Winter alternative training.

Elushion

So we are in winter, what do you guys think is best to be doing over the next few months.

Mid week:
Some running, spin classes at gym and then long rides at the weekend.

or

Gym -- strength training 1 or 2 times mid week and the long rides at the weekend.

Unsure as to what to be doing. I know you introduce the turbo closer to christmas but at a loss what to do now.

shockedsoshocked

Rowing on an indoor ergo can offer something different.

Tom Dean

What is 'best' depends on all sorts of things. How did you come up with these two specific options?

BeaconRuth

It depends on what you're training for.

Ruth

Tom Dean

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

Rowing on an indoor ergo can offer something different.

..so can sitting on the sofa drinking beer, so can smashing yourself on the bike 20 hours a week.

dwanes

Elushion wrote:

So we are in winter, what do you guys think is best to be doing over the next few months.

Mid week:
Some running, spin classes at gym and then long rides at the weekend.

or

Gym -- strength training 1 or 2 times mid week and the long rides at the weekend.

Unsure as to what to be doing. I know you introduce the turbo closer to christmas but at a loss what to do now.

Why not just go out on your bike for a bike ride? get some winter clothing and decent lights.

keef66

dwanes wrote:

Elushion wrote:

So we are in winter, what do you guys think is best to be doing over the next few months.

Mid week:
Some running, spin classes at gym and then long rides at the weekend.

or

Gym -- strength training 1 or 2 times mid week and the long rides at the weekend.

Unsure as to what to be doing. I know you introduce the turbo closer to christmas but at a loss what to do now.

Why not just go out on your bike for a bike ride? get some winter clothing and decent lights.

+1 That's what I do in the winter. Mudguards, decent lights, suitable clothing, and get out there and mingle with the wildlife. I'm not training for anything though. My only objective is to keep old age at bay, and to live as long as possible to spite the grabbing swine from whom I have to buy an annuity when I retire.

whoof

When I raced I would commute during the week and from November add some higher intensity turbo sessions. At the weekend I'd go out on the club run. There used to be a chaingang that ran all year but I never went over other than spring or summer. The reason was most years at least one member of the winter/dark chaingang would crash due to a touch of wheels, hitting a pothole or drain cover or even ice. The result; broken wrists, collar bones and other injuries. I worked out there was about a 10% chance of injury each year which were not great odds.

ric/rstsport

It really depends what your goals are!?

davidof

ski mountaineering and, better, cross country skiing... that said last year we were road biking to the cross country ski areas.

An interesting thing about cross country skiing (skating) is I can easily beat people climbing who beat me easily on the road. Chacun son sport I s'pose.

wandsworth

dwanes wrote:

Elushion wrote:

So we are in winter, what do you guys think is best to be doing over the next few months.

Mid week:
Some running, spin classes at gym and then long rides at the weekend.

or

Gym -- strength training 1 or 2 times mid week and the long rides at the weekend.

Unsure as to what to be doing. I know you introduce the turbo closer to christmas but at a loss what to do now.

Why not just MTFU.

FTFY

KnightOfTheLongTights

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

It really depends what your goals are!?

Well I'm not so sure about this. Fitness is fitness I think increasingly - OK yeah you can tailor a bit in the spring if you're training for power or whatever, but in the meantime I reckon what's good for the goose ... etc

I find (good) spin classes really keep my fitness /motivation up over the winter. But some spin classes are crap so watch out.

I reckon long steady rides at the weekend, and a bit of spin (nothing too mental) and running and commuting in the week sounds just about right for any cyclist.

Unless you're racing cyclocross ....

imposter2.0

So in other words, it self-evidently does depend on what your goals are....

ric/rstsport

KnightOfTheLongTights wrote:

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

It really depends what your goals are!?

Well I'm not so sure about this. Fitness is fitness I think increasingly - OK yeah you can tailor a bit in the spring if you're training for power or whatever, but in the meantime I reckon what's good for the goose ... etc

I find (good) spin classes really keep my fitness /motivation up over the winter. But some spin classes are crap so watch out.

I reckon long steady rides at the weekend, and a bit of spin (nothing too mental) and running and commuting in the week sounds just about right for any cyclist.

Unless you're racing cyclocross ....

So, you'd think that the training that say Chris Hoy did would be suitable for Chris Froome to win the TdF or for a middle aged person wanting to complete a sportive?

Fitness, and the training demands thereof, are significantly different for most people as they have different strengths and weaknesses, different goals, different events.

dzp1

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

So, you'd think that the training that say Chris Hoy did would be suitable for Chris Froome to win the TdF or for a middle aged person wanting to complete a sportive?

I'd bet though that the winter training component for me to be at my best in a hilly road race, 10m to 12hr time trial, or long sportive, say next summer, would be very very similar. Since they are all endurance events.

I might start to differentiate between 10m and 12hr in spring by doing different sessions but i dont think I'd do my winter rides much differently for either goal, would you ? (genuinely interested if you would or not!)

imposter2.0

dzp1 wrote:

I'd bet though that the winter training component for me to be at my best in a hilly road race, 10m to 12hr time trial, or long sportive, say next summer, would be very very similar. Since they are all endurance events.

Anything over about 90 seconds is effectively an 'endurance' event. Doesn't mean we should all do the same training.

ric/rstsport

dzp1 wrote:

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

So, you'd think that the training that say Chris Hoy did would be suitable for Chris Froome to win the TdF or for a middle aged person wanting to complete a sportive?

