Winter Training

February 7, 2005

What I have to share with you is simply some guidelines towards winter training. If you have a winter training regimen that you enjoy and find effective, by all means keep it up. However, I have been receiving several inquiries as to what to do over the winter. The main thing to do over the winter months is to remain active but I would suggest not to over do it for this is also a period of time of recovery both mentally and physically especially if you have raced the previous season. One of my fears is having someone new to the sport of cycling get into an intensive winter training program then gets dropped in their very first race in the spring. If you are new to the sport of cycling I must emphasis that there is no substitute for racing experience. So please do not get discouraged when you begin racing for cycling can be a very difficult sport to get accustomed to.

Must be an Athlete

When I was a junior cyclist involved with the USCF junior development programs in the early 1980’s, our head coach named Eddy B. would always emphasize that to become a cyclist you must first become an athlete. Meaning you must be an athlete before you can specialize in becoming a cyclist. During camps we would mix up the daily training schedule by doing general fitness activities and riding. A lot of what we did depended on the Colorado Springs, Colorado weather. The winters in Colorado Springs can fluctuate daily from being down right cold and snowy to quite mild and warm.

Riding and General Fitness

Everyday at the USCF junior development winter camps would consist of riding on the bike such as a road ride if the temperatures were in the 40’s or warmer, cyclocross if the temps were in the 30’s, or indoors if the roads were not clear or the temps were in the 20’s or lower.

Later in the day, we would work on exercises that emphasized being athletes and not necessarily cyclists. We would do circuit training in the weight room, play soccer in the snow, or do other activities in the gym such as running drills and jumping over barriers and onto mats to simulate crashes. Our coaches would emphasis overall general fitness and Eddy B. would go as far as tell stories about great Polish cyclists from his home land that did not have access to gyms, etc. but would cut wood and carry logs to develop their fitness. If you have a good overall fitness, you are less likely to fatigue in the neck and shoulders on long rides and races as well as be less likely to be injured if you crash.

Swimming

My personal favorite general fitness activity is lap swimming. I have a competitive swimming background so lap swimming for me is pretty straight forward. I like swimming for I can get a good workout in an hour or so and work muscles that normally do not get used while ridding the bike. I make out a plan as to what strokes and yardage I will swim so I have a goal to complete per swim workout. I swim with my Timex Ironman to time my intervals, etc. I do not think I would have the discipline to get a good workout in the pool without a plan and my Timex Ironman.

Running

I was a runner in high school but I really haven’t used running as a form of winter training. However, like swimming you can get a good workout in a short amount of time. Like cycling, you have to dress appropriately in the winter if you chose to run.

Cross-country Skiing

I am not a cross-country skier, but several top professional cyclists use cross-country skiing as a form of winter training. And some top cross-country skiers use cycling as a form of summer training. Skating in cross-country would be a good upper body workout as well. If you have the snow and desire, you may want to try cross-country skiing.

Resistance Training (Weights)

Resistance training using free weights or weight machines over the winter is an excellent supplement to winter training. Personally, I have never been an advocate for resistance training in the past for I feared injury and hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the bulking up or creating muscle mass. I feared that resistance training would create unnecessary muscle mass that I would have to carry up hills and mountains. I have been a victim of my own ignorance for resistance training as many benefits. I would caution you from simply using free weights and weight machines. I would recommend resistance training only if you are able to work with a certified fitness specialist that is able to prescribe a resistance training program specifically for your cycling goals. Resistance training may be a future “Junior Hub” feature especially if there seems to be some interest. Resistance training can also be a component of your year long training program and not just an off season activity.

Riding Outdoors

When riding outdoors in the winter, take precautions as to what you wear and what you do if you have a flat or mechanical problem. In my own personal experiences of riding outdoors in the winter, it seems to be my feet and hands which become cold first. On your feet you should always were neoprene booties over your cycling shoes to keep you feet warm and dry. I have always used full fingered (mitts) and not fingered gloves for they keep my hands warmer and for longer. However, when I was younger you could shift your bike with mittens since most bikes had down tube shifters. When the shift levers were moved to the brake levers, I started to use fingered gloves and the technology in glove materials also improved by this time. Always keep your extremities covered including your ears. Most of today’s cycling helmets can be adjusted to accommodate a thin stocking cap to be worn under the helmet. Wear lots of layers so you can remove items as you warm up. Your base layer (the layer of clothing in contact with your skin) should be a fabric like polypropylene to wick perspiration from you skin so you feel dry as you perspire. I used to wear a cycling rain jacket over a long sleeve jersey in the winter that would keep the wind out and could be easily removed and stuffed into my rear jersey pocket as I warmed up. Then if I got cold, I could put the rain jacket back on and warm up. However, there are many selections of winter cycling clothing available these days.

Plan Accordingly

We are limited with the amount of daylight after school during the winter months so I would try to ride immediately after school. Please do not ride until it is too dark to ride safely on the roads. I would recommend at least a half hour to one hour of sun light should remain after your ride just in case you have a flat tire or mechanical. There is a lot of sand and salt on the winter roads so you should use extremely heavy tires and may want to consider Mr. Tuffy’s or some type of sealant for your inner tubes. Have some type of plan as to what you will do if you have a flat or mechanical. Remember you may have to take off your gloves in order to make repairs to your bike. So if it is really cold, you may want to consider riding indoors if you are not able to do basic repairs outside. You are also warm when you ride, but if you have to stop for an extended period of time you may become very cold.

