I built this training room in the garden during the first lockdown in 2020, when I couldn’t go to the gym anymore. It had to be less than 30m² so as not to need planning permission. We put down a concrete base and erected the timber frame, boarded out and cladded with Japanese-style charred wood. The design was all about light: there are floor-to-ceiling windows along the full length, which open out onto the garden. Inside, there are 24 spotlights and the internet is hard-wired in, to avoid connection drop-outs.
I have a partner and two young kids, so the room needed to be a functional space for everyone, not just my personal gym. There’s even enough floor space for kids’ birthday parties! During the daytime, it’s also my workplace – I’m a sports massage therapist.
As for my own sporting life, I’m literally average at everything, an all-rounder. As well as cycling, I do swimming, triathlon and strength training. I’m doing Boston and London marathons this year too. I rode the Etape in 2019, which was 83 miles with 4,563m of climbing including an ascent of Val Thorens. I had to take it steadily, as it was so hot and so hard that some people were abandoning their bikes!
I’ve been cycling since 2014 and enjoy doing 40-60-mile weekend rides with mates around the New Forest. I no longer do organised cycling events, as I don’t like the pressure. Zwift is brilliant – Iuse my Wattbike all the time, three or four times a week. I’m a C-cat rider and love the social and competitive elements.
WATOPIA MAP
This framed map on the wall shows Zwift’s virtual worlds and details all the routes, with distances and elevation
PERIMETER LIGHTING
The mood lighting strips were just £24 off Amazon! Everything is voice activated via Alexa, and I had sockets fitted up high to keep it neat and tidy. I can switch between different colours of light and at night it’s brilliant, giving a moody glow
HEATING
There are two electric heaters, making the room comfortable during winter
ADJUSTABLE SCREEN
Apple TV provides my apps, including Z
