I did have a quick search to see if this had been discussed... and did find some references to it in triathalon threads, and in a few report analysis' of enduro rides and crits.

But there seemed to be nothing specifically about base training.

After his A priority race at the end of October, my partner is going to relax for a month or so. And he wants to coach me and have me doing base training.
This is great - he can see how frustrated I get when I do not reach my goals - mainly because when you work full-time and manage a house and family, you start to run out of time to do the essentials - like cycling!!!!

So... base training will begin a week or so before Christmas (I am on leave for the whole of January, and because school finishes mid-December, I can bike-commute to work every day - a 49km round trip).

I will do no racing until the end of January BUT... I am building for a Masters event in February, and then the cycling leg of a triathalon in March.
This should also leave me in good nick for an interclub series in April. If this regime is successful, I will consider building up again for the Nationals in October 2009.

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I am going to find it hard doing no racing - it is summer here, and that means I will not be able to do most of the summer time trial series (TTs are my favourite discipline), let alone all the interesting and pretty Saturday races.

I am also going to find it hard because I will probably be tired all the time - I will be lifting my hours per week in the saddle from 5-7, to 10+

The third reason I will find it hard is I will be changing my diet to match in many respects what has worked for my partner... no pasta or bread but lots of rice. Less yoghurt and cheese but still plenty of lowfat/sugar milk, no biscuits or cakes, very little chocolate but lots of nuts (like macadamia, cashew, pine - NOT peanuts), tonnes of fruit...


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So I am wondering... who else here has done base training or has supported a friend/colleague/client through base training.

Any comments on "the plan"?

Any suggestions or tips?