Originally Posted by Moyene Corniche

Most of us don't have the time for group rides. But you do have the time to ride in a 24 hour period minus 8 hrs sleep/recup and an average 10 hour workday that still leaves a window of 6 hours each day. Two 3hr sessions per week M-F or divide each 3hr sessions into Two 1-1/2 hour sessions.
One early morning and the other at night. It's not optimally fun but it does give you the training. Granted you'll have to get out at daybreak but each or actually all your training should be systematic and goal oriented. Quality and specific.

Conditioning is done in the off season, or I should say the build phase, which can and should include cross-training. Also specific to compliment cycling. In New England we lose not only daylight but favorable weather 5 months out of the year. I still rode this winter outdoors, sometimes in the snow. We have to train indoors way too often. You guy's in California have no worries concerning weather. Maybe it's wet but that is fun.
You need to have a base, high intensity training is not enough unless you do only short ( under 1 hour ) events like crits and track.
If you are going to race for 3-1/2+ hours then you need to be able to ride solo at tempo for 5 hours in varied terrain. It sounds old school but it's just as critically important as HR's, PM's, LT's and everything else we now have that allows us to really dial in training.

Cramps are our bodies telling us that we have greatly exceeded the limits, muscles have completely broken down, lactic acid is not being eliminated, basically it's a shut down mode.
Basically ( only rarely ) I have found that I get cramps when (1) I'm unfit (2) I have not adhered to a consistent stretching program.

There's no magic to it, you need to make the time or else it won't happen... Simple as that.
If you want to race and be in contention to at least stay with the leading pack at the finish, then your life's timeline has to be streamed down, unnecessary time constraints removed and plan to get those training hours in that weekly calendar.
That does mean forget about sitting around watching the tube or being on the Bike Forum. An hour here per day is 5 hours a week that one can allocate to training.
Family constraints are equally important but they can be managed so that all is balanced..

Good Luck