Winter 'training'

**MightyMitre** · 11-01-2003, 10:52 AM

Tomorrow morning we've got our annual club breakfast and a big group of us are riding out to a local cafe for a slap-up, full English breakfast followed by a gentle ride home. Should be great! It's always very sociable and those who can't face riding on a full stomach (

) usually drive out to the cafe.

Not exactly what you'd call winter training but good for team spirit and there's plenty of time for hard training in the months to come. Everyone's widing down a bit now for a few weeks, so there'll be quite a few social events with easy rides.

So what does eveyone else get up to in the off season? Got any nice social events/rides lined up?

**Irulan** · 11-01-2003, 03:31 PM

mmm. skiing. I get in at least 30-40 day of alpine and telemark. My hubby and son ski patrol, and playing in the snow is how we all keep our sanity in winter and have fun. We get these nasty freezing fog inversions, but if you go up the mountain you get in the sun.

DH bought me some Rossi Bandit XX's for my birthday, woo hoo!

irulan

**MightyMitre** · 11-02-2003, 01:33 PM

Would love to try skiing some day. We don't really get snow in the UK ( if only all that rain would freeze

) , but I usually follow the cross country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon from the warmth of my sofa over the winter, on Eurosport. I'd especially like to try cross country skiing - looks excellent.

Might have to see about going to Europe to try it out one day.

**annie** · 11-03-2003, 07:33 AM

X-country skiing is great for off-season training. Unfortunately, it requires snow and there's never any guarantee of that. Snowshoeing is great, too, but again needs snow. I am always the one praying for snow and most people think I am crazy. Anything that keeps one active and moving during the off months is going to be a good thing.

As for social events/ rides, I just was on one this past weekend. It was a halloween ride, costumes mandatory. It took place in the dark so lights were also needed. Coming up with a costume that you can ride in and stay warm in and then party in after the ride is always a challenge. I went with 8 other friends. We were bikers of the other sort, Harley riders in lots of black leather, fake tatoos, etc. We put balloons on the bikes, next to the wheels so we sounded obnoxiously loud. It was such a good time! Unfortunately, we didn't win the costume contest, but we sure had a lot of favorable comments on our outfits.

We also have a Christmas ride and ride in appropriate colors. But that's not for awhile yet.......

**sno4rent** · 11-03-2003, 01:29 PM

OK, OK! No need to beg... As my screen name implies, I will rent you guys some snow...

Woke up this morning to a nice "skiff" of it here in the Boise Valley. More in the mountains. Good thing I got a ride in yesterday, albeit a very cold ride. And I'm guessing Irulan would rent you all some snow too - I think they get more up where she is than we do down here...

~ Wendi

**pedalfaster** · 11-03-2003, 04:59 PM

I love food rides!
We are currently being blessed in the Midwest USA with "Indian Summer". We have had two wonderful, social "girl rides" in the past two days. Yesterday's ride included a few climbs with a stop at a country store for snacks. This morning we rode flat, then went out for bagels/coffee. Tomorrow afternoon I plan to hit the trails(mtb).
I want so soak it all in before the rain/cold arrives later this week.

**vinnysmom** · 11-05-2003, 12:33 PM

I love food rides too!!
Did a sponsored ride a few weeks ago when it was still sort of balmy here (earlier in October) and the first sag stop at the 24 mile mark featured cooked-to-order omelets, with mimosa's to sip, and an assortment of hot breads and rolls - yikes -
I wisely nibbled on a bit of it all (skipped the mimosa's though) and completed the 80 mile ride to enjoy hot mugs brimming with home made veggie soups and build your own sandwiches.
Now that's how to end the season!!!

Onto the gym since it's all of 30- some degrees (Celsius) here today in the warmest part of the afternoon. No snow yet but it's coming.

**kelrunran** · 11-07-2003, 10:43 AM

Hey Snow4rent,

Did you say "Boise Valley". I'm in Boise also. Fairly new to cycling, this year was my first and of course, am hooked. Trying to ride through winter this year either on my road bike or mountain bike. Trying NOT to ride indoors as much as possible.

