Winter Training
Where do I start? Winter training is hard, at least for me. How to combat the cold, darkness, and lack of motivation? I admire the folks who get on their bike in the winter and brave the elements. Unfortunately this is not me. Another approach is required and while riding outside is limited, the winter offers other opportunities to retain fitness and prepare for the cycling season.
A varied winter training programme, especially for riders over 40+ has huge benefits to long term fitness and an enjoyable summer riding programme.
Indoor Trainer
I invested in a Wahoo Kickr Bike and have continued riding throughout winter. There is also Zwift, Peloton and others. Chose the system that is best for you, both in terms of hardware, e.g. bike, kicker or roller, the native app and the connectivity to other exercise apps. I really like Wahoo. The bike is fabulous and the app has lots of structured workouts that allows for general fitness and also specific drills, e.g. for climbing, racing or general fitness building that enhance your riding capability ahead of outdoor season.
Indoor riding is different to outdoor riding as it is static and a more repetitive motion with higher strain on fewer muscles which can lead to discomfort and pain. A proper set up indoors is key, as British Cycling explains.
Resistance Training
Building strength is super important. Hitting the gym might not everyone cup of tea but the long term benefits of building and maintaining muscle mass cannot be underestimated.
With age, the body loses muscle mass which makes resistance training even more important and swapping a riding session for lifting weights is a good trade off.
This is also an opportunity to build strength with a structured workout that focusses on specific muscles, e.g. glute and hamstring for climbing.
Posture and Flexibility
Riding is an unusual activity as it locks the rider in a similar position for long periods of time. This results in specific points of over-use if the bike is not set up correctly, acerbated by bad posture and limited flexibility. Using the off-season to work on both aspects of riding helps to enjoy outdoor rides for longer and helps to prevent issues in known weak points like lower back, knees, and neck. Some people prefer stretch classes, yoga or pilates. Also, a fascia roller is excellent to augment any stretching exercises.
Use the off season
The off season offers the opportunity to build a structured programme for endurance, strength and flexibility. These can be designed with a specific goal in mind, e.g. climbing mountain passes, time trials or multi day rides.
It might make the difference on the last km of a monster climb or when the gradient kicks up.