I'd bet though that the winter training component for me to be at my best in a hilly road race, 10m to 12hr time trial, or long sportive, say next summer, would be very very similar. Since they are all endurance events.

I might start to differentiate between 10m and 12hr in spring by doing different sessions but i dont think I'd do my winter rides much differently for either goal, would you ? (genuinely interested if you would or not!)

while there would be some similarities there would also be some significant differences. Your training should reflect your goals, your strengths and weaknesses.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

So, you'd think that the training that say Chris Hoy did would be suitable for Chris Froome to win the TdF or for a middle aged person wanting to complete a sportive?

well when Hoy and Froome start posting on here, you can offer them some goal-specific advice.
For the vast majority of riders on here, I'd suggest over the winter just keeping reasonably fit and not eating too many pies is enough. When it gets to Jan-Feb then it might be time to get serious again.
I think everyone needs a couple of months off just to enjoy riding, take off the HRM and not think about it too much.
But hey, that might just be me.... :?

ric/rstsport

I believe that's you. What you shouldn't do is assume that everyone has the same goals/objectives and fitness demands as you.

Too many people do insufficient over the winter/off-season period and then fail to make gains year on year. As i mentioned somewhere else (i think, maybe the TT forum?) if you just want the same fitness level year on year (or a slow decline as you age) then take "a couple of months just to enjoy riding".

Cheers
Ric

BenderRodriguez

Ric/RSTSport wrote:

Too many people do insufficient over the winter/off-season period and then fail to make gains year on year.

I would bet that a damn sight more do far too much, far too early, so becoming one of the dreaded legions of 'winter warriors'. Wasted by May they will pack it all in to recover when everyone else is racing, and will then start training again In September, so ensuring that they do exactly the same the next year!

diy

I found spinning pretty good, as long as the instructor understands the basics of cycling dynamics. Some of the gym bunnies at my gym haven't a clue. But they don't seem to bothered if you ignore them or explain why you won't be doing pushups on the bike, sitting upright or pressing your heels down.

bobmcstuff

I'm trying a combination of winter riding, turbo and a bit of running for this winter. I've been for a few runs for the first time in years, surprised myself by actually being able to do it (last time I had to stop and walk every few minutes) and almost enjoying it!

Elushion

Thats what I mean by this question. It seems to be have understood wrong. I am talking about throwing in a few alternative training methods into the mix for a month until I start fully for base miles. Im still getting 200-250mile in a week. I just wanted something maybe on a Tuesday / Thursday night that will keep me fit. I was definitely thinking running.

dwanes

Elushion wrote:

Thats what I mean by this question. It seems to be have understood wrong. I am talking about throwing in a few alternative training methods into the mix for a month until I start fully for base miles. Im still getting 200-250mile in a week. I just wanted something maybe on a Tuesday / Thursday night that will keep me fit. I was definitely thinking running.

After all that, running Is the answer to your question?

SCR Pedro

If the weather is mild, not icy or blowing a gale, then you might as well get out. Otherwise do whatever you want, so long as it's fun and some form of sport.
I'm going to work on my snooker game. Come March, I want to beat my best ever break of 8.

markwb79

Elushion wrote:

Thats what I mean by this question. It seems to be have understood wrong. I am talking about throwing in a few alternative training methods into the mix for a month until I start fully for base miles. Im still getting 200-250mile in a week. I just wanted something maybe on a Tuesday / Thursday night that will keep me fit. I was definitely thinking running.

I think I am going to try speed or ice skating actually. Been meaning to for a couple of years, just need to get round to it.

I think it will be fun and I actually think it will compliment my cycling.

macmaywill

Elushion wrote:

So we are in winter, what do you guys think is best to be doing over the next few months.

Mid week:
Some running, spin classes at gym and then long rides at the weekend.

or

Gym -- strength training 1 or 2 times mid week and the long rides at the weekend.

Unsure as to what to be doing. I know you introduce the turbo closer to christmas but at a loss what to do now.

Go out and run/lift weights, work diff muscles, do something different.

paulfarquharson

Generally speaking, the winters here are quite mild. I've never lived in another country for direct comparison, but I cycle-commute to work all year round and really the only days where you can't ride a road bike are the ones where it's still in the minus figures by the time the sun comes up. Even then its usually a case of waiting till the middle of the day so there's no black ice etc.

I think the key is having the right clothing - the right overshoes, gloves, hat and winter jersey can make it possible to go out for several hours on some pretty cold/wet days without any issue.

The main point for me being that I generally don't want my fitness to go backwards over winter.

jimmythecuckoo

Much as I love watching and riding and racing in cycling, I can't motivate myself to do it exclusively for 12 months.

Last year I replaced my midweek turbo session with a three mile run and overall I benefited. It gave my head something different to process from pedaling and got me outdoors when I might not have taken the bike out.

meanredspider

I've just discovered there's a Wattbike centre around the corner from my office that runs classes (I guess a bit like Spinning). Anybody tried this? I fancy doing something a bit different.

markwb79

meanredspider wrote:

I've just discovered there's a Wattbike centre around the corner from my office that runs classes (I guess a bit like Spinning). Anybody tried this? I fancy doing something a bit different.

You mean in Amsterdam? A friend of mine raves about it, (although he is sponsored by them).

For us, we think he is bonkers, especially considering you could get yourself to the velodrome and probably have more fun!