Road Bike Racing - My season's ending, now what?

My last race of the season is June 29th. After that I'm on business travel and family vacations so much that I'll miss all the rest of the races.

So, now what? This is the first season I've really focused on training and racing. But the "end of season" is territory I've never explored before.

How should my training change? What can I do in the off-season to maximize my coming season? Thanks in advance.

Lose some weight for a month or two, then start build?

lose some weight? at my last checkup (1 month ago) I came in at 148 lbs and 6.8% body fat. if I lose any more wieght I won't survive the winter base miles.

Yeah, my season's done on Sunday too. It's scary. I'm doing some cross training, hitting up a tri in September, and then off for a month or so. I'll keep with the local crits and TT's through the summer, though, but they're all training affairs.

lose some weight? at my last checkup (1 month ago) I came in at 148 lbs and 6.8% body fat. if I lose any more wieght I won't survive the winter base miles.

Yeah, don't lose some weight.

Get a cross bike.

Get a cross bike.

i'm no chicken.

plus can't afford it right now.

i'm no chicken.

Now you're just confusing people.

What are you doing Aug 24th? VA Senior RR Championship Race, sounds like plenty of season left!

Seriously, though, training wise I would continue like you were trying to peak one more time, or just start base _really_ early. How much time are you going to have to devote to training after June?

July is a wash, I'm out of town practically the whole month.

August I'm gone for a week. August 24th is my anniversary, I'm not racing that day.

At any rate, it seems like a good time to reset the periodization if you can.

"reset" back to Z1/Z2 rides?

Skyline Drive Season pass.

I did that last summer.

^^ that's a brilliant idea

A mistake I made last season at the end of the season was taking more than three weeks off of the bike completely. While a good mental break, my FTP plummeted. I read an darticle and talked with some physiologists afterward and discovered that the blood volume that you build with regular aerobic stress disappears VERY quickly. Because of this, I recommend if nothing else, riding VERY lightly and at least not losing all of the fitness you have built over the season. If you think you have the drive and focus? Get a head start on next season by doing 4 or even 5 months of base. Will work wonders for you, but is REALLY tough to stay focused.

I got the pass to build up for the Blue Ridge Extreme thats in August, which i couldnt make. This year, I'm gonna try to make it. 30 bucks and you can visit the park as many times as you want in a year. Otheriwse, its 15 dollars a day.

i just checked out the course and profile for Page Valley. MY GOD! I would have LOVED that course!!!

A mistake I made last season at the end of the season was taking more than three weeks off of the bike completely. While a good mental break, my FTP plummeted. I read an darticle and talked with some physiologists afterward and discovered that the blood volume that you build with regular aerobic stress disappears VERY quickly. Because of this, I recommend if nothing else, riding VERY lightly and at least not losing all of the fitness you have built over the season. If you think you have the drive and focus? Get a head start on next season by doing 4 or even 5 months of base. Will work wonders for you, but is REALLY tough to stay focused.

I may not have a choice. I'm out of town for business for a week and a half, then down to the beach for a family vacation. If you're saying that riding at any intensity is better than no riding at all, then I'll definitely bring my bike down to the beach. Lots of flat, boring, out-and-back miles though.

I'm out of town for business for a week and a half, then down to the beach for a family vacation. If you're saying that riding at any intensity is better than no riding at all, then I'll definitely bring my bike down to the beach. Lots of flat, boring, out-and-back miles though.

Ride spin bikes or some stationary bike on the business trip. Your hotel is bound to have a gym.

Rent a beach cruiser at the beach, was considering that. Or you can be hardcore and bring rollers or a trainer. Lol, set up rollers on the beach.

I'm just gonna bring my bike and ride the beach road (Outer Banks, for anyone who is familiar)

I'm just gonna bring my bike and ride the beach road (Outer Banks, for anyone who is familiar)

Salt and sand or not going to be nice to your drivetrain.

drivetrain's getting replaced with the new season, anyways, after a season of training/racing and a winter of NoVa roads and ****.

edit: by "drivetrain" i mean chain + cassette

i would hit up some later summer and fall centuries in the area.

