220's Winter Training Advent Calendar (Part 18)

Riding your bike outside in winter can be dangerous, but riding inside doesn't have to be an easy option. Day 18 of our Winter Training Advent Calendar contains one-hour bike sessions to keep you spinning...

Published: December 18, 2011 at 8:00 am

119 One On, One Off

A simple concept: warm up then do up to 20 reps of 1min race tempo with 1min recovery spinning between. Cool down to finish. Basic but beneficial.

120 Steady State

This is best done with a power meter or on the turbo with a cadence meter. The idea is to sit at a constant power output (or cadence in a set gear ratio) and hold it steady or 35-40mins. The intensity should be held around tempo after a gradual warm-up. It takes focus and determination to complete – good music helps.

121 Down the Block

Ideally done on rollers or a turbo trainer with a very low resistance setting (if you have one). Start off in your big chainring and the biggest cog on the cassette. Keep your cadence at a steady 90rpm and hold for 4mins. After that drop it down to the next sprocket and continue to hold at 90rpm for 4mins again. Repeat the process until you’re in the 53x11 (or top gear) set-up and then switch to an easier gear for a cool-down.

122 iPod Session

This is a great set if you’re motivated by good music. Set up a 60min playlist that alternates gentle chillout tracks with something more hardcore and then simply work at recovery/base endurance pace for the easy stuff and at race tempo for the more aggressive songs. Time really does fly if you pick the right tunes.

123 Recovery Session

Cycling is secondary to swimming as a recovery session, because you can keep the resistance very low but still get blood flowing to the muscles. 30mins on the turbo at recovery paces to tick over the legs is a really simple and effective recovery workout, especially the day after a long, hard run when your legs might be sore from all the impact.

124 The Yo-Yo

This is best done with a heart-rate monitor. Warm up, then gradually get your heart rate up to around lactate threshol or just below the kind of HR that you see when racing a short-course event. Hold your HR in that zone for 1-2mins then slowly back off the power, letting your HR drop down into base endurance pace and let it sit there for 1-2mins. Once again pick up the pace until HR reaches lactate threshol and hold for 1-2mins before letting it drop down again. Repeat this for 30-45mins and cool down.