Winter Training

[Hacienda71]

Shame he wasn't using his power meter as Strava says he was only putting out 84 watts with a HR of 110 while your measured power is 628 lol

 

[Rob3rt]

Yeah, lol. Strava random number generator.

The HR should probably be ignored to as by the time your heart responds to the effort you get to the top and start to recover. It takes several reps with minimal rest to get your HR to rise quite high.

 

[ayceejay]

Peak fitness is unsustainable, athletes who attempt to sustain a top level invariably burn out leaving them with a long road to recovery. As was suggested above planning what you hope to achieve in 2014 will give you the focus for your winter training. I would also encourage you to work with a coach who will give you a push when you need it and advice rest when appropriate as this is equally as important.

 

[doog]

This makes me sadL, after getting home from work I can just about fit an hour’s ride in before we start losing light.
So I’m looking at setting the Turbo up.
Can anyone recommend any really good DVDs or videos that will plan my training throughout the winter?
The aim is to come back in the spring/summer even stronger because last year it felt like I had to start all over again after the winter break.
Basically a video that will include long grinds, sprints, cadence training, etc and slowly increase the efforts and time etc so I come back stronger. I don’t want to think, I want someone to tell me, "Go Hard Now" "Recover now" "Go 80%, 90% etc with timers and all that.
Ideas or recommendations?

Look up Chris Carmichael http://trainright.com/

Worth a punt, certainly more structured than sufferfest.

 

[jarlrmai]

I putting everything into core and flexibility this winter.

I will do rides when the weather is okay and intervals on the trainer, but increasing my hamstring/glute/hip stretch and avoiding injury is what it;s about for me at the moment.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Look up Chris Carmichael http://trainright.com/

Worth a punt, certainly more structured than sufferfest.

Just clicked on the website and the first thing you see is…..
“Most athletes lose 20% of their power at lactate threshold between Sept 1 and Dec 31”
Wow that’s depressing.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Just clicked on the website and the first thing you see is…..
“Most athletes lose 20% of their power at lactate threshold between Sept 1 and Dec 31”
Wow that’s depressing.

What it doesn't tell you is that they get it back again when they start training in January.

 

[gam001]

Just clicked on the website and the first thing you see is…..
“Most athletes lose 20% of their power at lactate threshold between Sept 1 and Dec 31”
Wow that’s depressing.

Not sure I believe that statistic on the website for the "regular" cyclist.
Maybe some people, e.g. professionals / racing ameteurs who are having a couple of months of easy riding after a hard season of hammering it all time will temporarily lose that kind of power at LT, but as Dusty Bin says will get it back pretty sharpish once they start proper training again.
In fact, after such a hard season, people should take it easier for a month or two to let the body repair itself so it can come back stronger the following season and so you don't become fed up with cycling, focusing on building base fitness up again at lower intensities and letting power at higher intensities drop purposefully.
But, who else would normally do 3 months of taking it that easy between Sept and Dec??
Sounds like a fright tactic to make us buy some products

 

[Rob3rt]

Just clicked on the website and the first thing you see is…..
“Most athletes lose 20% of their power at lactate threshold between Sept 1 and Dec 31”
Wow that’s depressing.

That is because they scale back their training, they regain it + more when they start building into the new race season. It is not possible to constantly build.

 

[VamP]

That is because they scale back their training, they regain it + more when they start building into the new race season. It is not possible to constantly build.

I doubt that statement TBH though. 20% reduction in FTP? Think about it, that's huge!

 

[Rob3rt]

I am not convinced by the numbers. But the general principal, i.e. experiencing a drop of FTP in the off-season is generally correct for those that compete during the main road season. Obviously CX riders will structure their training differently, their off season is at a different point to road riders.

 

[VamP]

Yeah no argument there.

20% seasonal swing just sounds wrong, the principle I think we agree on.

 

[Ben M]

Use a turbo trainer and do interval training. It's hard to be bored when you are concentrating on trying not to throw up