Natural Break

Mike Willcox

It must be an age thing I guess but I feel less and less inclined these days to go out for a training ride if it's raining. I will tolerate getting wet if it rains once I'm out on the bike but then you don't have a choice; it's either get wet or get wet. The thing is that when you have an indoor trainer and you can do some quality training in the warm who wants to opt for the cold uncomfortable ride and muck up your bike, risking a puncture on shitty roads?

Now looking ahead from the autumn you don't need to be a clairvoyant to work out that come January/February there are going to be days of ice snow wind and rain so I took the opportunity to get a lot of basic aerobic training under my belt in the warmer dryer months of october, November and December. I did virtually nothing over two weeks at Christmas and now we're in the middle of January. It's dark, grey and wet outside. Yesterday lunchtime I did 2 hours tempo in good conditions so today I'm going to relax.

The next couple of months I'm treating as a natural break. If the weather is OK it's on the road but basically it's quality not quantity in the warm that's on the menu.

Shadowduck

I tend to use the stationary bike a lot more in the winter - as you say, I'm not likely to go out for a bimble if the weather's nasty and I do want to keep the training up through the dark months. On the other hand, most of the time if I want to go somewhere I go on the bike. I commute all through the winter and any other time I'm going somewhere on my own without carrying shedloads of stuff it'll be on two wheels.

The weather's never as bad as it looks through the window! So long as you've got the right gear, anything but snow or high winds is a doddle.

xover_runner

I do totally agree with Mike's philosophy. However I did 3.5 hour group ride yesterday, first ride on the road since Dec 8th and it was brilliant. I'd forgotten how great road riding is after 4 weeks either running or 2 * 20 sessions on the turbo. And I did seem fairly strong compared to some of the other riders many of whom normally kick my arse. Perhaps the break from the road and a bit of quality work had done me good.

Alex_Simmons/RST

I thought a "natural break" was a euphemism for taking a piss.

Alex_Simmons/RST

I've been on one of these natural breaks since April, so I'm champing at the bit to turn a crank again. That day will come soon....

TheGreatGatsby

I have no choice but to ride in whatever the weather as I have to commute to and from work everyday and don't own an indoor trainer. So come the weekend, if the weathers a bit nasty I just think - well if was a week day I'd be out in it, don my lycrs and away we go.

The only natural breaks I take are once a week on a saturday and if I'm too ill.

Gats

nasahapley

Since Mike, a better rider than I'll ever be, has admitted to being put off by bad weather now and again I feel the time is right to out myself as the ultimate fair-weather fairy! I've probably done less than 100 miles since the beginning of November due to it looking a bit iffy most weekends, and even in the height of summer a weather forecast of fairly strong wind is sometimes enough to put me off! I can't be excused because of my age either (I'm 28).

In my defence, I have done quite a bit of fell-running over the winter, and will go out to do that no matter what. This choosiness about what weather I go out in is about to change though - I've entered my first sportive (the Fred no less), so from now 'til early May it's going to take nothing short of biblical floods to stop me hammering them hills.

Mike Willcox

nasahapley wrote:

Since Mike, a better rider than I'll ever be, has admitted to being put off by bad weather now and again I feel the time is right to out myself as the ultimate fair-weather fairy! I've probably done less than 100 miles since the beginning of November due to it looking a bit iffy most weekends, and even in the height of summer a weather forecast of fairly strong wind is sometimes enough to put me off! I can't be excused because of my age either (I'm 28).

In my defence, I have done quite a bit of fell-running over the winter, and will go out to do that no matter what. This choosiness about what weather I go out in is about to change though - I've entered my first sportive (the Fred no less), so from now 'til early May it's going to take nothing short of biblical floods to stop me hammering them hills.

I've made out two lists on this forum numbering 1-9 and ended up with 8) instead of 8.

It's easier to get motivated by running in the rain rather than cycling. I think it's because in the winter you can get chilled to the bone if you get wet on a bike.

