Winter training based on structure or instinct?

Little legs

After trying to do 10 mile time trials for a couple of seasons, I've come to the conclusion that my legs are not currently up to the job and need strengthening so I can push bigger gears at a high cadence without my muscles turning to jelly before the turn.

I've got a turbo trainer and have read about a lot of different approaches to winter training (perhaps that's the problem; I should be doing less reading and more riding ) but I would like some advice if possible...

The plans I've seen advocate a gradual build up to improve (a) general aerobic condition, (b) lactate tolerance, (c) power and (d) speed. My question is should I follow a plan like this (developed by people with a lot more experience than me) and see what happens next year or should I go with my instincts and focus on what I consider to be my biggest weaknesses - i.e. general leg strength and endurance?

My 'brilliant' plan would be to concentrate on pushing big gears at relatively slow cadences combined with weight training and interspersed with higher cadence lighter work and some running.

Am I being naive in thinking this will be better than a structured programme and as a consequenceI just risk overtraining?

Thanks!

ride_whenever

If you're going to get serious about this, you want to use the winter to build strength, fibre recruitment and your base level aerobic fitness.

For the strength and fibre recruitment it is best to hit the gym and do hill repeats combined with resistance work. For aerobic fitness you want to be doing very long rides at a moderate intensity.

Bronzie

Little legs wrote:

My 'brilliant' plan would be to concentrate on pushing big gears at relatively slow cadences combined with weight training and interspersed with higher cadence lighter work and some running.

I'm don't think any of those will help you improve your time trialling, or at least, not as much as more specific training.

The primary requirement for good time trialling is to improve your threshold power ie the maximum power you can generate aerobically coupled with a good aero body position that still allows you to output maximum power.

IMO the best training for for this is something like 2x20 intervals (search on here for 2x20 for explanation) over a period of 8-12 weeks (2 or 3 sessions a week) before your first race of the season. In the run up to starting these interval sessions, get a good base mileage of 2-3 hour rides ridden at a reasonably quick pace.

chrisw12

If you haven't already done so, you may want to look at this:-

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/ind ... opic=26105

It's a lot of pages but there is some very good advice and arguments, well worth a read imo.

The forum as a whole is very good for tt'ing.

Alex_Simmons/RST

ride_whenever wrote:

If you're going to get serious about this, you want to use the winter to build strength, fibre recruitment and your base level aerobic fitness.

For the strength and fibre recruitment it is best to hit the gym and do hill repeats combined with resistance work. For aerobic fitness you want to be doing very long rides at a moderate intensity.

If you're going to get serious about this, then you'll want to avoid gym based weights strength work unless you are particularly frail or have significant muscle imbalances/injuries that need to be corrected.

Muscular strength is not a limiter to aerobic power production, indeed training to develop muscular strength is likely to hinder development of your time trial power and so the focus should be on developing your sustainable aerobic power.

That is best done by riding sufficient volumes at intensities ranging from moderate paced riding through to being at and around your 10-mile TT pace/power.

Winter is very good time to do this sort of training, esp if stuck indoors a lot, since most prefer to keep their turbo sessions relatively short, may as well make good use of them. The thing to watch is not to go too hard too often so that you fatigue and make yourself susceptible to getting colds/flu etc which tends to be more prevalent at that time of year.

Little legs

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Appreciate your input.

Sheptastic

Cycling at a low cadence and low speed will help to build capillary beds within the muscle fibres provided that the HR is low ( cant remember the range). As HR increases the effects are greatest on the heart rather than the muscle fibres. This winter I intend to be doing long distance and a low HR to improve my base endurance, towards the spring and summer i intend to taylor my training towards increasing VO2 max etc.
This a bit old school?

dennisn

My winter training is strictly temperature based. If the temp is not higher than my age(60) I don't train. Sorry, just couldn't resist. Something evil in me made me do it.

Dennis Noward

mclarent

dennisn wrote:

My winter training is strictly temperature based. If the temp is not higher than my age(60) I don't train. Sorry, just couldn't resist. Something evil in me made me do it.

Dennis Noward

centigrade or farenheit?

Alex_Simmons/RST

Sheptastic wrote:

Cycling at a low cadence and low speed will help to build capillary beds within the muscle fibres provided that the HR is low ( cant remember the range). As HR increases the effects are greatest on the heart rather than the muscle fibres. This winter I intend to be doing long distance and a low HR to improve my base endurance, towards the spring and summer i intend to taylor my training towards increasing VO2 max etc.
This a bit old school?

Worse. It's a load of rubbish.

Increased muscle capillarisation is maximally induced when riding at very high aerobic intensities, high enough to induce a state of VO2 Max, typically done via multiple efforts of several minutes duration at an intensity near your maximal effort for 5-min.

Muscle capillarisation is also developed through riding at lower (but still very solid) intensities too (think tempo and time trial threshold work), however the adaptations are maximally induced from undertaking very hard riding.

The cadence is irrelevant.