Winter Training: Focus on your strengths or Try to Improve Weaknesses

joker77

Just throwing it out there for a bit of debate.

Varying schools of thought over which one a rider should go for - wondering what the boardsies will be doing.

Lusk Doyle

My strength is focusing on my weaknesses so I will be focusing on that.

:pac:

Junior

Neither, as both mean that your doing more than base fitness - anyone that says they are out doing intervals to work on something at this time of the year is slightly mentalistic.

Leroy42

I will be basing my training plan, and thus my training time, completely around focusing on my strenghts. As such, it looks like I pretty much have the winter off.

In any case, there is no point working on your weaknesses during the winter, everybody else will focus on them during the racing season anyway!!!!

chakattack

A little of both at the moment

Base Miles
Weights and Cross Training
Threshold Intervals
Better Diet/More Sleep

Beasty

It depends what your weaknesses/strengths are and your targets.

If you are lacking in endurance but want to do road racing, building up the endurance at this time of year is critical. If you only really want to focus on track sprinting, it may well be that you want to continue working on the specific skills relevant to that discipline, even if you already consider them strong points

In my case I know cadence is a particular issue. In previous winters the small ring was only for hills. This winter my cadence on both road bike and turbo is up around 20% because I'm wanting to get into the habit of spinning rather than grinding - so it's a case of focussing on a known weakness, and this is the best time of year to start.

morana

Junior wrote: »

Neither, as both mean that your doing more than base fitness - anyone that says they are out doing intervals to work on something at this time of the year is slightly mentalistic.

what are intervals?

Lusk Doyle

morana wrote: »

what are intervals?

A gap, break or intermission between two acts of a stage play. What that has to do with cycling,

Beasty

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

A gap, break or intermission between two acts of a stage play. What that has to do with cycling,

I thought it was the time between someone making a post and someone else responding to it - so in morana's case it's 74 minutes, and Lusk Doyle 13 minutes, but I win with 4

NeedMoreGears

3?

Beasty

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

3?

Could say 2, but as my PB is minus 2 there's little point ...

resdubwhite

Strengths.

will find them when I drop 10 kilos.

Weaknesses. see strengths.

NeedMoreGears

I'm wondering a bit about this myself as someone who doesn't race but would like to complete various sportifs "faster than last year". Sportifs are minimum 100km, max 200km. I may try to do 250km at some stage next summer.

At the moment I'm generally taking it easier (zone 1 or 2) on the commutes (usually 8 x 21 km flat per week) with one of them a bit harder (zone 3 with a little 4). At the weekends I'm usually doing a mix of either hard (for me) 50k with some hill intervals (max Zone 5a or 5b type efforts for 5 mins or so) or 70k flatter with maybe or two short hills (Nag Head, Howth) at zone 4.

My main weakness tends to be lack of power rather than endurance. I can go forever at my own speed but hills remain something of a challenge. Having said that I wouldn't mind increasing my speed on the flat.

'would be grateful for any comments as to the brilliance or stupidity of the above.

Unregistered.

Atari Jaguar.

killalanerr

harder further faster but gradually

RidleyRider

Endurance was never a problem for me- could cycle at an average of about 18-9 miles/hour for 2-3 hours. Getting the power down and turning a high cadence wasn't a problem either. Although what held me back last season was sprinting and hill climbing. I could sprint up to 30 miles an hour and after that it was in the saddle to max out at about 35-8? So this winter, when the weather suits, I'll be trying to get up to that speed outta the saddle. Last year I tried to concentrate on different climbing methods and I found that the best way for me was outta the saddle on the drops- I'll try hone that in this winter when I can.

victorcarrera

Junior wrote: »

Neither, as both mean that your doing more than base fitness - anyone that says they are out doing intervals to work on something at this time of the year is slightly mentalistic.

From what I hear I think that is changing. There are some big names in the sport doing at least one very hard session per week at this time of year. The rationale behind it is so as not to loose something called aerobic power which these riders have to work so hard to get back in the spring. I think it refers to the abilityt to go faster for longer.
It might also explain why these guys are quite happy to ride around at 25Km/h on the w/e spin.

Brian?

Focusing on your strengths and ignoring you're weaknesses sounds like a terrible idea.

I'd add you also need to fully understand what causes your weaknesses.

Lusk Doyle

Brian? wrote: »

I'd add you also need to fully understand what causes your weaknesses.

An adverse reaction to kryptonite.

Lazairus

morana wrote: »

what are intervals?

