The onset of winter does not have to mean the end of training for racing cyclists. Rather, it is a good opportunity at his weaknesses to work and to improve strength and condition.
I'm now in the third season of my young racing career and I was really sad that the season was over.
Of course, my racing bike is not locked away, but it is probably only occasionally taken out of the garage. Rather, I will focus more on mine cyclocrosser swing and ride a bit off-road, a nice change in everyday cycling life. However, my focus this winter will be on my weaknesses.
Strengthen strengths and weaken weaknesses
I just use this nice play on words from football as a basis for planning my winter. Last winter my focus was clearly on strength gains and at the beginning of the 2017 season I realized that my training was a bit too one-sided. Of course you can get your deficits under control within four weeks, but I will incorporate my experiences from last year into my preparations for 2018.
Set goals and work towards them
7 November 2017
One of my big weaknesses in the last year was that endurance training, I had neglected this in the winter. Because: I don't like running/jogging at all! In fact, I even hate it! At least until a month ago. As I said, my first resolution this winter was to run more, so last month I got myself some new running shoes. I tried on about eight pairs of running shoes and ended up choosing these Brooks Levitate. New equipment is always great motivation, I don't think you're contradicting me there. So I did my first run in early October and since you shouldn't overdo it, I ran 4,7 km. Since then I've always improved a little.
My goal: Christmas 20km run
You have to set yourself goals, attractive goals. ambitious, but not overly ambitious! My goal is at one of the to run a distance of 20 km over the Christmas holidays And when I say stretch, I mean stretch. I don't want to have to run 10 laps somewhere, but preferably from A to B to run. A distance of 20 km, so a half marathon, I consider absolutely feasible in the available training time. I've been increasing mine since October running frequency and Distance continually. I now run three times a week and always plan different distances.
Use your available time
Two days a week I run from the work home. Well, I don't always make it twice a week because I still have things to do in the evenings, but the goal is to walk home twice a week. I start walking in downtown Hamburg, past the main train station and the art gallery, and then walk around the Outer Alster. Afterwards it goes past the Klosterstern to the Hoheluftbrücke and home. On this after-work lap, I run a distance of 7,9 km. I always took this distance of 7,9 km as a new stimulus for my training, for me as a beginner, long distance. In addition to that, I ran smaller laps from home, which I gradually lengthened a bit. I started with 4,7 km, after which I had a lot of sore muscles at the beginning of my training. It is important that the sore muscles are completely gone before you start the next run. Meanwhile, my home rounds are up 7,1 km (without sore muscles), that means that my home laps will soon be longer than my after-work run. When I first get the 10 km I will definitely celebrate!
stabilization of the torso
For this winter I have come up with something very special to keep my core stable and in shape. My absolute tip for each of you: 3 minute planks.
So three minutes of planks every day. I found a video on Youtube for this. Honestly, in the beginning I had 5 minute planks tried it, but I couldn't do it. The 3 minute planks really pack a punch and are doable. In a few weeks I'll switch to the 5 minute planks and hopefully be able to do them. I do the three minute planks every morning in the office with my colleagues. At first there were only two of us, then the third came along and now the fourth colleague. At first you feel a bit silly, but actually it is something good to do something for your body.
Muscles pump - a little at least
Without strength training unfortunately I can't get by. At home I still use my dumbbells that I bought last winter. Very good investment! Since I'm using push-ups and the planks though chest and triceps can train quite well, I use the dumbbells for training back, biceps and shoulders. This is how I manage to incorporate the training into my everyday life and don't always hang around in the gym for a few hours.
In this article I will keep you informed about the further progress of my running training this winter.
The running challenge takes me completely
6 December 2017
You're probably wondering why I haven't been heard from for so long. Quite simply: I'm currently doing one with some of my work colleagues run challenge. We started our running challenge exactly two days after I published this article. I always like to take on challenges because they force me to put my plans into action. Sort of like registering for a race. I always like to talk about that in this context Point of no return!
Run Challenge – what is it about
I'm lucky enough to work with a lot of like-minded people, of course not all racing cyclists, but all people interested in sports - but most of them are scarce 10 years younger than me. That's when we - seven colleagues and I - came up with the idea for the purpose Winter Motivation to start a little running challenge. The goal: To run 28km by February 200th. A total of 17 weeks, which corresponds to approx. 12 km per week. It sounds pretty easy at first. For me it was a good way to stay in shape and I don't really run. We immediately had a running group RunKeeper created so that we know what the status of the others is.
We started on November 8th and it all started in a very civilized manner. I was the rookie and ran 15km the first week and another 16-17km until the first nerd came along. A colleague ran the same in the first week 25 km and when another colleague came up with the idea of a table on Google Graphic evaluation to do, the reluctance was gone.
Week 1: 14,95 km
Week 2: 24,51 km
Week 3: 28,32 km
Week 4: 33,59 km
My kilometers run after 4 weeks: 101,37 km! and thus the first to complete the 100 km. I'm a little proud of myself.
As I mentioned above, I'm planning for Christmas 20 km to walk in one go. I would say that I am already quite well prepared for it. I'm curious when the first of us will have completed the 200 km. I'll do anything to be the first. Even if it wasn't originally a race, my ambition has been awakened and has gained the upper hand.
9 January 2018
A new year has begun and the challenge is since Christmas behind me. Just as planned, on Boxing Day I'll be my first half marathon ran. Started at home and walked to my in-laws for Christmas dinner. In the end, 21,5 km were on the clock, of course I got mine at the Christmas dinner that followed calorie deficit balanced again with a clear conscience.
Statistics
I had already announced the first four weeks of running a little above, you can see the last three weeks of running here
Week 5: 23,36 km
Week 6: 49,43 km
Week 7: 37,97 km
As already mentioned, I ran my first half marathon in Challenge week 7.
Unfortunately, I didn't finish first with my mileage, but second, by one bad trick of a colleague. He persuaded me to take a non-running day and then ran his 200 km with one the following day 28 km run his challenge over. You can't accuse him of real cheating, but the whole thing wasn't completely clean. Anyway, this challenge gave me a lot and I've never run that much. Seven weeks for 200 km and in the months of October, November and December I am in total over 300km ran. Absolutely awesome for me!!!
I will shortly share my experiences in the form of a Training plan for a half marathon write it down in this blog and make it available to you, because what is better and more authentic than a real testimonial! Now all I have to do is maintain my fitness over the weeks so I'll be in really good shape when I get back on the road bike.