The typical week of athletes is always very varied. In recent years we have hardly seen two that are the same or very similar, and that of Martina Fidanza, that we propose to you, is even more different than the others.
Fidanza, in fact, belongs to that group of blue men and blue women who are also at the court of Marco Villa. Not to mention that it also has changed team, has passed from Ceratizite to the Visma-Lease a Bike, which as we will see has an impact on preparation. It is therefore interesting to see how he reconciles the two activities, especially in this Christmas week.
Martina, how does your typical week start?
It's difficult for me to establish a typical week given that the track is also involved. Let's say that this Christmas week, for example, there's a bit of everything. On Monday, for example, I went to Montichiari to ride on the track.
In these cases, what is your day like?
I get up around 7:00. I have breakfast and then head to Montichiari. It takes me a good hour, depending on traffic, and that's where we turn around. The length of the sessions also depends on how many of us there are and how long there is a waiting time between group sessions. Anyway, we go back in the afternoon and in the evening I'm home.
That was your Monday, shall we move on to Tuesday?
Gym and bike today. I like to ride my bike to the gym, also because it helps me warm up a bit. I change there; I know the owners well: they have my shoes and everything I need. I do strength and balance exercises. When I'm done, I immediately set off on my bike and do a couple of hours of relaxation.
Wednesday?
In this case, since tomorrow is Christmas, I'm resting. I tried to organize myself that way. I'll try to wake up as late as possible, almost around lunch time, so as to skip a meal (breakfast, ed.) and then enjoy the day with the family!
And it's Thursday...
I'll do three hours. Three quiet hours at Z1 or even Z2. At Visma-Lease a Bike they're making me work a lot in this area for now. It's pure training. Fat MaxPerfect after Christmas lunch! Even though I'm certainly not a climber, I still like to include a few climbs during my outings to spice things up a bit. This time, more than ever, I'll try to leave early so I can be home for lunch and spend time with my family.
Friday?
I'll be hitting the track again. This time for two days, and I'll be staying overnight in Montichiari. Friday will feature a double session: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. On Saturday, however, we'll only work in the morning. But then we'll stay there because we've organized a dinner to celebrate Chiara (Consonni, ed.) and Vittoria (Guazzini, ed.)'s Olympic victory. After all, there's never been enough time to spend all together.
And here we are on Sunday…
Exactly, I'll go home and train. Another couple of quiet hours, especially since I'll be coming off two quality days on the track.
This is the preparation part, Martina: how do you manage your nutrition, especially now that you've moved to a team where this aspect is particularly taken care of?
In fact, it's perhaps the part that's changed the most. They care a lot about it and are very careful. They have developed an app with which, by scanning the barcodes of what we eat, we know the quantities and balances to take. It's not so much about not eating this or that, a lot or a little, but about always having the right balance. I might even have a little piece of chocolate, but then I know that for the rest of the day I've already consumed that amount of fat or sugar. I know how much of that nutrient I have left.
It's actually interesting…
Interesting and practical, I'd say. They know what I eat, and so do I. They are gradually making me change. For example, for breakfast, I've rediscovered porridge. It's based on oats, and I make it however I want: Greek yogurt, which isn't necessarily the 0% fat kind (though that's more common), then oats, fruit, nuts, honey, or, if I want, a chocolate spread that I really like. I enter it all into the app, and they know what I've eaten.
What have you changed most since joining the new team?
Nutrition on the bike. I actually eat more now. The concept at Visma is to consume what you need. And what you need to pedal at your best. When I do three hours, for example, I never miss 60 grams of carbohydrates. While on the training front, the change for now is very gradual.
Regarding the timing of your typical day, so to speak, what are your hours like?
I wake up between 7 and 8, depending on what I have to do and whether I have to go to Montichiari, and how cold it is. I train. I have lunch. And around 20 pm I usually have dinner.
Do you go to bed at a set time?
No, if we happen to be with family, I like to stay all together, maybe playing cards. Or I watch a movie. But I'm usually in bed by 23pm. Sometimes I like to stretch after dinner, just before bed.
