Off-Season Training

itsallinthelegs

OK, I know it isn't winter just yet, but it seems like it might as well be so...

ANY advice on winter training programmes? (If you prefer, call them off-season programmes). I had a trawl through the forums and couldn't find anything specific enough to this topic so think it would be useful to many (including myself) who are not planning to enter any more races this season if advice could be churned out into one topic.

Have heard that off-season training is mainly about maintaining/building base endurance, however with the weather likely to be awful for the most part, it is surely going to be more difficult to get out on those long training rides? Short of moving abroad, what advice? I know that I can't stand more than about an hour on the indoor trainer and reckon this is prob the case for most cyclists. Is the key here to man up and ride in all conditions, no matter how disgusting?

Other than that, any advice on this topic is mucho appreciated...

ut_och_cykla

mmm man up could be hard for me! But mixing in some running and adjusting rides to weather is one possible solution. I also do weight training as I like it and I think it does me good(I'm not a competative cylist). Run/ride /weights mix keeps me active, not bored and out of teh worst weather. Turbo comes in later in the real depths of winter (minus 10 and snow). Rain and wind is not so much of a problem for me but cold/icey surfaces are!
You could also swim for a change of scenery.
But I suggest you keep away from the turbo at this time of year or you'll hate it by christmas

Ric_Stern/RST

itsallinthelegs wrote:

OK, I know it isn't winter just yet, but it seems like it might as well be so...

ANY advice on winter training programmes? (If you prefer, call them off-season programmes). I had a trawl through the forums and couldn't find anything specific enough to this topic so think it would be useful to many (including myself) who are not planning to enter any more races this season if advice could be churned out into one topic.

Have heard that off-season training is mainly about maintaining/building base endurance, however with the weather likely to be awful for the most part, it is surely going to be more difficult to get out on those long training rides? Short of moving abroad, what advice? I know that I can't stand more than about an hour on the indoor trainer and reckon this is prob the case for most cyclists. Is the key here to man up and ride in all conditions, no matter how disgusting?

Other than that, any advice on this topic is mucho appreciated...

It would depend on what your goals and fitness are etc.

Building base... the old wives tales of riding your bike steady for numerous hours to build up your aerobic base, is just that: an old wives tale.

in bad conditions you can ride the turbo. it isn't terrible and with some thought, i've ridden up 3ish hours on mine.

ric

andyp

Ric_Stern/RST wrote:

Building base... the old wives tales of riding your bike steady for numerous hours to build up your aerobic base, is just that: an old wives tale.

Serious question Ric - why do you think this is an old wives tale and what do you advocate people do to maintain their fitness through the off season?

I'd don't have an agenda, more curious as to why something that seems to be tried and tested is now considered an old wives tale.

Kléber

AndyP, I cant speak for Ric but if you do races of 2-4 hours long, why spend the winter doing 5 hour rides at the weekend. 2-3 hours should be fine no? Even those doing long cyclosport rides like the Etape just need to do a few hours each weekend during the winter before stepping on the gas in April and beyond.

andyp

Kléber wrote:

AndyP, I cant speak for Ric but if you do races of 2-4 hours long, why spend the winter doing 5 hour rides at the weekend. 2-3 hours should be fine no? Even those doing long cyclosport rides like the Etape just need to do a few hours each weekend during the winter before stepping on the gas in April and beyond.

I agree. But surely those 2-3 hour rides are still 'building base', no?

Kléber

Again it depends. If you are riding at a decent intensity, then yes. If you're pottering around with friends and clubmates and able to have a full conversation on your way to the tea stop, then it's of less use.

Ric_Stern/RST

andyp wrote:

Ric_Stern/RST wrote:

Building base... the old wives tales of riding your bike steady for numerous hours to build up your aerobic base, is just that: an old wives tale.

Serious question Ric - why do you think this is an old wives tale and what do you advocate people do to maintain their fitness through the off season?

I'd don't have an agenda, more curious as to why something that seems to be tried and tested is now considered an old wives tale.

Simply, training slowly, makes you good at racing slowly.

On the other hand proponents of LSD type training *suggest* it is good because it does all of/some of
1) increases aerobic capacity
2) increases mitochondrial density
3) prevents capillaries from bursting

However,
1) Aerobic capacity - which would be VO2max or lactate threshold depending on what they mean. These are best trained with zone 5 or 4 work respectively

2) increased mitochondrial density occurs at it's greatest with zone 4 and 5 work

3) Capillary density is best trained with zone 5 work (to increase VO2max). Moderately high intensity work doesn't burst capillaries

What do people need to do to maintain fitness...

well first off why maintain? why not use it to increase fitness?
Even if i wanted my fitness to remain constant i wouldn't suggest just long steady rides, i'd include intervals as well.

Ultimately, it depends on the rider concerned, time available, goals, etc.

I was interviewed in Bicycling Magazine two winters ago (i think) about reverse periodisation, which i've been using with riders since the mid 90's

ric

andyp

Thanks for the extensive answer Ric. I'll need to read up on some of the concepts you mention to fully understand it but it's very interesting.

However, one minor point. I've always been led to believe that intervals are not something you can maintain all year round, i.e. they'll lead to burn out of you try. Is this considered another old wives tale?

Kléber

One more thing, winter training often isn't training. It's a chance to ride with friends, to chat and to enjoy the cycling, rather than viewing every ride as a targeted workout for the mitochondria, it's a moment of pleasure rather than a task to be accomplished. So it's deliberately nice and slow.

Ric_Stern/RST

Andy P. If there's something you don't understand i'll try my best to explain it to you within the constraints of a forum.

Kleber is also correct (or at least for some people this is correct). There's nothing wrong with some easy social rides (should you want those).

Ric

itsallinthelegs

Thanks for all the replies - v useful.

More cross-training is a good idea, esp as I generally avoid it as much as possible during summer (just seems like a waste of time when you could be on the bike!).

Also interesting to hear that long endurance rides may not be as useful as I'd been led to believe. Need to read up on this...

A major downside of rain for me is not being able to ride at Herne Hill velodrome, which I use for interval training and for 10TTs to monitor improvement. Looks like I will just have to spend more time on the turbo watching grainy YouTube Tour footage (obviously only on the longer, easier rides - when doing intervals, I barely have the strength to keep my head upright for more than a minute!!)

BlackHelmet

andyp wrote:

I've always been led to believe that intervals are not something you can maintain all year round, i.e. they'll lead to burn out of you try. Is this considered another old wives tale?

Speaking as a runner, we do intervals all year round. However, the emphasis of the intervals will differ depending upon the time of year. During the Winter it'll be a strength/endurance emphasis (longer intervals, short recoveries, plenty of hills) and during the Summer it'll be a speed emphasis (shorter reps, longer recoveries). However, I've never tried to apply this to my cycling so it would be interesting to hear if cyclists do something similar.