Monday, January 21, 2008

Mid-Roller Season Update


All is well this indoor season. Much like a track athlete/cross country runner, one needs to be aware that there are two distinct seasons in cycling. No not road and mountain...Indoor and outdoor.

For a variety of reasons, one must distinguish this time of year from the race season.

With the different season requiring different mental focus, different fitness levels, and different ideal body morphologies, I try not to mix the two. That means no outdoor riding in outdoor season, no indoor riding in indoor season.

Often I like to take a couple weeks and transition from the seasons by riding my trainer outdoors, or ride indoors with my outdoor gear on. The key here is not to much to fast. Progressive, specific, achievable.

To measure peak fitness, outdoor athlete tend to stick to tried and true benchmarks such as TNWC/WNWC/race performance. The indoor athlete loves to quantify his fitness by a watt-O-meter. The number that is achieved following a test with said-meter then defines the indoor athletes fitness, his season, and his life. The higher the number, the better form he must have.

The outdoor athlete needs a low percentage of body fat, needs to be able to suffer, needs to be on their bike all the time, and foremost needs races.

Indoor athletes need excess body weight in the haunches for saddle comfort, TEVO to record special "programs", and most of all, other activities to occupy their time. It would be a hasty decision to ride TOO much in the indoor season; large hours on the bike should be reserved for the outdoor season only.

Remember: the key to indoor season is to ride when you want, find other ways to occupy you time, and for god sakes... don't ride outside. Be well and enjoy the rest of the indoor season!

3 comments:

Lindsey said...

#1- I hate 'Coach Troy' from the spinervals videos. He is too much of a dweeb to take seriously. Case in point, look at the picture you posted. Anyone who uses a picture of himself like that for self promotion needs a wake up call.

#2- have you seen the forecast for this coming weekend?? :)

bryan said...

I was just about to express the same opinion about Coach Troy. My training is aiming toward being strong enough to ride to Tuscon and kick his ass.

the mostly reverend said...

hey, that guy in the photo with the black shirt--is that the guy you wrestled in high school?
he needs to see a chiropractor.
you must have fucked him up REAL good, dude!