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Off Season Cycling Strategies: Relaxed Focus...

Saturday, 06 January 2018 19:10

By Taylor Thomas (trainingpeaks.com)

When athletes talk about the “off-season,” often terms such as base miles, long slow training (LST), endurance rides and others get tossed around. These terms have become a catch-all to describe the training during a time of year when cyclists take a break from race specificity, and prepare mentally and physically for the coming season. 

Despite this period of relaxed focus, there’s still merit in performing dedicated workouts that allow you to hone in on key areas. These workouts should be specific in their purpose, well thought out, and take place during the appropriate training block. 

The right amount of focus during the off-season leads to a quicker transition to race-specific training, as well as increased confidence in an athlete’s preparedness to execute that training. 

Perform a Post-Season Analysis

When the race season has come to an end and it’s time for off-season preparation, a detailed post-season analysis is critical. Reviewing past races, workouts, and key metrics allows for time to reflect on the successes and possible shortcomings of the season. ...

This is the time when important questions should be asked. Were primary goals reached? Where do strengths and weaknesses lie? Are there any specific areas that should be a focus in the coming season? Answers to questions like these will help to inform the training prescription both during the off-season and in the early build periods.  READ MORE