Shorter harder rides are something I've always done rather than the longer rides of 3, 4 or even 5+ hours at low(too low to be any good) intensity. It's interesting to see that the sports scientists support this view.

sherlock65

I can see exactly what you mean, and I have the same problem getting going if rain is lashing on the window.
I commute 2 or 3 days a week (35 mile round trip) so don't feel as driven to get out the door as many people - if the forecast is for rain I tend to think positive and plan to go out, and if it's tipping it down when I get up I go back to bed for an hour.

Maybe the influence of age is that you know how to train properly, and do quality work when you do go out - sounds like you've got it fairly sorted.

Steve

andrewgturnbull

Mike Willcox wrote:

nasahapley wrote:

Since Mike, a better rider than I'll ever be, has admitted to being put off by bad weather now and again I feel the time is right to out myself as the ultimate fair-weather fairy! I've probably done less than 100 miles since the beginning of November due to it looking a bit iffy most weekends, and even in the height of summer a weather forecast of fairly strong wind is sometimes enough to put me off! I can't be excused because of my age either (I'm 28).

In my defence, I have done quite a bit of fell-running over the winter, and will go out to do that no matter what. This choosiness about what weather I go out in is about to change though - I've entered my first sportive (the Fred no less), so from now 'til early May it's going to take nothing short of biblical floods to stop me hammering them hills.

I've made out two lists on this forum numbering 1-9 and ended up with 8) instead of 8.

It's easier to get motivated by running in the rain rather than cycling. I think it's because in the winter you can get chilled to the bone if you get wet on a bike.

Shorter harder rides are something I've always done rather than the longer rides of 3, 4 or even 5+ hours at low(too low to be any good) intensity. It's interesting to see that the sports scientists support this view.

Hi there.

Totally agree - a couple of layers, tights and a beanie and you can run in pretty much any conditions. I took the decision to run this January when the weather was bad. The training diary has 15 days of running and just 4 bike rides in it so far...

Cheers, Andy

bigmug

Whats this all about, the proper bad weather hasn't started yet. Really, apart from this last week it has generally been quite good, frosty and bright or damp and mild - odd bit of nasty wind. Summer last year was more of a let down. If you are pretty flexible (yes and I work most of the week) there are some slots you can use out on the road - turbo has its place but it is pretty mind numbing.

I've just joined my local gym for their spinning classes - £5 a session (once a week) and it was quite taxing and enjoyable - surprised with all this tech traininig stuff we get into as cyclists to see non cyclist 'ordinary' people of all ages pushing themselves to exhaustion! - And coming back for more.

Mettan

I go out in the wet, but typically keep my rides relatively short - I currently do a sprinkling of 5 or 10 milers throughout the week (16-18 mph avg) - sometimes as little as a 4.2 mile loop at an 18-19 avg - it's literally a short blast (that one taking 15 minutes roughly) - I can fit them in though either very early in the morning or in the evening - my last 40 miler was 2 months ago - don't miss the longer rides at the moment - will wait till March to get another 40 in.

TheGreatGatsby

Surely the point of winter is doing the long rides? I never really understood this when I was training as its seems the scheduling is a bit upside down. I would have thought winter with its naf weather and short days would be much better training opportunity for short High intensity rides and then leave the nice long rides for the summer when the weathers better and we have more time in the morning and evening to get a ride in.

Still that said I commute a 15 mile each way trip 5 days a week at an average 18-20 mph each way and do a minimum of 3-6 hours on a sunday regardless of weather. It bothers me greatly that I only do 3.5 or 4 hours most sundays recently where as before christmas I was doing centuries each weekend. Even now when some of the roads in Cambs are flooded I am planning a route for tomorrow morning.

I guess it comes down to how driven you are to ride your bike. I have to ride my bike 6 days a week for my own sanity and thats irrespective of weather. It also depends on how I gauge my ride length either go for hours in the saddle, mileage or calorie burn so some days its shorter than others if I can achieve the target in less time/mileage. It may be a more sensible way of riding in bad weather - so rather than say I'm going to do a 60 miler say you're gonna ride until you burn 2000cals or until 8.00am or for 3hrs etc and once that goal is achieved then the ride is done.

Gats

Gats

nasahapley

Totally agree with Gats about the upside-down scheduling thing; in the summer I'll be out on the bike all day but a 5 hour ride on a typical winter's day? No thanks! Most I'll do is two or a load of hill reps or something. It seems to be taken as gospel that (at least for racers) winter is for getting loads of miles in, but is there actually any benefit to doing this over doing shorter, more intense stuff? This is a genuine question - my knowledge of training methods is pretty much zero!

