Is this a miserable slog through the dark depths of winter or a base to your pyramid of training? The beauty of a winter ride with soft mists and sharp frosts is without a doubt but it means shivery mornings and a dedication to the the cause of your summer’s performance.
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Late autumn and early winter is the time to build your endurance and this means concentrating on Zone 2 riding! Zone 2 is the workhorse for riders and knowing your power and heart rate zones for this is key and focussing on this early on in the training year. Zone 2 endurance pace rides should have a duration of between 2-6 hours and be approximately 60-75% of your FTP. That horrible figure is your functional threshold or the power number you can hold approximately for an hour and it’s corresponding Heart Rate (FTHR).
In this zone your body tends to burn fat as opposed to glycogen and therefore is more sustainable than the higher zones. Training in this zone takes discipline and it will seem very easy. Don’t get drawn in to increase the zone – especially as your mate comes wizzing by deep in his/her anaerobic zone and you think ‘I’ll show him’!
Save the ego for the summer months and keep twiddling the pins at about 80-90 rpm cadence and within your Zone 2 and you will reap the rewards in the summer. Remember to make sure you are doing strength workouts too; squats in the gym or low cadence (50ish rpm) 20-50 second hill climb efforts builds this.
At this time of year it’s time too look at the next 12 months… what do you want to achieve, where do you see yourself in October 2021? Work it out and look to develop periods of training depending on your next year’s goals.