How to train during "off season"

[acrafton]

I am finishing my first season as a serious (at least for me) roadie and have used power for most of the last 6 months (PT Pro. Cycling Peaks, etc.) and had followed a plan from Hunter Allen for improving century performance. Now that the season is over, I am confused over what to do. . .pull back on riding (time and intensity), stop for a while or start a new plan? I live in Dallas and can ride all year (other than a week or two) so I don't have to move indoors and do Spinervals CDs. . .

I understand periodization but not sure if I should start base miles again in Jan or now or what. Thinking of getting a coach but not sure if he will tell me - do 2 hour daily long slow rides for 3 months. . .

Some guidance pls?

Adam

 

[biker-linz]

I am finishing my first season as a serious (at least for me) roadie and have used power for most of the last 6 months (PT Pro. Cycling Peaks, etc.) and had followed a plan from Hunter Allen for improving century performance. Now that the season is over, I am confused over what to do. . .pull back on riding (time and intensity), stop for a while or start a new plan? I live in Dallas and can ride all year (other than a week or two) so I don't have to move indoors and do Spinervals CDs. . .

I understand periodization but not sure if I should start base miles again in Jan or now or what. Thinking of getting a coach but not sure if he will tell me - do 2 hour daily long slow rides for 3 months. . .

Some guidance pls?

Adam

Here's a few suggestions. If you've been training all year long you probably need a psychological break, so it's worth cutting back a little but that would depend on how hard you've been training. However, it's extremely important not to stop riding altogether or you'll simply lose too much fitness. A period of 1 wk - 1 mnth is plenty, try and maintain at least 50% of your previous training volume. From the little you've told me I would guess probably a week or two would be fine. Cross training is only useful in that it will keep your weight down and maintin a little cardiovascular fitness (but not much that will be useful to you), and try and temper that with the knowledge that taking up a new activity increases your injury risk somewhat (well, at least with running it does).
There is no reason whatever to quit doing intervals during the winter (other than psychological) and try and remember that as far as periodisation is concerned there is no one 'right' way, at least as far as the scientific community is concerned. There is virtually no exisintg literature on periodisation for endurance sports (for reasons which are too dull to go into now).
Other things that are really important are: look back across your previous season and assess what went well and what didn't. Then use that information to set yourself some new goals for next year. Then just work backwards from there.

Hope some of this helps (or even makes sense).

Lindsay.

 

[ric_stern/RST]

I am finishing my first season as a serious (at least for me) roadie and have used power for most of the last 6 months (PT Pro. Cycling Peaks, etc.) and had followed a plan from Hunter Allen for improving century performance. Now that the season is over, I am confused over what to do. . .pull back on riding (time and intensity), stop for a while or start a new plan? I live in Dallas and can ride all year (other than a week or two) so I don't have to move indoors and do Spinervals CDs. . .

I understand periodization but not sure if I should start base miles again in Jan or now or what. Thinking of getting a coach but not sure if he will tell me - do 2 hour daily long slow rides for 3 months. . .

Some guidance pls?

Adam

Adam,

Just to add to Linds (great) reply, it's extremely unlikely one of the RST Coaches (of which Linds is one) would prescribe (daily or high frequency) 2 hr LSD rides for 3 months.

Still, if you can ride daily, then i suggest we all move to Dallas, as it seems to have rained continuously here for about the last month

ric

 

[teakay]

Hi, should I do the same type of intervals I do at other points of the year. Or during the off season should I change the interval type? In the summer I usually do 2 quality bike session a crit which I try and ride hard, and usually 4mins intervals with 1:30 RI on my time trial bike (+ a hard running session) and may be a ride with some 8 second sprits thrown in. During the winter (once I get ride of this cold and get a bit of fitness back) I was going to go for one turbo session with intervals and one quality run session with the rest of my training being the steady rides and runs. Is this a reasonable winter plan? Should I do longer intervals in the winter? cheers.

 

[whoawhoa]

Hi, should I do the same type of intervals I do at other points of the year. Or during the off season should I change the interval type? In the summer I usually do 2 quality bike session a crit which I try and ride hard, and usually 4mins intervals with 1:30 RI on my time trial bike (+ a hard running session) and may be a ride with some 8 second sprits thrown in. During the winter (once I get ride of this cold and get a bit of fitness back) I was going to go for one turbo session with intervals and one quality run session with the rest of my training being the steady rides and runs. Is this a reasonable winter plan? Should I do longer intervals in the winter? cheers.

2x20's in zone 4 with just a few minutes rest in between (or other long intervals at that level) seem to be the best and most common intervals for threshold power. Should probably include some of these all year.