by | Dec 10, 2014 | Training
After the racing season is over and winter sets in there is a good period of time when cyclists can look to analyse and improve on last years results by putting in some hard endurance miles.
It is important you give yourself a few weeks rest between racing and training to recuperate, then start building up your base. Think of your base as the foundation of your fitness. Building a strong base during the off-season will enable your body to cope better and improve when your pre-season high intensity workouts start.
To maintain and develop your aerobic capacity over the winter you need to put in some long miles. Once or twice a week you should be aiming to get in some long rides, depending on your goals will depend on the length of these sessions, but to improve your aerobic fitness they should be 2 hours plus. They should be done at a pace, which requires little concentration on the training, (for once you will be able to take in the scenery of your rides).
My five tips to winter training success are;
Set a goal and get a training plan. Going from the structure race season to an off-season can leave you feeling a bit, lost! To keep on track set your 2015 goal in October and work your training out for the off and pre season aiming for your goal or goals.
Make sure you have good tyres on your bike whether its road or mountain bike your going to need more tread and potentially a lower tyre pressure to add to your grip.
Wear enough layers and don’t forget your head, feet and hands. Good gloves and over shoes are a must especially for long sessions, lost feeling in your toes and fingers will lead to cutting your training short.
Mix it up, the winter is a good time for cyclists to do some strength training to build strong core muscles.
Don’t forget to drink. When riding in the cold, it’s easy to forget to drink but, with warm winter kit on, you could still be losing significant fluids through sweat and compromising your performance.
by hattenburrow | Nov 5, 2014 | Biking Adventures, Training
Today I officially started my winter training after a couple weeks off. Winter training means lots of endurance miles and strengthening up my core ready for the new season in March.
With a clear weather forecast I opted for the slightly more fun off road ride. Starting in Petersfield I headed out to Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP). A good road warm up climb brought me to the back of QECP and yes another climb this time a fire road climb which are the down pour over the last couple of days had left leaves sprawled out over the chalk making for slippy riding to say the least!
I headed further up and onto the new blue trail which weaved through the trees, its a good blue great for beginners as the corners are nicely spaced and the gravel surface is beading in well to make a hopefully winter resistant trail!
Making my way onto the red trail it was great to be out on my bike again, the air was cold but from all the climbing I was toasty warm as my bike swooped down the steep red sections. Dodging puddles as I went, partly not wanting to get wet and partly as my tyres were pumped slightly too hard for sticky wet riding.
Working my way back to the top of QECP the sun shone low through the trees making seeing far ahead difficult so I had to slow down. This gave me time to take in the scenery the stunning colours of the leaves burnt orange and golden brown contrasted against the bright green moss.
The trails always look different in the winter, more severe, as the leaves retreat and the trees are left bare. Winter riding brings new challenges, not only how to keep warm but the clear line through the trail has now vanished and in its place is thick layer of mud ready to swallow your back wheel should you enter a corner with too much speed. The opportunity now presents itself to be the ‘black sheep,’ as following where those other bike tracks have gone is going to end up in the goo, so the game is now find the line around the mud that is still on the trail!
With the red completed it was now time to head back up the blue and on home. The sun was fading quickly which pushed me onwards and upwards towards home.
Finishing the blue climb I took a slight wrong turn and ended on a gem of a singletrack run which soon spat me out onto the road lower down than I expected in the village of Buriton. Rolling into my drive it dawned on me how much of the trail seemed to still be stuck to my bike!
2 hours 18 miles, a good start to the winter.
by | Jun 5, 2014 | Training
As a mountain biker you wait all year in anticipation for that day when it’s not dark by the time you get back from work, you spend more time on your bike than hosing it and your self down and getting lost finding trails becomes fun and not a race to get back home before the light fades and leaves you in darkness.
All that commitment to riding over the winter pays off when the days get longer, the trails get dustier and the scenery changes from orange and brown to a carpet of green.
So here are my top tips for summer off road riding;
Short Sleeved Jersey – A good lightweight jersey with ventilation and a long zip is great for summer riding check out Outfoxed for some cool options!
Light weight gloves – To avoid hot sticky hands grab a pair of lightweight summer riding gloves which will breathe but protect your hands. My suggestion would be Grip Grab Shark gloves with built in forehead wiper!
Sun glasses with reflective lens – A good pair of cycling glasses or goggles will probably come with a selection of lenses, changing to a reflective lens in the summer will help reduce the glare to enable you to focus on your ride. My suggestion would be DHB triple lens glasses they are the best value and great quality with good lenses and light weight for summer riding.
Lip balm with SPF – Really important to avoid that sticky feeling when riding and to protect your lips from the suns rays. My suggestion would be Nivea’s sun stick it doesn’t seem to melt in the heat which is a bonus!
Hydration tabs – Staying hydrated is so important especially when riding for long periods in the sun. The best way to keep vital electrolyte and fluid in take optimal is to take a hydration tab in your water bottles. My suggestion would be High 5 they do some great flavours and I’ve always found them to be reliable.
Sun cream – Pretty obvious I’m sure but wearing sun cream will protect you against harmful rays, even if your going to a relatively shaded area you will be surprised how easy it is to burn the back of your neck when riding. My suggestion take cream with you and layer it on, always go for a water proof / sweat resistant formula.
Light weight water/wind proof – I am sure I’m not alone in feeling a chill when the sun goes behind a cloud or the wind picks up. Having a light weight wind proof jacket that you can slip on while you much on lunch or stop to admire the view will be beneficial. I would suggest Giant/Liv jacket its really light and great for keeping the wind off.
by hattenburrow | Apr 4, 2014 | Inspiration, Training
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Is a quote I have always believed in. It has become more apparent recently after dislocating and cracking my elbow it has left me firmly out of my comfort zone, both physically and mentally. I felt like the strength was being sucked out of my arm by the weight of the plaster and the simple things like opening jars seem to take great effort.
Mentally I was fighting demons who keep telling me I’ve screwed up the start of my racing season and put myself on the back foot, which is totally stupid when I know how tough the competition is going to be.
Life has thrown me a curve ball and I’ve decided to catch it, with my good arm!
I may not have been able to get out on my bike or to the gym but you shouldn’t let the present situation stop you from getting to where you want to be.
Thanks to Giant in the first week back from my holiday with my arm in plaster, I rode a total of 135 miles on my turbo trainer in the first week, working on my endurance and pedalling. My focus was on the thought that my racing season is long and apart from my arm I am fit, healthy and hungry for competition.
When I look back it’s clear that life does begin outside your comfort zone.
My fracture clinic appointments brought great news, my consultant was very happy with the progress I had made and now I’m back on my bike and starting to re-discover single track! It has been a long a painful four weeks but I am now ready to start getting back on my bike and start my season.
Tips for training with one arm in plaster:
- Try and set it up outside its far nicer!
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get a mini fan to use to blow cool air down the cast.s
- Try and cycle sitting upright with your arm hanging or in a sling as it maintains a more balanced position on the bike.
by | Mar 15, 2014 | Training
Strava Training Data
by hattenburrow | Mar 15, 2014 | Training
Garmin Connect – Profile Information for HannahAtty.
