Winter Training - Hours and Appoach

chakattack

Similar to a poll...I'd like to see what other people are doing for Winter Training

How many hours per week?

Cross Training?

Much intensity or all slow and steady?

For those with midweek group spins - how are they structured? Distance, speed, format and intensity?

fat bloke

Slow and steady.:D

tawfeeredux

18 hours last week, the first proper week training since i got back on the bike. Was off work so got a good bit done. A few club spins, 1 solo spin, couple of gym sessions, a short turbo session & a short run one evening. Mostly slow & steady, though one of the club spins included more hilly stuff than I would have liked at this time of year.
Back to work this week, so not as much done, maybe 13/14 hours by week's end. Only intense stuff for me would be something like a spin up session on the turbo for an hour once a week.

kumate_champ07

Leroy42

I think during this part of winter training (for many they are just starting back after a break at the end of last season) its a fine balance between long/steady and some intensity.

It all depends on your current level of fitness and the goals you have. If you are like tawfeeredux and able to put in 14 hours a week, then I really dont see any point in limiting this to only long/steady. As tawfeeredux does, put in a bit of intensity to not only keep the fitness gained last year but also to start making improvements.

My on view is that the only difference in this part of training to next spring is that it is less structured. I don't go out with any particular goal in mind. If the group is going fast/slow I try to go with that. Somedays you feel good and can put in some hard efforts, others not so much. Keep the miles/time on the bike ticking along so when you get the next spring you have a good base and level of fitness that means you can up the intensity level without risking injury.

Some articles etc call for a base building period, but too be honest unless you go off the bike for a month or two you will already have this. Of course the whole issue of burn-out/form comes into play but I think that is overplayed and is more to do with mental fatigue rather than physical.

velo.2010

tawfeeredux wrote: »

18 hours last week, the first proper week training since i got back on the bike. Was off work so got a good bit done.

Back to work this week, so not as much done, maybe 13/14 hours by week's end.

When I saw 18 hours I thought WTF but then you said you were off work so thats understandable. You must have been desperate to get back on the bike?;)

18 hours, jeez, I was doing just about that at the max last winter/spring for the Marmotte. More like 15 hours all on the bike. Now doing less than half that - maybe 8 hours inclusive of gym. Looking to get a long one in this Sunday for the first time since returning from the injury. Weather looks good!

Still don't plan on doing nearly as much as I was doing before.

killalanerr

chakattack wrote: »

Similar to a poll...I'd like to see what other people are doing for Winter Training

How many hours per week?

Cross Training?

Much intensity or all slow and steady?

For those with midweek group spins - how are they structured? Distance, speed, format and intensity?

its an interesting subject time/intensity during the off season,if you follow the rule to set down a good base and build the intensity just before and during in season you wont go far wrong,it depends wholly on where you are starting from and what your goals are.For me starting into my 2nd year and being a bit older if i was to do 18 hours per week i would all most definitely hurt myself it would be just to much of a jump in time on the bike,
im up to about 8 hours which i hope to build up to 10 hours slow and steady with a bit of hill work just to keep me going ,with a proper base it should only take you 6 to 8 weeks to bring your self to a peak ,it depends when you want to peak (feb for the winter warriors :rolleyes: )

not sane

I try to get in 2 slow steady spins a week 3 to 4 hrs each. And then 2 high intensity spins around the 2 hour mark each, I'm lucky as I've most mornings free. Thats 10hrs for me I find this works for me. If I can't get the 2hr spins in I do 1hr on turbo. I never take a break from the bike except from the odd few days when I've done a hard few weeks on the trot. I'm an A3 and 41 and feel even if I've taken a few weeks of I'm back to square one. You have to do what feels right for you, I don't do any intervals except for the odd turbo session.

kuro_man

HIIT on the turbo trainer mid-week - 2 x 13 minutes only but it feels like a 2 hours climb (if it doesn't it IT, not HIIT)

2-3 hours road and/or 2-3 hour mtb at weekend

kumate_champ07

Im doing extra traffic light 'seated starts', accelerate away as quickly as possible the moment the light turns green. Single leg legpress seems to be helping with that too. I get to have the gym spinning room to myself now and put the massive fan in front of me

dermiek

I did 3 spins on the bike last week, grand total of 1 hour 5 mins. Slow and steady.