Winter Training 1

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BY: Richard Jones

Published: 17th December, 2012

So I would like to start of with getting a few things out in the open. Firstly I am all too aware how fortunate I am in my current situation with training, I still live at home and I have a very understanding and supportive girlfriend and un like many others have very little other commitments. However I do still work a 45-hour week.  Secondly I have zero natural talent, every bit of speed is earned through hours of hard grafting unlike many that I know that seem to do very little but come the end of March they are racing like an absolute machine. 

I am all to aware that there is a taboo around the sport of cycling about speaking of your training, when you ask any serious cyclist how there training is going you're a more than likely to get a shrug of the shoulders followed by "not doing much". But lets face it that's not the truth for most people. 

I am going to happily admit that I do a lot of work over winter but unlike past years this year winter for me is taking a much more structured route. In the past I have concentrated on just putting out solid miles which would often average at about 210 - 280 miles a week. As well as this I would go to the gym roughly twice a week. Looking back on these years its clear to see I wasn't making the most of these hours on the bike. There was no set drills or any particular reason for it other than maintaining fitness. 

Sun Rise on a early morning ride. 

So this year since the start of November I have been working to a set routine. This routine is a mix of long slower endurance rides with some set drills to work on areas that need improving. As well as shorter much higher intensity session usually carried out on the turbo trainer. 

So I am going to be very open now and show roughly a standard week. I am not going to go into details on what particular drills I am doing neither will I mention the power zones that I am working to but it gives people an idea. 

Monday - Commute to and from work. This isn't to long and some thing I would rather do than drive, as I am not a fan of traffic. 

Tuesday - 2.45 on the road bike with plenty of set things to be doing with in the ride. 

Wednesday - Turbo time!! This is the only chance in the week to get warm and work up a real sweat. This session can last anything from 1.15 to 2 hours. 

Thursday - Thursday is a night when I attempt to get a good ride in straight from work, so I commute into work in the morning and then head out come 5.30 for as much as I handle, usually about 3 hours. 

Friday - Well its Friday and I am usually rather tired and just dreaming of doing very little. Don't we all? So usually just a commute to and from work or nothing. 

Saturday - 3 hours with plenty of things to keep me busy with in the ride. 

Sunday - Well Sunday is usually a long ride. Anything from 4 to 6 hours however un like the rest of the week this is usually with friends, it normally includes a coffee stop and can either be on or off road. But off course there is also some set drills chucked in there. 

So there it is quite possible the first time any body has spoken out about their training. I know many of you will be sitting there saying there that's a lot and he does all that and he is still Sh?t. Or perhaps people saying that it doesn't look like much, well Monday to Fridays rides are all carried out after 5.30 when I finish work so it feels enough then. However there are a few things to take into consideration. Mainly I have very little else to be doing. Secondly…I bloody love riding my bike. 

This year I have also introduced a powermeter in the form of a Cyclops Hub. This has given me the opportunity to include set power zones into my training, if I am honest it's mostly all a bit to confusing for me but it does simplify many training sessions. 

I have also not bothered with any kind of racing over the winter. I played around with a cross race back in October but I just cant keep motivated for racing all year round, I need a break from it a chance to do other things.

Rapha Super Cross RD 2. Photo by Chris Walker! 

Like every body I have good and bad days, days when you're so motivated and you're riding like nightrider smashing up the quiet open roads feeling like you're on top of your game. Then there are others when your miles from home, Hungry, tired and bloody freezing and just wishing that you where at home on your sofa. But what cannot be beaten is that feeling of sitting down on Sunday with a cuppa on the couch and saying, "that's another week I have achieved, I have beaten the elements and have done just what I set out to do"

So there you go that's my training. So now for the disclaimer: The above training is an example of an average week and not something that I am planning on riding to week in week out. It's all about being flexible and knowing when to do less or perhaps even do more. I am all too aware of the potential mocking I could get for this but that's fine! 

So stay safe, wrap up warm and remember if you can see your reflection in it its probably ice! 

No pain no gain! Bloody ice (No pun intended)

Richard Jones. 

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