A 30 mile ride in the winter my feel like a 60 mile ride in the summer after you complete your ride since you body will need to work overtime to go the distance and keep warm. So plan your ride distances carefully in the winter and early spring so you do not go too far from home and regret it later as you bonk heading for home. I would always take pop tarts with me prior to the creation powerbars and gels as emergency food in case I bonked and found myself far from home.

Cyclocross

When doing cyclocross in the winter, I was always fortunate to have a hilly park near my home where I could stake out a course and do laps for about an hour. I would always include in my cyclocross course a hill that I would dismount and run up carrying my bike at least once each lap. A lot of cyclists get lazy and do not do this important part of winter cyclocross and get cold. I would run up a hill carrying my bike each lap of my cyclocross course to simply warm up. When you run up a hill your speed drops and your toes get an opportunity to warm up by being flexed. Let’s not forget that this is also a good opportunity to practice your cyclocross dismounts and remounts. Cyclocross can be done in the snow on either a cross bike or mountain bike. When I lived in Iowa, I preferred the cross bike but when I lived in Illinois, the area near my home I chose to cyclocross on had a lot of sand which favored my mountain bike's wider tires. Riding in the snow is an excellent way to develop your power for there may be times when you stop pedaling you come to a sudden stop due to the fiction caused by the snow. Therefore cyclocross in the snow is the ultimate in resistance training to develop power. If the roads did not favor road riding, I would always do cross in the winter for one hour if he temperature was above 25 degrees. If you are really cyclocrossing with dismounts and hill run ups, an hour is about all you can take.

Ridding Indoors

If the roads are not clear and the temperatures are below 30, you should commit to riding indoors. I used to ride rollers for I knew if I stopped pedaling, I would come to a stop and fall over. Many people do not ride rollers for they feel there is not enough resistance. This is true but I would just use large gears if I needed resistance. However, I would work on developing my spin. It takes some practice on the rollers to ride with a high pedaling cadence and not bounce a lot. If you bounce on rollers, you can fall off. I would never just ride rollers but would plan out a structured routine such as 10-15 minute warm up, followed by three 10-15 minute intervals with a 5 minute easy interval between and would end the ride with a 10-15 cool down. Without a plan, you don’t have a goal and may lose interest in completing a worthwhile indoor workout.

This same indoor workout can be done on stationary trainers as well. It just comes down to what you have available or what you prefer.

There are several indoor training videos available that may be to your liking. All you need is your bike, a stationary trainer, and a TV. Each video has its own routine or goal so if you are having difficulty in developing an indoor training plan; try one of the many indoor training video offerings.

Some of you may have access to a computrainer which allows you to ride on selected courses and even compete against the computer or even other riders if your computrainer is networked with additional computrainers. A computrainer will show your position to the computers rider or other riders if you are networked. The computrainer also shows your speed, watts, distance, and course profile as you ride. A computrainer may be worth considering if you need help in the motivation department. A computrainer is a major investment for winter training so before you commit to purchasing one, you may want to go to a bike shop that has one for you to try. There are several shops in Northern Illinois that have an indoor 10 km time trial series every winter. Another alternative is using a Powertap, SRM, or some other torque measuring device (watts) with your rollers or stationary trainer.

Strength in Numbers

Why train alone in the winter? I know it may be hard for cyclists to train together over the winter. However, try having several of your cycling friends to bring their indoor trainers and bikes to a common meeting place. You may become more motivated to train over the winter when riding with your friends or teammates. I know cyclists that have their cycling friends meet and training together in a basement, heated garage, or wherever there is room for several indoor trainers.

If you are not able to get several cyclists to meet and train together, try a spinning class at an area YMCA or local health and fitness center.

Recently the ISCorp Junior Cycling Team has been meeting every Sunday at Crank Daddy’s in Milwaukee. Crank Daddy’s has eight computrainers networked together with a large screen monitor showing the course profile and everyone’s position. All eight cyclist’s positions are shown relative to everyone else thus creating some competition that may be hard for you to do on your own. Crank Daddy’s also has other indoor stationary trainers to use if all eight computrainers are being used. Crank Daddy’s has a large monitor for the computrainers and another large monitor to show cycling or music videos.

Develop a Plan and Mix It Up

Motivation over the winter month can be difficult for some to overcome. However, with a plan and the desire to follow it, you may be more willing to train when the conditions do not favor going outside. I would never recommend the same winter workout routine day after day but rather I would encourage you to be creative and mix it up.

What I typically do over the winter is swim Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then I ride indoors Tuesday and Thursday. Sure there may be days I could ride outdoors over the winter but during the work week I am unable to ride outdoors for the lack of sufficient day light. On weekends, I let the weather determine whether I ride indoors or outdoors.

You don’t have to swim nor do you have to cyclocross. I also know that I have not addressed all the winter training opportunities that are available. I am just using my personal experiences as examples. During the winter months, try to ride the bike indoors or outdoors three to five times a week and mix it up with skiing, running, basketball, resistance training, gym work, etc. Being active is better than doing nothing at all.

Lowell Kellogg, ISCorp Junior Cycling Team Coach