Training Advice

When I was doing winter base miles on club runs, I'd still attack climbs in my own inimitable style - as 'max' as you get outside of competition. Even a handful of short intensive maximal efforts has a huge effect on maintaining your edge during the off-season, without risk of burning out by the Spring.

There are plenty of people out there putting the hammer down during winter crit series or cyclo-cross races (or roller races!) who manage to get podium places in the summer.

I think this mainly applies to seasoned athletes though, rather than people building longterm base cycling fitness/strength for the first time.

What I like doing (brace yourselves) is nurturing the inner zombie. I'll elaborate...

When training, I concentrate, very intensely, on form. I try to be as phsyiologically and psychologically self-aware as possible, sometimes focusing on individual joints or muscles or movements or mental processes, other times on combinations of these, and sometimes holistically. It's all a part of building a neuromuscular scaffold.

But in competition, I let go, relying on automatisation - the unshackled ability of the unconscious mind and unhindered muscle memory.

Well, that's how it goes on a good day. If I'm in a bad mood I can undo months of scientific training with the destructive power of my ego.

for someone who never trains EVER

you sure talk alot about the training you do....