Keeping the focus in the off season

[Tom Officer]

I had to start something here. All the doping stuff is overwhelming me and fostering a malaise! I need to keep the mental focus this time of year not despair over the latest soap opera that pro cycling has become.

Ok, so what do the rest of you guys do to keep the mental focus through the fall into base training? I spend a fair amount of time defining goals for the next season and focus on training other than on bike. Mostly core work, weights, hiking and yard work, like cutting and splitting wood. I find it gives me a chance to get the body back in balance and refresh the mind.

The rest of you?

[Matthew Strongin]

The off season is our nicest time of year, so I actually spend more time on the bike going for long mellow rides with plenty of stops for coffee and taking in the sights. Dial the intensity way back, and just enjoy riding. I also spend more time in the gym, which I really look forward to and enjoy.

[EDS]

I like to spend this time of year deluding myself into believing that next year is the year I really get in shape!

[winmonster]

I also spend more time in the gym, which I really look forward to and enjoy.

Boy ain't right.

[Matthew Strongin]

Boy ain't right.

You have no idea.

[Too Tall]

I take a break from long training hrs. and like yourself renew my interest in strength work. Also, this yr. I extended the road season by staying on my CX bike and doing some racing LOVED IT!

I've got a goal for next year and will spend a considerable amt. of time refining my abilities in the coming months. Without a target, all this seems less meaningful if that makes sense?

[Tom]

I've been considering everything I did wrong this year and thinking up ways to get it right next year. There's a lot of it so 'focus' maybe isn't the right word. The riding right now is plain fun times, I ride easy without worrying about anything and I make sure to look around at the sights and laugh at what strikes me as funny. I also have a milestone approaching - the plan starts November 1.

[DOOFUS]

I take 2-3 weeks off in September, when the allergy season peaks

then its back to base. that means shitloads of SST and trips to the gym

[vertical_doug]

Splitting some wood, building a fire and sitting in front of the warm fireplace with a cup of coffee reading the Sunday Times.

[Tom Officer]

The fall riding is definitely the best. It really lends itself to relaxing and recharging. I try to use it to assess the past season and figure out where the improvements should be. The hard part is focusing on the improvements once base starts up again, everyone has a tendency to fall back to old habits. It's one of the most important things I do when coaching someone, keep the focus on improving the weaknesses. You race your strengths and train your weaknesses, easier said than done!

[-HvA-]

Still have some months (hopefully) of riding left here, then it's more yoga/core work, rollers and trainer sessions while I re-watch The Wire and Arrested Development episodes. It's not that bad...

[Nate@Scarab]

Spent a month not touching anything unmotorized with two wheels. Good mental break, makes me jazzed to come back to the pedals. My issue seems to be maintaining the focus as the season drags into late Aug/early September...

[Chance Legstrong]

<snip>My issue seems to be maintaining the focus as the season drags into late Aug/early September...

This is a tough spot after a looooong season.
I focused on GWC (Labor Day weekend) as, I just need to be ready and get through that weekend and I'm done.
It was tough because my usual training group was splintered in: burned out, getting ready for CX, etc...
i focussed on what i needed to do and broke my week down in the cliche- "day by day".
July is traditionally a slower month so after the 4th of July races i rachet down the intensity and focus on just riding.

[sonny]

i only had half a road season this year so i'm not looking to unwind quite like y'all, but i've been trying to keep my riding playful and spontaneous for the past month or so.
i had a race i planned on doing a few days ago, but wasn't feeling the requisite rage, so i took off a couple days and walked around my neighborhood.
had a blast this morning 45mi on the cross bike, majority firelanes, and ended up with an hour of light threshold and then 2 (4 x 1 min) intervals before spinning home. now the weekend off hiking and camping :)

it seems when things are working, it doesn't (shouldn't) feel like work at all

[sk_tle]

There is no off season if you race cyclocross. Problem solved for me.

[Tom Officer]

You still have to take a break somewhere! I see a lot of guys try to do a full road season, be competitive for the cross season and then segue right into another road season. It shows in their performance, they just don't quite have the same punch.

I'm finishing up 6 weeks of prep/balance this weekend, everything from weights, core work, mtn biking, hiking, fixed gear riding and a little road riding. Now I'm eager to begin the long, slow build up of base training. If you take the time to do a long base period, it'll reap dividends with longer race peak periods and much better recovery from race and hard training efforts. One of the things about base training is it really improves the slow twitch fibers and mitochondria that are so important to aerobic fitness. Without a big base, you lose that aerobic, endurance fitness quickly when you race and that's what happens to those guys that try to do cross and road seasons back to back.

There is no off season if you race cyclocross. Problem solved for me.

[Too Tall]

I'm coaching a few tri-athletes and majority of road race folks. This yr. everyone is in wind down mode and transition to strength work on and off the bike. As the years go by I'm finding much success with mature athletes by not laying on huge base miles.

Don't be afraid to not ride your bike for a couple weeks, it can do you a world of good.

[sk_tle]

You still have to take a break somewhere! I see a lot of guys try to do a full road season, be competitive for the cross season and then segue right into another road season. It shows in their performance, they just don't quite have the same punch.

I'd say you don't need a long break. One week once in a while is enough.

And there are some easy ways to do that:
-getting ill (granted in the cold seasons if you have younglings at home)
-visiting the family in the christmas/new year period

I hear you about the base endurance training. I used to skip a few cross races in the winter and do longer rides on sunday with the local touring club.

[vertical_doug]

A Historical Case For Aerobic Development

I don't know if this belongs here, but every once and a while, Competitor group mag has a decent article. Although this deals with running, it talks about the aerobic base. I know TomO and others talk about the importance of base. Whether or not this is leading the resurgence of distance running in the U.S. , the quality and depth of fields has improved. Endurance training is Endurance training. Maybe this provides a little motivation for logging those dark winter miles which lay the foundation for the summer.

[suhacycles]

Makes sense, as we are by nature aerobic creatures not anaerobic. Makes me wonder though, how to get the best volume and base for a given time. If I only had 6 hrs a week to ride, would I be better off doing 3, 2 hr rides a week or 6, 1 hr ones? Anyone comes across a study?