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Variety instead of a training routine:
mix long and intensive units on several consecutive days (symbolic image)
Photo: Michelangelo Oprandi / CHROMORANGE / picture alliance
Do you know that? You went into the winter with the best of intentions, wanting to sit on the roller at least three times a week and do a lot of core training, which had fallen by the wayside again during the year. As you shovel the last Christmas cookies into your mouth, spring is already breaking out outside. Nothing is left of the Zwift subscription except the debit to the account.
Hello first of all, we don't know each other yet. I have been riding a racing bike for many years and prefer to ride long distances. Driving hundreds of kilometers around the area, with a small luggage and self-sufficiency - that's my thing. You'll probably leave me standing at the town sign sprint, but I might have you again after 400 kilometers.
The longer I go on a tour like this, the more I forget that I have to do something for it. Especially during a gray winter with numerous appointments. The cold months can be used so well to do something for the so-called basic endurance, the basis for every endurance sport.
So what else can be done when the crocuses suddenly bloom and the first cycling marathons are just around the corner? Let's be honest: we can't quite catch up in three weeks what we missed for three months. But a little goes a long way. Here are four easy ways to make the most of the first few warm weeks.
Drive as often as possible
Ride as much or as little or as long or as short as you feel, but ride
,
Eddy Merckx
, five-time winner of the Tour de France, is said to have said. Incorporate the bike into your day wherever you can. Some of the fittest people I know don't specifically train, they just regularly commute ten to twenty kilometers to work. These routes, taken at a pace that is compatible with road traffic, are great for strengthening the foundation.
Don't want to arrive at the office sweaty every day? Take the bike with you in the trunk or bike compartment and pedal home in the evening. Handle it the other way around the next day. On Friday, most colleagues may be in the home office and a change of shirt is enough. You are already traveling several times a week.
For basic endurance, a brisk pace is sufficient, at which you could still hold a conversation without getting out of breath. Constant, relaxed cranking is more important than moving the pedals down with force. A cadence around 90 revolutions per minute is a good guideline.
Take a look at your everyday life: Where else could you replace motorized means of transport with a bicycle? Drive a fictitious lap to work if you work from home. Swap your lunch break for a short drive. Focus on cycling! If you can do this three to four times a week for an hour or more, you should notice the first changes after a month. You don't have to go as far as the colleague who takes part in all Zoom conferences from late afternoon onwards.
Variety instead of the training routine
The body gets used to the same training routine. The muscles receive no incentive to develop. So do it differently than usual. Mix long and intensive sessions on several consecutive days. Try doing two sessions in one day, with a break of at least four hours.
The coming phase of the holidays, including the bridging days, is wonderful for this. Are you fully booked with family or other social plans? Cycle a distance while your loved ones travel by car or train. For example, do a morning round on May 1st and bring fresh rolls for the breakfast table. This way you can discover new routes and create variety for your head.
Don't forget to stretch when you're cold-starting a more intense workout. Our muscles get used to the unfamiliar movement more quickly than tendons and joints. Stretch after exertion, mobilize your neck and back after remaining in a static position on the bike for a long time. And take care of known sensitive areas right from the start.
Take advantage of riding in a group
In racing we often talk about having to race to race. Ride with your cycling group, even if you think you are not fit enough. You are asked to take a different pace and adapt to a foreign rhythm. Maybe you will have to bite mercilessly. However, occasionally going beyond one's own limits provides new impulses very effectively. You don't have to (and shouldn't) do this every day.
Make sure you have enough recovery time after more intense sessions so that your body has the opportunity to respond to the effort by building up your form. While you're at it, maybe you'll be inspired by the spring classics. In April you can watch famous races like “Paris-Roubaix” or the “Amstel Gold Race” almost every week. The spirit and determination are exhilarating, and you may even discover a strategy or two to survive your next group ride.
Be aware of your progress
Maybe the shape is not (yet) as desired. In coaching we always try to focus on what we have already achieved. Maybe you're already two kilometers per hour faster on the home circuit. Maybe there is more power in my legs than there was two weeks ago. Allow yourself to see that things are progressing and you are also mentally paving a path for your form.
Above all, enjoy your time in the saddle! Look forward to being outside again after the dark days, letting your muscles work in the sun and releasing endorphins that will hopefully balance out the lactate.
And then do some more. Good luck with that. See you on the street.
Have a nice weekend
Your Eva Ullrich
PS: Do you have any wishes, suggestions or information that we should address in this column? You can reach us by email here. You can subscribe to our “Pedals and Performance” newsletter free of charge here.