You can afford a cross bike. Sell the Zipps and buy a CX bike. It'll do a lot more for you at this point.

Take some time and then ramp up for cross season...

everyone is so fixated on 'cross....

Skyline Drive Season pass.

I did that last summer.

I'm riding Skyline Drive end of July, can't frickin' wait!

cross is miserable. i don't understand it, and will not make an attempt to understand it.

as to bdc's problem: you are a former runner. i have complete confidence that you can create a workout that has at least some benefit for biking anywhere, anytime if you really want to. if you were stuck on survivor island, you would be the guy that wakes up before dawn taking a quick swim around the island followed by three laps along the beach. don't ask us what to do in the offseason. we, especially those of us who have the audacity to suggest cyclocross, should be asking you for off season advice.

my humble suggestion: on-line chess or sudoku workbooks. if you are feeling extra crazy, multiplayer starcraft whenever it comes out.

;)

everyone is so fixated on 'cross....

because it's fun.

I'll start with spectating, and see how it goes from there.

I'm just gonna bring my bike and ride the beach road (Outer Banks, for anyone who is familiar)

Outer banks is a great place to ride. Wonderful scenery. Bike friendly routes, if you work at it a bit. And the wind makes up for no hills.

Ride for fun. Do some centuries, group rides, whatever. Then start your base season early.

1 - enjoy your family vacations and accomplish the objectives of your business travel
2 - forget about training for a while, just ride and have fun, do the group rides you normally dont because you're off doing intervals, or do some of the bigger area group rides that you normally dont just because you can
3 - do some running, it might not do much for your cycling, but it is good for other physical health things like bone health of something like that.
4 - core work and stretching work (you're pretty good in these area IIRC, but they are neglected by just about everyone)
5 - ride in areas you normally dont, maybe join all the freds on some centuries - plenty of those around in September, Civil War Century put on in early September by the BBC is a good one.
6 - OBX is probably the worst place on earth to ride a bike. flat, busy, narrow roads, drivers on vacation and lots of them, shopping centers everywhere, sand and crap to get into your bike bit = bad. Ask Zimbo. Leave the bike at home, take your running shoes, and if you want to ride rent a beach cruiser and cruise with your wife.

Start training in earnest in late October/Early November and you'll be rockin' come Jeff Cup 2009

Kalepa ta Kala:)

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6 - OBX is probably the worst place on earth to ride a bike. flat, busy, narrow roads, drivers on vacation and lots of them, shopping centers everywhere, sand and crap to get into your bike bit = bad. Ask Zimbo. Leave the bike at home, take your running shoes, and if you want to ride rent a beach cruiser and cruise with your wife.



Depends in part where in the Outerbanks you're talking about. But with a little route planning there are great routes in the Northern portion.

You could move to Socal and race until october?

Yeah, don't lose some weight.

Get a cross bike.

My season is over for the summer, but I'll probably gain some weight!!! I did however buy a cross bike....and I can't wait for cross season to start.

BD I'm taking the summer off to enjoy just riding my bike for the fun of it. Taking some easy paced rides and doing some climbing and then getting back to the serious stuff at the end of August.

get into fall long distance/randonneuring type events.

Build up a light touring bike with fenders, sturdy wheels, a luggage carrier and 700x28's and ride from dawn to dusk (or get a nice set of lights and dont stop!. Take tons of food, a camera, chamois cream and clothes for the conditions.

Check the long distance forum for more ideas.

See if there are any late season brevets and enjoy riding for 24+ hours.

Heck, throw a tent a mummy bag on your bike and do a weekend tour... back to back centuries (double centuries?).

Get a tandem and do it with a lady friend!

The long distance stuff is tremendously fun and inspiring. It's tough but rewarding and you get to work at your own pace and enjoy life on the saddle... plus crazy base miles!!



