I have now acquired the use of a turbotrainer and yesterday hitched up my trusty old mountain bike to it for use in the dining room on a permanent basis. With heart rate monitor in place I have now started my regime of developing my aerobic endurance capacity. My plan is to cycle between 45 to 60 minutes a day on the trainer with my heart rate averaging around 148 bpm. This intensity zone is perfect for training my cardiovascular system to cope with the kind of conditions that it will need to face each day of the ride in August 2006. In the months to come I will increase the time spent on the trainer and also move to a point where I ride at this intensity for an hour each morning, afternoon and evening. It is envisaged that we will be cycling for around 7 hours a day, covering just under 10 miles an hour. This puts the turbotrainer workout into perspective, bearing in mind that on the day my heart rate intensity will be set at a slightly lower target than 148bpm.