far from your usual 9-5 job and that certainly doesn't make things easier when it comes to family time. Christopher Juul-Jensen might be a rare exception of a rare who has found a cheat code and, at the times he's not racing, balance out cycling in a way that allows him to spend maximum time with family while maintaining a professional career at Jayco AlUla.
What's the trick? As we know recovery is an important part of cycling training. But rather then adapting his schedule to the needs of training, Juul-Jensen trains five days in a row on workdays and rests at weekends which allows him to be there for his children.
"I think it's a great way to approach it," he tells EkstraBladet. "Some people might think, 'Five days in a row, that sounds like too much!', but if you plan it properly, you have two days to recover and relax. With two rest days, you never completely overtrain. It works, and I have been confirmed that the form is good if not even better than it usually is at this time of year."
Even during the particularly busy Christmas season, Juul Jensen has made a choice: He will not train on the bike during the Christmas holidays. "Christmas is a mini-stage race, where you're here, there and everywhere with family and at Christmas dinners. So I came to the conclusion a couple of years ago that I didn't want to spend time cycling on those days. Then I'd rather focus on training properly."
Rather, he prefers to get done with the hard work beforehand: "I train well and make sure my shape is where it needs to be, and then I leave the bike at home and go on Christmas vacation without it." Natually, Juul Jensen is still careful not to overindulge in Christmas temptations. "Of course you plan accordingly. You don't want to throw it all on the floor before Christmas. It would be a shame if you ruined all your hard work by eating only potatoes and gravy for four days in a row."
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