Winter Training
 

Hv 2 autum races comming up and then that is the end of my 1st racing season - have enjoyed it and determined to be fitter next year to enjoy it more. Have learned my bike handling is up to standard as I always have no problems in the first lap & go fast - it's as I get tired that I start to make mistakes on the bike.

So I have to get fitter in the winter - how do I do this ?

I have a road bike and know I need to put in time on the bike - I have looked at some training schedules, that involve 2 endurance rides a week, but how do I do this when it gets dark so early in winter, before I leave work. Can useful training be done on indoor bikes ?

Would like to see a few winter training diary's of the racers here to get an idea.

Thks.

What class have you been racing in this past season? If it's beginner, you're probably best off just riding as much as you can.

yes beginner - I know what yr saying and to some extent that is what I will do - I am not intending to follow some strict scientific training program... I do not have time or inclination.

Hwvr, it would be more beneficial to have some structure - i.e I can just ride lots on my MTB, but that will not give me the base endurance a 3 hour road ride can...
I have competed in professional sports so I know about training and diet e.t.c.. & it is not in my nature to simply go out & randomly ride as much as I can.

My question was more to see how racers put a winter program together, considering the fact that it get's dark early, is cold and often wet (guess depends a lot on where you live) & how much riding of what type do I need to do to improve fitness for racing over winter.

During the winter time the trainer will become your friend. Four days a week I will be going to the gym in the mornings and on the trainer in the evenings. A lot of the days I will just be doing easy zone 1 spins for 30 minutes to an hour. Other days I will be doing spinups or some zone two and zone three work. On the weekends I will do a couple of zone one through three rides mostly setting and just spinning. No real hard rides for a couple of months. I am a huge believer in base.

I do have one question. Do you have a heart rate monitor? It will be your second best friend this winter right after the trainer. One bit of advice on the trainer. Put it in front of the tv and either subscribe to netflix or get the playstation ready. You need something to help pass the time. Also, from time to time I jump on the rollers instead just to change things up a bit.

I'm sending you a pm with a little more detail.

You could night ride??? Get a light. Around my parts this is a very common thing. There are group night rides.
We don't stop riding just cause of the winter months. I was telling my girly friends this weekend that we rode most of the winter months lastyear. If there is snow then I ride the road bike. I also have been working out 5 days in the gym. I've notice a different as far as overall strength on my bike. :)

the easy answer: ride more. mtb road bike, whatever, just ride as much as you possibly can.

do you have to go into the top of range for lights - my local club does night rides I just found out - but tlights range fm £30 to £300 (double it to get an idea for $)

I much prefer HID lights. To me they are worth every penny. With my light I am able to ride just as fast at night as I do in the day. However, after today's race that isn't saying much. :(

kmoses - remind me to give you some bad training advice someday. I have a feeling that's the only way I'm going to be able to stay in front of you next season. :o

nonsense lowcel.

Any interest in attempting a 100 miler with me next summer?

That depends, is that 100 miles on the road or mountain bike? If road then definitely, if mtb then I'll have to check my schedule and see if I have a week free. :D

oh, I mean the mtb :D I was thinking of starting off with the Mohican 100k or a solo 6 hr event. See how that goes then make a run at the wilderness 101. After all that a 15-20 xc race won't seem like much at all :p
of course if I'm going to be ready for that by next summer I need to get off the computer and on the bike.

Hmmm, something to consider. I may do it more as a ride than a race though. I enjoy team endurance races, I'm not big on doing them solo.

I have to agree with Lowcel on the trainer and Heart Rate Monitor. They are indispensable to my winter training especially. I would not recommend night riding as a method of putting on base miles. It is a lot of fun and good for off-road skills but you will not be able to maintain a consistent output while you're ripping up and down hills at night.

I tend to use the trainer in the evenings and it has done wonders over the past year for me but it can get tedious. Get a big TV or something and park in front of it. DON'T watch the clock. It just goes slower. When I can't stand the trainer I get up early and head to a local park which has a paved one-mile loop perfect for training and this is connected to a flat 5 mile bike path on one side and a steep long rocky mountain road on the other side. Lots of options.

Lowcel: It sounds like you've read the same books as I have on training. That said I'd better go and do some spin-ups myself.

Actually I can't make myself read training books. I have Joe Friel's book but I just read parts of it. I mainly just do whatever my coach tells me to. Paying for his help is a good motivation for me. :o

Come over to VA and do the Shenandoah Mountain 100! I'll be there next year.

I don't really plan on "racing" a 100 miler either, just surviving it.