Two women I work with decided to ride once a week through winter. Rode on Tuesday and it was 34 degrees but a beautiful sunny day. Enjoyed being away from the office and hootin' n hollerin' coming down some hills. Funny how we turn into funsters once away from work and on our bikes. Plan on bundling up and continuing to ride.
Kelly

**sno4rent** · 11-07-2003, 11:00 AM

Hey Kelly! Yep, Boise Valley!!! We ought to get together and go for a ride sometime. I took up mountain biking just a few months ago when two of my friends and I decided we would do an Adventure Race in Moab. It requires kayaking, mtn. biking, rappelling, and running skills. I had no mtn. biking skills, so I bought a bike and have been hooked ever since. So, needless to say, we too are training through the winter, outside. I keep hoping the snow stays away...

~ Wendi

**laura** · 11-10-2003, 03:05 PM

I agree that this is a great time to do some weight training. I've been going to the gym 3 days and riding indoor or outdoors when weather permits for 3 days. As for when, I have two kids and work outside the home, so the only time I have is when everyone else is asleep. Yes, I get up before 5am so I can get an hour in a day. The getting up is hard but I would go crazy if I didn't get some activity in.

**Dogmama** · 11-10-2003, 05:18 PM

I'm up at 4:30 too so that I can get my workout in before the day starts. I have to have it before work, otherwise this perimenopausal brain would go bonkers.

Oddly enough, I find that a good weight training session is just as good as an aerobic session for getting endorphins going. Right now, I'm just building weight training base again - 12 reps & compound exercises, to get my tendons & ligaments used to the weight. After another week, I'll start to ramp up the weight and tone down the reps.

**Jacqui C** · 11-11-2003, 04:00 AM

Hi

Here in Aberdeen I just continue to ride to and from work right through the winter. Aberdeen is pretty sheltered by the Grampian mountains to the west and the north sea to the east so it doesn't often get THAT cold and the snow never lies very long.
This month though I'm tkaing part in the Geat Grampian Cycle Challenge. It's an indoor challenge among oil related companies, it's split between on and off shore. The idea being each location has the same bike and trainer set up and as a team you compete on distance covered in the month of November. It's highly competitive off shore, last year the off shore winners covered 18000 miles. We as a 9-5 monday-firday operation only made 2000, but hey it got 90% of my colleagues doing some exercise. We split the day into 30 min slots and everyone willing takes a slot and aims to ride everyday this month. It's great for team building.

Jacqui.

**MightyMitre** · 11-11-2003, 04:33 AM

Wow Jacqui - that sounds amazing!

Do you work in the oil industry or can any company take part?
I work in Crawley in West Sussex and I couldn't quite see any of my office going for it. ( of course I'd be more than willing

)

Maybe you could write to Cycling Weekly and get some coverage of it - you never know it could catch on!

**annie** · 11-11-2003, 07:48 AM

I also agree about the weight training....... in fact, reading all these posts inspired me to finally get to the weight room last night after spin class. So now I am paying the price of sore muscles today....... I thought I took it easy but I guess not easy enough.
I am still trying to ride outside on weekends, and I ride indoors at least 3 times during the week, plus get out for a hike a couple times. When I get into a weight lifting routine, I generally leave out leg work, feeling that my legs get all the exercise they need between pedaling and hiking. I do ab work and upper body lifting only. How do the rest of you handle this? Do you work your legs with weights? If so, does it have a negative or beneficial effect on your riding? And what exercises do you do? thanks in advance for any advice offered.

**Dogmama** · 11-11-2003, 09:12 AM

I always work legs in the off season. When I resume "real" riding, I'm amazed at how much easier the hills are!

Leg stuff:

Squats and lunges are good. Be sure your knee doesn't go over the tip of your toe. Have somebody show you - especially with squats - if you aren't sure. Leg extensions are good if your knees will allow it. Hamstring curls are great - our hamstrings are usually whimpy. Calf work is important too. Don't forget to stretch.

I work legs pretty heavily during the winter - i.e., twice a week, 10-12 reps & at least 3 sets each. I warm up squats with two warm up sets - 45 lbs for 15-20 reps and 65 lbs for 15 reps.

I don't take a lot of rest between leg exercises because I want my muscles to get used to doing heavy contractions without rest (like with rolling hills).

During the riding season, I work legs lightly about every 10 days. Same types of exercises, but much less weight and higher reps. I do legs when I know I'll be off the bike for a day or two.

Hope that helps.

Kim

Thread: Winter 'training'

Thread Tools

Display

Winter 'training'

Winter training

Posting Permissions