THE "OFF" SEASON
Most think of part of fall and all of winter as a time to kick back, chill out, maybe eat a little too much and lose fitness. Been there, done that! Come spring time the body is weak, the fitness is gone, but your mind says let’s go out on this beautiful spring day and ride 40 miles at warp speed. A few miles in to the ride your legs are screaming, your lungs are bursting and you have that painful burn in the upper chest. What happened? Looks like you under did it this past winter and over did it today. Some thoughts may run though your head. Why can’t I move up to the next race category? Why am I a career Cat 3 or Cat 4 rider? Why do all my buddies drop me like a bad habit in March on what normally is a fun ride later in the year; they seem to be rolling along so smoothly and not working hard? How can we avoid this scenario year after year?
For the competitive cyclist wanting to get better each year there should be no “off” season. We need to change the language from “off” season to “build a base of steel” season. Base to most sounds like a zillion miles at low watts and low heart rate. The fact is we need to realize we all have strengths and weaknesses. We need to address both areas over the period from when racing ends to when the action picks up again in roughly three or four months. We will do those laid back base miles. We will also focus our energies on tempo, and move into threshold work as the “off” season moves along. We will do a lot of Sweet Spot© work later in this off season that will go miles towards attaining that new personal best FTP. The work we do at this time of the season needs to be absolutely correct so we do not do too little, or too much, too soon.
The goal is to work what needs to be worked to build that strong base fitness. When we move closer to spring the intensity will pick up a bit. The goal is to be ready to go full throttle when you’re “A” races roll around on the calendar next spring and summer. A rider cannot expect to take it easy and slack off during the "off" season and come out with a fighting chance. It is no fun to start over each spring weaker than you left off last season. Let’s build on where we left off versus going backwards. With proper training, focus, discipline, and patience, you will come into race fitness at the right time so you can maximize your abilities and reach your goals.
A well planned out training load will allow plenty of time to chill and relax after a hard season. The plan will give you enough of a training load to build on your strengths you developed last season without trashing your body. Did you have a weak 20 minute power, but can kill it for 2 or 3 minutes. The plan will help you work on that weakness more and still touch on the strength when the time is right so you maintain that ability. All without making you think it is summer racing season. The time for the higher intensity will come soon enough, after your foundation is certified as hard core steel.
Next season can be different; it can be your best ever!
By Paul Ozier USAC Level 1 Coach, Elite/Master Coach at Peaks Coaching Group
