January 2009
Winter training is always tricky business for the endurance athlete. Every coach has his own ideas about how to best overcome the challenge of maintaining or improving fitness. So I am offering you my guidelines for creating a new you this winter. First of all, let’s admit that we all prefer to ride outdoors. Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby! On the other hand, if you have been training nonstop since February (as most OBRA members do) you really could use a break. It’s the best time to readjust your body by correcting bad posture due to muscle imbalances. The repetition of singular plane movements like cycling can create long term chronic injury issues that just grow worse over time. The best cyclist is one who is healthy.
Many folks turn to winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding to fill the gaps during the off season. Here in Portland, we are lucky to have such great winter playgrounds nearby. Although it does get pricey, and for must of us, it is at best a part-time recreation. And so it cannot be considered real training on its own. However, it is a great choice to add to the calendar whenever feasible. Snowshoeing is another activity that is gaining in popularity. And it can be very demanding and effective. It is also one of your cheapest options. Whatever your choice of activity, just don’t get careless and end up with a pre-season injury. The majority of your winter training should actually be conducted indoors. It is warm and safe and in a controlled environment. I moved to Portland in the winter of 2000 from Chicago. The midwest boasts a lot of strong racers who feel that they have a natural advantage over racers from other areas for a variety of reasons, among them the fact that they spend significant time in the gym preparing their bodies for competition. The fitness industry is huge there because of the long cold winters.
One of the key tenants of my coaching philosophy is to identify one’s strengths and weaknesses and then proceed to eliminate the weaknesses one at a time. So what are yours? Do you need to improve your acceleration? your top end speed? your climbing force? Any of these things can be specifically addressed in the gym with an exercise prescription designed to target those movement patterns. Have you ever watched the really good track racers. They all look like power lifters! And I guarantee you that over 90% of them spend significant time training their muscles to explode through weight training. Many of you have probably tried weight training in the winter and concluded that it was largely a waste of time and NO FUN! One of the biggest reasons for that failure is because most cyclists will only spend about 8 weeks in the gym doing resistance training at most. Then they are back to serious cycling and they don’t have time to train in the gym. It’s no wonder you feel like it is a waste of your valuable time. Because it is! Eight weeks is simply not long enough. It takes at least 13 weeks to even begin to start experiencing the positive benefits to be derived from resistance training. I know, I know… I would rather ride my bike too. But if you want to be really good, uh… your best, then you have to add power development to the plan. Cycling is different from other endurance sports in that it requires greater power to be successful. It’s not enough to be fit. If you are not winning, it’s a good bet that this is the critical missing element in your program. In a hypothetical situation where two cyclists are of equal ability in all other areas, the stronger athlete will win every time. Well, almost.
Now, let’s talk about indoor cycling. I recently was asked by a serious racing cyclist if indoor cycling classes really had a place in the training regimen of a competive cyclist. My answer? “Absolutely”. In fact, even during the racing season the majority of my personal training is done on a spin bike. Not that this is ideal, but the fact is that exercise is exercise. The human body will respond to stimuli regardless of the external environment. The key is to follow a plan that is well designed and keep the routine consistent. These indoor rides can be periodized just like any outdoor rides. The focus is more on intensity and less on duration. So, if you are concerned with your base fitness level, you will have to figure out a way to get those long hours in. And who wants to spend 2 hours on the elliptical machine. But this reminds me of the cyclist from Ireland who would pedal 4 hours a day on the stationary bike. This guy had incredible power and stamina. The gym owner asked him to leave one day and not return because he was tired of having to repair the cranks he broke on a weekly basis. Also, I remember the girl who trained 4 hours a day on the treadmill in preparation for the Chicago marathon. So… don’t let the weather beat you down. Just find a way to beat the weather! Training indoors may not be fun, but winning sure is!
Coach Mike
CycleOne Coaching
December 2008
Hello Fellow Three Rivers Racers,
As your new teammate/coach I am looking forward to providing you with training advice that will elevate your game to new heights. Over the next few months, this column will be your pipeline to training success. The real success lies in your commitment to training and racing. But it all starts with desire. If you want it badly enough, you will amaze yourself as well as others with your success. Being a successful racing cyclist takes discipline. Every day you should give some thought to the achievement of your goals. And goals should be stated clearly and concisely with a finite timeline. This is your road map to success. Now you need the dedication to stick to your plan until you can measure your successes in terms of enjoyment. The team is already headed for success due to the right attitude and spirit, and a training plan that makes sense. Now I will do my best to provide you with any missing elements that you may need. Look for my messages every two weeks. See you on the road.