Whats a tracker morgage????

buffalo

I'll be working on my weakness from last year - no winter training.

I did feel the lack of miles in my legs affected me last year in terms of trying to push hard over any sort of distance. By the time I was in a break in May, I was able for it, but until then I spent a lot of time hanging out of others. Bridging gaps took way too much out of me, and there was no way I could manage a solo break.
Will be looking to just get a lot of work done pushing against the wind, work on that on the drops, and possibly with the TT bars as well.

Reckon I'll manage any climbing okay.

joker77

Brian? wrote: »

Focusing on your strengths and ignoring you're weaknesses sounds like a terrible idea.

I'd add you also need to fully understand what causes your weaknesses.

May sound like a terrible idea, but when you look at it - it could make sense for some people.

In the extreme example - do you reckon Cavendish will be busy doing hill repeats all winter, and dropping 6/7 kilos?

triggermortis

I'll just be getting out as often as I can for as long as I can.

buffalo

joker77 wrote: »

May sound like a terrible idea, but when you look at it - it could make sense for some people.

In the extreme example - do you reckon Cavendish will be busy doing hill repeats all winter, and dropping 6/7 kilos?

Have you got yourself a leadout train joker?

joker77

buffalo wrote: »

Have you got yourself a leadout train joker?

Just putting the final pieces together. There's a slot open if you pack on a few pounds?

chakattack

joker77 wrote: »

May sound like a terrible idea, but when you look at it - it could make sense for some people.

In the extreme example - do you reckon Cavendish will be busy doing hill repeats all winter, and dropping 6/7 kilos?

I think he did a lot of that type of thing with sky, better able to get over the hills this year and get to the finish this year, changed his diet etc.

morana

Lazairus wrote: »

Whats a tracker morgage????

Dont know but a tracker mortgage is something that is costing me money every week!

Anyway the reason I asked is because there are so many different interpretations. I would be a big advocate of steady state stuff at this time of the year. Later on push that up a bit in intensity and gears. Surely everybody is using the big ring in the winter?

How many will do Christmas races? You will do that from a diet of small ring 25kph training?

manwithaplan

morana wrote: »

How many will do Christmas races?

I will

You will do that from a diet of small ring 25kph training?

I dunno - what are the prizes like?

Slo_Rida

morana wrote: »

How many will do Christmas races? You will do that from a diet of small ring 25kph training?

This is a question I was going to ask...should one be trying a hamper race? I'm training for my first race season and wondered would it be of benefit...

michael196

morana wrote: »

what are intervals?

its when the adds come on telly ,

michael196

Slo_Rida wrote: »

This is a question I was going to ask...should one be trying a hamper race? I'm training for my first race season and wondered would it be of benefit...

Run for fun mostly, to get poeple out together,in the winter. In no way a race. or indicator for the future. Results are down to luck and caution and avoiding injury / crashs on icy roads.

go along and enjoy it, dont crash, or come off on the icy sections , here is one of our lads sliding around during a hamper race.

Spokes of Glory

As a rule of thumb most coaching manuals will tell you should spend 80% of your training time on your weaknesses. That assumes you have reached a basic level of fitness and competence in the sport, and are looking to improve.

However as others have said, winter months should be all about staying in shape without killing yourself, for the sake of your sanity as much as anything else.

Hmmzis

Working on my limiting weakneses currently. They would be general lack of aerobic endurance, low power at z1/z2 heart rates and very inefficient climbing. That basically means trying different styles and gears for various hills and seeing what works best; doing lots of z1/z2 rides for the aerobic endurance and low end power. Also starting to include a couple of drills for cadence, cornering, climbing in drops, getting used to head winds and sometimes if I feel very strong that day I'd try some quick jump like starts from traffic lights.

denbatt

Some hill repeats when i get a chance, squats and my trusty ab wheel.

colm_gti

I'm doing club spins on Saturdays.....:cool:

Kav0777

killalanerr wrote: »

harder further faster but gradually

can't ..... resist......childish ..... giggle.....

Thats what she said last night, meheheheh

.... dammit .....sorry about that

Myksyk

New to cycling so just hoping to get 4 road or turbo spins in every week ... 3 spins of 30 or 40k and then try to up my w/e spin an extra 5 or so km every week. Just want to be able to do a 100k by spring relatively comfortably. Also minding the diet again ... first time in about 3 years this morning that my scales read under 12 stone. Outside of that I'm just doing VERY basic upper body and core strength exercises at home every day. It all helps.