When is spring coming?
Posted by Ally Bainton on Thursday, March 5, 2009
Under: training
The last couple of weeks have been pretty productive on the indoor training front, plenty of interval training, one leg training, threshold heart rate training, but, in my opinion, you just can't beat cycling outside. Yes, it's its great to be on the turbo trainer, close eye on your heart rate, easy to control the resistance, time your intervals to the second, get a fresh bottle of water or towel just when you need it, but I CANNOT wait to get outside and feel the fresh air in my face.
Admittedly, I am a fair weather cyclist. When it comes towards the summertime, then I will train the odd day here and there in the wind and rain, but purely because it could be windy or raining on the day of an event and you want to already know your mental edge will cope with that. The ideal weather for me is spring, at the start of the ride you might need a gilet, but after the warm up you can ditch that and just have short sleeves and shorts: top up that crazy "cyclists' tan" that we all get and see some beautiful scenery as we climb the mountains and hills around Geneva. I say Spring because come July and August, perhaps because I'm Scottish, but some days it can be TOO hot.
I have set myself the target of cycling outside at least twice before the end of March. I've put a rallying call out to a few of my cycling buddies, so watch out, as soon as the snow melts and snowboarding is no longer an option at the weekend, you could see us trying to get some flat kilometres in before attempting the climbs that will be required in April and May!
What about you - do you like the technical aspects of training on the turbo, or do you like the freestyle and unpredictability of being outdoors? do you like the home comforts of the TV on, snacks and drinks at hand or the pioneer feeling of stuffing your pockets and rationing your energy drink? Please let me know....
Two other points for today:
(i) I found a new website this week, well not a new website, but new to me. It has loads of tips for training, all year round, lots of tips for centuries and cyclosportives and is written in a really, user friendly, not too technical way. Here is a link : flammerouge.je
(ii) there is a poll this week in Cycling Weekly for the best British road racer ever - it is multichoice so even if can't think you'll find one you prefer. For me, there is no question on this one. I admit that Chris Boardman won a few stages and Mark Cavendish is maturing quickly into the worlds best stage race sprinter, but surely Mr Robert Millar deserves your vote: go on please support him in this vote!
Admittedly, I am a fair weather cyclist. When it comes towards the summertime, then I will train the odd day here and there in the wind and rain, but purely because it could be windy or raining on the day of an event and you want to already know your mental edge will cope with that. The ideal weather for me is spring, at the start of the ride you might need a gilet, but after the warm up you can ditch that and just have short sleeves and shorts: top up that crazy "cyclists' tan" that we all get and see some beautiful scenery as we climb the mountains and hills around Geneva. I say Spring because come July and August, perhaps because I'm Scottish, but some days it can be TOO hot.
I have set myself the target of cycling outside at least twice before the end of March. I've put a rallying call out to a few of my cycling buddies, so watch out, as soon as the snow melts and snowboarding is no longer an option at the weekend, you could see us trying to get some flat kilometres in before attempting the climbs that will be required in April and May!
What about you - do you like the technical aspects of training on the turbo, or do you like the freestyle and unpredictability of being outdoors? do you like the home comforts of the TV on, snacks and drinks at hand or the pioneer feeling of stuffing your pockets and rationing your energy drink? Please let me know....
Two other points for today:
(i) I found a new website this week, well not a new website, but new to me. It has loads of tips for training, all year round, lots of tips for centuries and cyclosportives and is written in a really, user friendly, not too technical way. Here is a link : flammerouge.je
(ii) there is a poll this week in Cycling Weekly for the best British road racer ever - it is multichoice so even if can't think you'll find one you prefer. For me, there is no question on this one. I admit that Chris Boardman won a few stages and Mark Cavendish is maturing quickly into the worlds best stage race sprinter, but surely Mr Robert Millar deserves your vote: go on please support him in this vote!
In : training