Mountain biking is great fun too.

if my season was ending when the fat part of the season was just starting I'd get fixated on cross in a hurry

get into fall long distance/randonneuring type events.

Build up a light touring bike with fenders, sturdy wheels, a luggage carrier and 700x28's and ride from dawn to dusk (or get a nice set of lights and dont stop!. Take tons of food, a camera, chamois cream and clothes for the conditions.

Check the long distance forum for more ideas.

See if there are any late season brevets and enjoy riding for 24+ hours.

Heck, throw a tent a mummy bag on your bike and do a weekend tour... back to back centuries (double centuries?).

Get a tandem and do it with a lady friend!

The long distance stuff is tremendously fun and inspiring. It's tough but rewarding and you get to work at your own pace and enjoy life on the saddle... plus crazy base miles!!



Mountain biking is great fun too.

Very good suggestions :)

My fall events are to include:
August 31 Shenandoah 100
http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/home/page_home.htm

September 29-30 Double Dare
http://www.pisgahproductions.com/dd2007/dd-information.html

Possibly another 12hr in there too. Maybe a 12hr adventure race in October if my knees are feeling happy.

Get a tandem and do it with a lady friend!


or just skip the tandem altogether. ;)

Kalepa ta Kala:)

bah, you just had to throw that in there, didn't you? tugging at my heartstrings, I swear...

/former High Phi

my season ended last month

ive started losing weight and training for a 20+ race cross season. Ill be spending a bunch of time down at the beach as usual and whiles its pancake flat I get plenty of hard training rides in.

I dont think I am going to have a real off season until next july.

you can always tell when roadie burnout is blazing because people start waxing poetic about cyclocross. typically doesnt start until mid july.

lose some weight? at my last checkup (1 month ago) I came in at 148 lbs and 6.8% body fat. if I lose any more wieght I won't survive the winter base miles.

Gain some weight, then base miles.

you can always tell when roadie burnout is blazing because people start waxing poetic about cyclocross. typically doesnt start until mid july.

haha ive been waxing poetic about cross before the first road race of the season!

haha ive been waxing poetic about cross before the first road race of the season!

I know, and I dont understand it, at all. then again, all my broken teeth are from cyclocross.

I know, and I dont understand it, at all. then again, all my broken teeth are from cyclocross.

ugh dont tell me that

ugh dont tell me that

Please dont crash and break anything at any CX race im officating at this fall. The paperwork sucks. :roflmao2:

I'd offer some advice but you would just throw it on the junk pile.

Outer banks is a great place to ride. Wonderful scenery. Bike friendly routes, if you work at it a bit. And the wind makes up for no hills.

Exactly. Don't underestimate the difficulty of long flat rides at the coast. I'm missing your last race weekend because I will be at the beach getting my ***** kicked by the local boys (using the term loosely, as most of them have a decade or two on me).

Depends in part where in the Outerbanks you're talking about. But with a little route planning there are great routes in the Northern portion.

my experience is south nagshead and hatteras. IMO, both dangerous and terrible for cycling, especially hatteras - one road, very boring. We're going to Duck in mid-september this year, maybe that's more cyclist friendly.

My season is over for the summer, but I'll probably gain some weight!!! I did however buy a cross bike....and I can't wait for cross season to start.

Cross (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdiFgoSyBWM) is Supermotard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRqy09f6X-I&feature=related) without any of the things (jumps, a motor) that make Supermotard exciting. exciting.

Cross is like having the drivers push F1 cars (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/182208/push_a_car/) around for part of the race. It makes as much sense has having an event where you see who can tote their luggage around fastest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_AhON9jMzc) till they come to a hill, then everyone jumps on their suitcases and slides down.

It's like doing a mountain bike race where you find the easiest course you can imagine, then throw in some pavement in case people have trouble with the dirt.

It's for people like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQg4iYujSVA&feature=related).

I did one cross race. I won riding 1/2 of the last lap on a flat tire. That's just wrong.