We are now well into the off-season for most cyclists. There are lots of different theories on what type of training should be done during the off-season.
In CINCH we look at the off-season as the low-low friction time to make big progress to separate yourself from your past level and towards a new level. There are less events, less group rides, and an overall disruption in the flow of other people’s training. These factors allow you to quietly and calmly do the work without being distracted with rides and events to measure your performance against others.
So what are the areas we recommend to work on training in the off-season? I will lay out our overall approach at CINCH for you.
- Make the VISION - The offseason is the perfect time to work on creating the vision of yourself that you want to become next. We truly believe that if you do not see it first, then you won’t achieve it. So use this time to start to lock in who you are going to become next season.
- Raise the Ceiling - While most of the cycling world lowers their training zones, we focus on creating growth for higher ones. Optimal ceiling work centers around increasing both the physical strength as well as the cardiovascular ability. We will set the ceiling zones close to where the athlete’s next goals sit.
- Execute - Be the change you set in your vision with some planned efforts in areas. This could be going after PR’s in certain times (like 3 hour PR to test endurance zones), executing a strategy in a ZWIFT race or group ride, a PR on Strava, or a race. This closes the circle between making a vision as a target, doing the work towards it, and then hitting it. This process changes everything!