Notes

Why do indoor winter workouts?

Springtime brings great cycling expectations. However, all too often we cannot meet these expectations because we neglect our fitness during the winter. Even those of use who realize the importance of winter preparation are never really sure of what we should do during this "off-season."

The indoor winter workout program will help you prepare for the upcoming outdoor season. For the competitive cyclist, it will prepare you for a demanding year of training and racing. For others, it will help you meet your own personal cycling goals.

An indoor trainer

Before beginning an indoor workout program, you will need to purchase an indoor stationary bike trainer or rollers. Since you will get to know it very well over the next few months, I recommend investing in a quality trainer. In addition, you will need a book stand on which to place the workouts. A sheet music stand which can be placed at the side of the bike is an excellent alternative to a bike mounted model which can interfere with your fan setup.

Purchasing a trainer  should be like purchasing a bike - test ride them first. You should evaluate them for durability, smoothness of riding, stability, ease of bike mounting, and ability to incrementally increase tension.

Gearing

I recommend a 12x21 for your cassette but you can do the programs with a 12x23. I also recommend 53/39 chain rings but you can use 52/42. If you use 52/42 chain rings you'll need to modify the workouts by going one tooth larger on the cassette. Example: 39x18 use 42x19

Are you ready to start the program?

This program is designed in one hour workout increments. Prior to starting the program, you should be able to ride the trainer for thirty or forty minutes aerobically.

The type of cyclist your are - beginner, sport, or competitive, - will determine what gear (degree of difficulty) you use to perform this initial test. Use following chart to determine your initial test gear and your first program prescribed exercise. Once you can perform this test you are ready to begin your winter cycling program.

Starting out

When starting out the program, set the trainer at a comfortable level. It is better to start easy and finish strong than to have to quit the intervals because of premature overload. After three rides you should have a better feeling of the correct trainer settings. It is important to record your workouts on a log sheet. This way you don't have to guess how your training is progressing. Failure to adequately document training progression is on of the major mistakes made by many athletes.

What heart rate should I maintain during the workouts?

During the warm-up and cool down, you should strive for a heart rate of 75% of your maximum heart rate. During the exercises, with exception of sprints and max rpm exercises, your heart rate should be 80 to 95% of your maximum (towards 80% while in the 39 gear and towards 95% while in the 53 gear). During sprinting and max rpm drills, you should be at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Definitions

In the schedule, there are two terms requiring further explanation. The first tem is "spinning." Spinning involves riding in a gear you can ride comfortably and smoothly at 100 revolutions of the pedal per minute (rpm). The term "on and off" is where you increase your rpm from 100 to the highest level that you can control while in the saddle (on) and then returning to the 100 rpm level (off).

When do I start?

This program is designed for seventeen weeks, starting with the first Tuesday in December. You should use this program through the end of March. The exercises are designed  to be done on Tuesday and Thursday. I have started this program in November starting with the first workout to build a better aerobic base. I've also gone through the whole book doing every workout and not stopping in March.

Can I ride the trainer on other days?

Recovery is an important element in any successful training program. Therefore, be careful not to overdo off-day training. Remember, this is the winter and your objective is preparation. During any off-day training you should keep this in mind.

I missed a workout. What do I do?

If you missed a single workout you should pick up where you left off. For every two workouts missed you need to go back one workout. For example, if your last workout was 14 and you missed four workouts, you need to pickup with workout number 12.

However, if you missed more than 50% of the workouts during the first month you should return to the beginning of the program. The program's design is such that it becomes incrementally more difficult as it progresses. IT is important to do the program in the order and to follow the above guidelines if you are to be healthy and ready for the outdoor road season.

Record of Workout

Your winter program can be dramatically enhanced by keeping good notes about your personal progress. Your "Record of Workout" pages are designed for multiple years. It should become part of our cycling library.

Outdoor riding

This program is designed to help you through the winter and get you ready for outdoor road training. During the winter, weather permitting, you should ride outdoors on the weekend. For both Saturday and Sunday combined, your total riding time should not exceed your previous season's longest race time. When you can't ride outdoors on the weekend, you can ride your trainer for up to an hour and a half on Saturday and/or Sunday.

For example if your longest race was 62 miles and your time was around 2:45 to 3:15, then this is the maximum total time you should ride on the weekend. During December, it is not recommended to do any additional outdoor interval training. In January you can start some outdoor interval training.

Remember, there will be plenty of time to leave your friends in the dust come spring, so don't over do your winter road workouts. The objective here is preparation. Have fun and lots of luck!