Hi. What are you guys doing as regards winter training. Are you following a SYSTM scheduled plan or are you creating your own to include workouts more specific to your next years goals or doing more Zone 2 days for example to build up your aerobic fitness with a Hiit or two in there to help your top end. I am coming to the end of the TT plan and don’t really need to go from there. Ollie from GCN did the transition up plan a while ago and reckoned it was good but looking at it there seems too many yoga workouts for my liking and not enough actual work?? not enough from what I can see to keep a good level of fitness for next year?? cheers
4 Likes
This is so specific to individual goals.
I’m a general fitness cyclist who spends too much time away from my trainer to do plans. Consequently, I hunt badges.
4 Likes
Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.
(I’ve also be on the hunt of late, but I couldn’t resist the line).
In fact, I came here to say that. Nov and Dec for me has been largely getting through some workouts that are new to me. Plenty of On Locations, plus the Nov and Dec monthly challenges, and a the week at the UCI centre. It has been a great break from the usual Sufferfest videos - I love them but when I hit the new plan after Christmas I know there will be a lot of them on the schedule, so a change of scenary has been nice. (Also the occasional SUF workout to take me to within 1 session of the All Sufferfest badge).
I’m going to try and finish a couple more OL badges off in the next fortnight, then a test week befoe the turkey hits. The new year brings an adapted road plan which will include building up my running again, followed by a specific multi-spot plan.
What has been great is that usually post-summer I try and fit in another 12 week plan. It always comes off the rails. Then I try a couple of two building blocks. Inevitably I get through a MAP block, feel good, overdo an FTP block and blow up and have to reset myself. This year has been more measured, with different workouts, and it has worked out well.
Change is good. If you’ve just done a plan, loooking around for other things before going again is a good approach. And don’t worry, the workouts are good enoughto maintain/bump fitness. It’s not SUF or nothing.
3 Likes
Haven’t landed on anything specific outside of the AWW WCC, the December challenge and the as yet unannounced ToS2023. I’ve popped in the S&M daily series for 12 weeks (those short mobility sessions are THE BEST!). Also, there is sooooo much content I haven’t ridden yet. 13 Pro Rides, 9 OL rides. Really want to get some time on RGT since I raced a couple times a couple years back and it was hard af but fun (if a little glitchy back then). Don’t tell GvA but I’ve yet to Rue the Day
My “plan” atm is to finish the AWW and Dec challenges then start a GenFit plan subbing for rides I haven’t done where appropriate. Outside of the MTP, I have NEVER gotten past the halfway point in a formal plan 
I’m really not too concerned about next year’s outdoor season yet.
4 Likes
I did all my base miles in the summer when the weather was nice. Winter in Scotland is not the time to be working on base with long Z2 rides, if like me you hate doing Z2 on the trainer. It barely gets light most days, the roads are always wet and the feels like temperature is in low single figures before adding in windchill. I’ve been indoors only since the end of October and now in the second half of 12wk MTB plan, Full Frontal planned for Christmas day. I haven’t done a FF since May , I’ll see what my weaknesses are and then probably do another 2x12week mid volume MTB season prep plans back to back.
3 Likes
If you’ve just finished a TT plan I suspect that the transition up plan isn’t really suitable. I thought that was more for getting back in to the swing of things after a bit of down-time.
3 Likes
Like many, working through the WCC and December challenges, queueing up rides I’ve not done as yet, but I’m going for the 12 week CX plan to get me to ToS 2023. Some cross-training (running), crazy CX drill sessions, and hopefully some frozen outdoor suffering in the slop.
2 Likes
Once I dump this flu that I picked up I will finish the UCI series, then the Dec Challenge, then the Rapha 500 between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. A recovery week and then ToS 2014. If ToS 2023 is in a similar time to this year, I should have plenty of time to be ready for that.
I’m pretty sure Sir Glen is going to join me on doing all the rest of the past ToS events. 
4 Likes
You can 100% count on me to be there (at the side of the road, doing what I do best 
)
3 Likes
Jeebus! 
4 Likes
IKR, and this guy (Sir @Critmark) is balking at doing a couple of 15 minute SUF yoga vids, lol!
3 Likes
Where would he find the time?
4 Likes
I did my big plan leading up to my KOS. Now I’m just doing my own thing trying to hit my yearly mileage goal. Then I’ll just ride short easy recovery rides if I do anything at all between Xmas and NYD.
After that I’ll probably start a new plan starting in early January that will start slower and ramp up thru Feb to get me ready for the ToS.
So that’ll give me 2 weeks off plus some easier weeks the beginning of January. Then we’ll see.
I’ve been modifying my plans, anyway, to sub in long Zone 2 rides. I may tone those down some. But ehhh… 
1 Like
What is it based upon? And why? And how far off are you?
1 Like
When last did you take time off the bike? And for how long?
Having challenges planned ahead is not ideal to having a structured plan in place towards a specific goal.
Striving for ToS’s is a good thing, know they will be hard, so enjoy the moments between with fun riding would be my plan.
For my Winter, we have our peak racing season. Right now, my Summer, we are finishing base training and sharpening up for a mid January start to the racing year.
2 Likes
I’m primarily trying to ride further than last year. Just based on random riding to training plans. Last year I did 100 miles per week. I felt like I missed a lot of days and could’ve ridden a lot further. So this year I made a yearly goal of 6,000 miles for the year, later upping it to an even 10,000km which is some around 6,124 miles.
I have 89 miles to go to hit 6,000. 124 more than that to hit 10,000km.
3 Likes
Easily achievable, or is TITS an issue for you?
It’s good to have goals to keep oneself accountable. 
2 Likes
I just finished the TT plan, I was going to mop up a few of the AWWs, and OL series, before replanning properly.
Oh, and kitchen sink, as I need to get my badge!
@David.McQuillen.KoS Would really like to know if we’re having a ToS to kick start me in Feb or not…
2 Likes
There is one indeed - it’s the 2014 edition, starting Jan 7th… 
3 Likes
I took 10 days off the back at the end of my season. Since then I started back using the base block as a template but adding in one MAP workout a week. I’m now doing the same but but replacing a weekend workout with an FTP focussed one (Fight club, The Rookie), and following that I plan to change the weekend workouts to a longer session (ISLAGIATT, ISLTA). Will take a mini break after that and start the TT plan into next season.
I’ve not really done a whole load of zone 2 training before, so trying something different this year. It’s hard to do a strict zone 2 ride where I live so while it’s pretty dull on the trainer, it does work.
3 Likes