Just Bee started about a year ago and those of you that read this blog back in the day (yes, when we had our old branding and everything – see pic below) may remember we sponsored Ken Buckley and Liverpool University in their attempt to break the human powered land speed record. However, if this is all new to you, basically they designed, built and rode a bicycle 75.03mph to break the British land speed record (yes, you read that right: on a push bike!)

We thought we would catch up with Ken “wizz kid” Buckley to understand how he did it (aside from being fuelled by Just Bee!), what keeps him motivated and hear about his new performance coaching business buckleyperformancecoaching.co.uk …

Above: Riders Ken Buckley and David Collins with the Liverpool University engineering team after breaking the British land speed record!

Tell us more about this British record, Ken…

JB: Hey Ken! What did it feel like when you became the fastest man in Britain? (JB: For those of you that don’t know, the British land speed record is the fastest land speed achieved by any wheeled vehicle in the United Kingdom, as opposed to one on water or in the air. The world record set by a Canadian stands at 86mph, but Ken smashed the former British record which had been set at 67mph – he rode 75.03mph!)

KB: Relief mainly! It had been such a long build up. I was in training for 9 months, and it was a very high pressure event! I didn’t break the record until the last day of the 5 day event, which meant even more build up and pressure during the week.

JB: How do you think you managed to break the record? Was there anything you think contributed the most – aside from drinking Just Bee in your training!?

KB: Ha – Yes, Just Bee definitely helped as hydration is a key factor and a bit of natural energy from the honey. I also worked with amazing sports nutritionists that monitored my nutrition. They monitor everything, for example, at one stage of the process, we discovered I was deficient in protein. They alerted me to this, so we could rectify it before it hindered my progress.

JB: Do you ever use honey in your diet / fitness regime?

KB: Yes, I actually have an endless supply, because my dad is a beekeeper too!

Even though I generally follow a low sugar diet (outside of my ice cream indulgences!), I prefer it to refined sugar every time, which I try to avoid. Honey is a far healthier source of sweetener. I have it on my porridge in the mornings.

I also make a ‘recovery smoothie’ with strawberries and honey, which I drink after training. (JB: As you may know dear readers, honey can help your body to make the most of the ‘anabolic window’ of muscle building and repair that starts when your workout ends. See, there’s no end to its’ talents!).

JB: Ice cream indulgences? Is this your secret guilty food pleasure?! It will make us non-athletes feel better!

KB:  I have to confess; I’ve got a real sweet tooth for ice cream! Anything like Ben & Jerry’s that’s gooey, chocolatey and ‘caramel-ey’, I can’t resist! I do have to resist my cravings and discipline myself when in training, which I must admit, I don’t like at all!

JB: Are there any other foods you swear by for your regime?

KB: Definitely protein to make me stronger (I mainly get this from whey protein shakes and fish – I don’t eat a lot of meat). I also try and ensure that my vegetable intake makes up as much of my daily calories as I possibly can, the more the better!

Above: Ken Buckley fuelling up in the “Arion 1” bicycle before a race.  

How do you motivate yourself and your clients? 

JB: Whilst you’re a professional sports coach, do you ever have to use your own motivating tools for getting yourself out of bed to train?! What tips can you share with us?

KB: I must admit that I haven’t the greatest track record for getting out of bed early, which is why I really can help when it comes to passing on advice to others!

It’s important to work towards something, setting a goal if possible (be that to lose a stone, or get your speed up by so many mph). Measure your progress as you go – this really does help with motivation. When you see your results, it will spur you on to do more.

JB: Why did you get into coaching and what services do you offer?

KB: I’d being doing this for a long time anyway really, helping out friends and family, so I decided the natural next step was to do it professionally.

I’d learnt a lot from being coached myself over the years, so it felt like the natural progression.

I absolutely love it; seeing people improve and reach their goals is just as rewarding as winning a race myself! I coach a mix of people, from leisure cyclists doing things like a charity bike ride to add structure to their training, right through to time trials and hard core racing.

Above: Rider Dave Collins preparing for another mega fast bike ride with the Liverpool University engineers. Spectacular back drop of the Nevada desert

Above: The old branded Just Bee cartons weren’t very good at cycling so went for a little hike in the desert instead!

And there is more than just the cycling isn’t there…

JB: How did you get into cycling?

KB: Well I was actually a rower first! I was elected to be part of the GB Rowing World Class Start programme looking for new talent for the London 2012 Olympics. A bad back injury meant I had to stop rowing at a competitive level so I moved on to cycling, which I love! Without a doubt, the best thing about cycling is the speed- I love cycling really fast, nothing beats it! Aside from that, the races, competing with other people and reaching my goals, it all combines to make a heady mix.

JB: Do you do any other regular sports or fitness classes outside of cycling?

KB: Absolutely, I love keeping fit. I love yoga, stretching and core strength work, anything helps me to reach my optimum performance and fitness.

JB: Wow, well there you have it, Ken’s a yoga bunny too! Thanks so much for your time today Ken, and for sharing your words of wisdom with us, it’s great to get inspiration from someone doing so well in their field. We’d like to wrap up with one final burning question…..have you got a favourite Just Bee flavour?!

KB: Yes, apple & ginger!

Amazing choice there Ken! If anyone would like to get in touch with Ken regarding performance coaching, visit buckleyperformancecoaching.co.uk. You can find Ken on social too @BuckPerfCoach

We hope you enjoyed this as much as we did busy bees! We love to hear your feedback, so get in touch via bloggers@justbeedrinks.co.uk or via @JustBeeDrinks.

Bye for now!

Just Bee x

Above: The Team! Riders, Ken and Dave, Liverpool University engineers and their fans (you might notice beekeeper Ron was there too!)