Keep it fun.

Sounds simple, but training is difficult and can definitely take some of the fun out of riding and racing. I burnt out pretty hard last year because the training wasn't fun.

That said, get outside in the winter, on your MTB, as much as you can. I was out riding in the snow this week. Parts of it were fun, but parts of it were pure torture . Try to find a training "partner" - if you have room, invite a friend over to suffer through your trainer nights with you. I do this once a week, and it helps with the boredom, and makes things more social, and fun.

I have followed lots of different training plans - intervals work best for increasing your speed. Endurance is about time on the bike. And climbing? Well, I still haven't completely figured that one out .

Remember that we all do this as recreation, and for fun. Not many of us will ever be paid to race or train, so keeping the fun in it is key!

SheFly