I am back in Alaska. We are building toward inch 13 of our September rainfall. Temperatures no longer seem to climb above 49. The nights are officially longer than the days, and that can only mean one thing - winter training season!I have been trying to formulate a plan about how I can get into "the best shape of my life" by February, all while maintaining my income and spotty social life, and hopefully avoid burning out on cycling. I am thinking about treating the next six weeks as a sort of pre-season base builder. I hope to focus on speed workouts - maybe see if I have it in me to go fast on a bike - and weight lifting. Late September and October are good months to do this because they are essentially the worst months to spend out in the weather. So I renewed my gym membership today. I wrestled with the decision to do so for most of the month. It seems like a horrible waste of money given my obvious preference for training outside - even out in the weather. At the same time, I spent all of last winter out in the weather, and paid for it with a long-term overuse injury. This winter, I am going to do some squats.
In November, I'll launch into endurance training ... slowly increase the hours I burn each week until I'm only marginally holding onto my income source and no longer have even a spotty social life. Hopefully by then there will be enough snow on the ground that I can spend more of that time building my spotty snow-riding skills ... even if it means hiking my bike up steep hills and white-knuckling the handlebars all the way down. There aren't a lot of maintained winter trails around here, but there are plenty of slopes. I have a hunch that Pugsley can plow through a lot when gravity is on his side.
I am really looking forward to winter training. It has been a while since I have had a goal, a real goal, to work toward. Goals always seem to make all the random adventures and myriad mishaps and glassy-eyed gym sessions swirl together toward some sort of greater meaning. What that meaning is ... I'm not yet sure. In the beginning, maybe a way to pass the time. In the end, survival.
Jill, I think it was a smart choice to decide to add in some weights. Shoot me an e-mail if you want to chat about stuff.
ReplyDeleteI was going to be adding in weight training this winter as well since I won't be able to ride during the week pretty soon. If either of you have a good routine, could you post it? Thanky!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, fat tire descents. It's amazing what the pugs will roll down, that is until you stuff the front wheel into a huge powder hole and go flying. Ask me how I know! :)
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo, you go girl!
ReplyDeleteThe weights are good. Think about two things: pick it up, put it overhead &
ReplyDeletevicious extension of the hips. Given that you are looking for performance, that's about it. You might look at Ross Training or CrossFit for angles of approach.
Your blog is a great pleasure.
Craig
Picking it up and putting overhead will work on presses, but it won't help you much on deadlifts! :)
ReplyDeleteAmblus, I'll holler at you on your blog! Maybe we can be a weight-lifting triumvirate.
mallie, you can always try! My deadlift is some amazing Ukrainian guys press, anyway.
ReplyDeleteChris I know how you know, but it is so much more fun to fall into snow than anything else. yea Pugsley!
ReplyDeleteGotcha, Craig! Need to see that one in a pic. :)
ReplyDelete