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OTHER CYCLING : Coaching Advice : Paddy Doran Last Updated: 19 Jul 2021 - 7:26:24 PM

COACHING FEATURE - PREPARING FOR 2011
By Paddy Doran
13 Oct 2010,

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Now that most riders have had a short break from racing thoughts are turning to the 2011 season'


What's to look forward to?

There's the Ras with a great new sponsor An Post, the 25th anniversary of Ras ma mBan The Junior tour, National championships in all disciplines, Maybe you want to be upgraded from cat 4 to cat 3 or 2 or even win your club league. There are sportives, a growing mountain bike programme with great downhill events, great track leagues and championships. So there are lots of things to choose from.

Cyclo Cross
How can you make sure that you can be in the best form to achieve your goals for 2011.


SOME APPROACHES

Here are three approaches that riders might take, and have taken in the past!

1 'The ah I'm wrecked after the season approach' I'll have a big long rest and recover, hang up the bike and hit the social scene. Late nights plenty of drink and wild living until January, then I'll get lots of miles in.

2 'I'm going to take it really serious for next season'.. Begin training immediately the 2010 season ends and try to retain and improve on the fitness gained. Lead a very strict lifestyle no drink or late nights, live like a hermit and train like mad. Four nights on the Turbo, spin classes and lots of hard miles at the weekends

3 Celebrate the successes of 2010 reflect on what went well and what can be further improved, Plan for next season in a balanced and intelligent way. Keep yourself fit with a progressive training plan that you enjoy.

Mountain Biking
THE LIKELY OUTCOMES?

Scenario 1: You might have a really enjoyable winter, however you will most likely lose most of your fitness and have a very poor season in 2011

Scenario 2: Your head will probably be melted by Mid February at the latest!. You'll be lucky to see the races in mid March

Scenario 3: This will give you a good chance of making improvements and achieving your goals for 2011.

So you have decided which approach to take, what's next?

PLAN

When are you planning to peak?

Let's take the very popular Gorey three-day as an example. That is now about six months away. So there is a lot of time to improve your fitness with progressive balanced training. Plan now; try to get some coaching input from a coach who might help you to develop a suitable programme for you.


Swimming
IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES

Between now and January you can improve your general fitness and lay the foundations for strong performances in the future by participating in other activities as well the cycling discipline that you compete in.


ENDURANCE CYCLISTS

This includes road, MTB ,Track and sportive riders. In the early part, Oct November December you can vary training as much as possible. The ideal would be a mixture of, Running, Hill walking Swimming, Mountain Biking, Cyclo Cross and Road Cycling, Indoor Ball Games, Weight or circuit training. Emphasise the activities that you enjoy most and have the skill to participate in. Balance training with rest recovery and relaxation.

Plan a weekend or two away for a change of environment -cycling or walking etc. Go mountain biking. Ride mountain bike or cyclo-cross races but do not take them too seriously at this stage if your priority is to perform well during the summer months. Go walking or running on forest trails or parks. Join an Aerobics/circuit/weights or swimming class in your local gym or school.


Running
SPRINT CYCLISTS

Riders training for sprint events like track sprint Kilometre, 500m TT or downhill mountain bikers will need to take a different approach with an emphasis on strength training to enhance power /speed development. This should be carried out with an expert in the area of strength and conditioning.


TO TURBO OR NOT TO TURBO?

Turbo trainers s are a very useful training tool when used well. However I can think of so many other ways of getting a workout that is more enjoyable and probably just as beneficial. So while from January on they certainly have their uses, I don't see a great need to use them before January other than for track riders who may be competing on the international track scene during these months. Training on turbo trainers can be quite boring, and in my experience riders who use them excessively often seem to have shorter seasons and more overtraining problems.

Remember! How you take care of yourself over the next few months is going to determine how you perform in 2011. Insufficient build up during this period will result in poor and inconsistent performances next season. Preparation for the big 2011 performances begins now!

Note: this article is written with junior and seniors in mind.


Paddy Doran
Latest Headlines
Paddy Doran — R.I.P.
How to Recover and Get Major Benefits from the Ras
PEAKING FOR THE EASTER STAGE RACES
SAFE RACING
Deliberate Practice The Flanagan Brothers s Super Session

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