TheGreatGatsby

I know that when I was racing I tried to explain the upside down thing to my coach at the time. He didn't get it either! I just ended up training just as hard in the winter as I did in the summer, sure in the winter there was less interval training but the workouts were the same.

I think it stems from Hi intensity training gains are quick(by their very nature) to achieve but are quickly lost. So by doing HiT training in the summer when you actually race you are always top of your sprint game. On the other side of the coin endurance training lays down the foundations for the season. Long rides in the winter or off season stay in your legs as it were so come the race season you have a base of miles in your legs for endurance races and then you top these up with HiT training and specific race routines.

I think thats the theory behind it and when you look at it in those terms yes the long winter training short summer training schedules make sense. Don't make it any more fun though. I went out today at 5am for a 3.5hr ride (53miles/1950cals) and it was like a resistance training endurance event!. Really strong headwinds for most of the way then suffered a P******re changed tube only to find the new tube had a broken valve so then had to rechange the damn thing after patching the original one! After that I was pushing max the whole time to make up for lost time.

Legs hurt like hell right now but at least the effort was made even though it was only 53miles!

Gats

Mike Willcox

TheGreatGatsby wrote:

I went out today at 5am for a 3.5hr ride (53miles/1950cals) and it was like a resistance training endurance event!. Really strong headwinds for most of the way then suffered a P******re changed tube only to find the new tube had a broken valve so then had to rechange the damn thing after patching the original one! After that I was pushing max the whole time to make up for lost time.

Legs hurt like hell right now but at least the effort was made even though it was only 53miles!

Gats

This might seem like a stupid question but why leave the house at 5.00am on a Sunday for a 3.5 hour ride in the middle of winter when it doesn't get light until 8.00 am?

What's wrong with a 8.00 or even 9.00 am start?

You seem to wear the riding of a bike in all weathers at ridiculous times for many hours at a time as some sort of mantle of masochism. I'm not impressed. It isn't as though you have a purpose to it all other than to lose weight for which you have no need.

I think you need to sit down, take a good look at yourself and ask what it's all about.

TheGreatGatsby

the reason for the early mornings is so I can get back in time to have breakfast with my girlfriend and to see her before she goes to work. It then also leaves me with a whole day free to do other stuff. The roads are also quieter and I would just rather get out early nd back in good time to rcover ell for the next days rides.

Gats

Jeff Jones

TheGreatGatsby wrote:

I think it stems from Hi intensity training gains are quick(by their very nature) to achieve but are quickly lost. So by doing HiT training in the summer when you actually race you are always top of your sprint game. On the other side of the coin endurance training lays down the foundations for the season. Long rides in the winter or off season stay in your legs as it were so come the race season you have a base of miles in your legs for endurance races and then you top these up with HiT training and specific race routines.

That's the theory as I understand it. My own opinion is that it doesn't matter too much in what order you do it in, as long as you've got both the intensity and the miles under your belt come race time.

I can't handle doing intensity in the cold, but I also can't handle 6-7 hour rides in the depths of winter, so I don't do anything more than 3-4 hours on the weekends (I appreciate that counts as a long ride for most). For intensity, I do one tempo ride during the week of about an hour, 10-15 beats below my TT heart rate. The rest is moderate 1.5 hr rides.

When it's warmer, I work in the really long rides. Strangely enough, my best 10 mile TTs last year were in the week after I did lots of miles on the preceding weekend.

If you're aiming to race in January or early February, this ain't going to work. Then you have to start training on November 1 and do all sorts of painful intervals in Dec/Jan. Life's too short for that kind of punishment :-)

320DMsport

I quite enjoy getting out in winter on or off road, i was out last week in lashing rain and wind doing a very hilly route, i feel it trains my mind for punishment and determination to keep going making me a stronger rider mentally or maybe i'm just mental!!

Gats....seeing to the GF before work....good effort!

TheGreatGatsby

yup best of three worlds get to ride, see the girl and have the day to myself!



Gats