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Tips for getting through a winter training schedule
The Mallorca312 event is at the end of April, so training must be throughout winter. I knew this would be tough, but I wasn’t quite prepared for it.
The problems are short days, cold days, bad weather and mentally it’s hard riding in these conditions.
I started training in October, and the Winter training began to hit in November as the nights drew closer.
The first thing you realise is that you have less flexibility in the day to train – unless you want to ride in the dark (which eventually you realise is inevitable).
On the shortest days, sunrise isn’t until after 8 am. So, if you want to train before work, you will be out in the dark. Conversely, the challenge is that the sunsets at 4 pm on the shortest days. So, if you want to ride in the light, you have a shorter time frame.
You must ride in all-weather unless you are happy riding hours inside on the trainer.
Rain is miserable, but you can cope if kitted out in the right gear – I’ve learned the hard way over the years, so read my “winter riding gear” blog for some well tested advice.
Wind is your friend or your enemy depending on which way it is blowing, but there is a point when it’s dangerous to ride out.I start worrying at 30mph, 40mph+, I wouldn’t go out.The main issue is being blown into traffic, which you’d want to avoid.
We had a lot of windy days this winter, and where we live is quite exposed, so I would check the wind direction and try to create routes where a strong headwind or tailwind could be avoided.But that’s tricky, when it’s windy you feel it everywhere but it can also make you mentally stronger riding into a headwind.
Ice is not your friend.There were a few weeks in January when we had some frost and a splattering of snow; this was okay to ride in, and I had a lovely day out one sunny morning in a splattering of snow.
However, this gave me a false sense of safety on the road conditions, as another day I went out, took a corner and skidded off my bike on the ice, landing in a heap on the floor.Luckily, I was taking it slow, so just a bruised side leg, bent brake lever and a couple of scratches on the bike.But I walked back up the road I had just cycled down, it was a sheet of ice, and I was struggling to even walk on it.When you are going dead straight on a bike, ice is manageable, but as soon as you turn it’s going to be a problem but it’s your judgement on whether you ride or not.Many roads will be gritted, but many might not – take it slow.
Fog is ok as long as it’s not dangerous.Many of the mornings I went out on were foggy, but I had a good pair of lights – front and back, and reflective clothing.To be seen is critical, so ensure you can be seen if you’re going out in fog.
The three areas I find get coldest are:
The way I have solved these is:
In terms of the rest of my gear; must haves are:
I'm getting hot once I’m cycling, so this is enough for me, and I can layer it up / down if needed.The problem is when you stop – try to limit the time you stop, particularly outside.Even if you stop inside for a coffee, you’ll need to spend the first 10 minutes back on your bike warming up. Cycling up a hill after starting up again helps warm up quickly!
Getting a cold over the winter sucks and can affect your training.I got struck down over Christmas, affecting my training plan (see Rapha500 blog).You must accept it, and this time ahead of the event will not negatively impact your training.So, get well, then get out again.
It’s March, and as I write this, the days are getting longer, the sun is back, and the temperature is creeping above 10 degrees.Whilst the winter training was hard, I’m feeling good about it now, and I can get some productive riding in with 7 weeks left to Mallorca312.