i have to say, im slightly honored (do i get a badge or something?!?). on a more serious note, i will def provide some ideas, depending on what you are looking to get out of your winter training.
let me begin this way: within endurance sports, much of one's winter training is spent developing what men smarter than myself came to call a "base." the idea of a base is that it will become the foundation upon which one will build fitness throughout the season, typically through intervals. base miles, on the bike or trainer, are typically long, monotonous hours spent riding at a relatively easy pace (<60% of max hr) in a light gear and at high cadence. two ideas are implicit: (1) by conditioning the body to be able to spin at a high cadence for long periods of time, the body develops the aerobic capacity so necessary in cycling, and (2) on a more psyiological level, long periods of light aeorbic activity allow capallaries to establish themselves deep in one's lungs. this is why every year tends to be a better season for most cyclists; cycling builds upon the gains of the previous year in much the same way a circular stair case winds progressively higher and higher up.
much of the emphasis of your winter training should be spent perfecting your spin. namely, spinning at a high cadence (rpm>90rpm). spinning at a high cadence is really something lance epitomized and carmichael revolutionized. if you produce the same power in smaller incriments, so they argue, you tax your legs less and ask a bit more of your aerobic system. but since you aerobic system is much better conditioned to cope with repeated stress, a cyclist is better off spinning faster in a lighter gear than pushing a heavier gear slower. my coach told me very early on that if i was breathing too hard, i needed to push a heavier gear to recover. if my legs were starting to feel heavy, i needed to spin an easier gear. better said than done, but so it goes ...
as for an actual training regimen, i may not be the best person to ask, but i'll try. as a cyclist, i have to admit my training habits are peculiar. i tend to rely on my natural talent as a cyclist, rather than miles upon miles of structured training. that is not to say i dont put in the miles, but i tend to just go and ride, alot (in season, i train at 12-20hr per week). sometimes i decide i feel like climbing, other times i get lazy and only go out for a hour. sometimes ill ride for 7 hours in the rain and other days i'll just ride for 15 miles on a perfect day. structured training has never been my thing. thats why trainer miles are so tough: they're boring. i bought rollers to make things a little more exciting, but rollers are NOT for everyone!! also, during the winter i tend to let my race bikes collect dust and i choose to ride my fixed gear to work on increasing my cadence and perfecting my pedalling. again, fixies aren't for the novice.
as for a specific workout, here's what i suggest:
depending on how many days you will be riding, you should devote at least one day to base miles. ride for at least an hour (perferably 2:00) in a gear you can comfortably spin at 80rpm, but aim for 90+ rpm. the key to riding the trainer for hours at a time is patience. but you also have to be active. sitting on the trainer for 3 hours straight will have you limping the next day, so mix things up: alternate sitting and standing, change your hand positions, but keep your cadence steady and above 80rpm.
if you want to liven things up a bit, the best thing to do would be to devote additional days to intervals. when i speak of intervals i have in mind timed efforts during which you put in a specific type of effort in order to train the body to recover from hard efforts more efficiently. riding all the miles in the world is useless if you cant recover from the first hill on a long ride!!
i like to break my interval training into 5:00 segments.
first 10:00 warm up in your little chain ring at high cadence.
choose from ONE type of interval for each training session:
1:00 MAX EFFORT 4:00 RECOVERY AT HIGH CADENCE
3:00 JUST BELOW YOUR LACTATE THRESHOLD (the point at which your legs start to accumulate lactic acid), 2:00 RECOVER AT HIGH CADENCE
15:00 AT 75% OF MAX HR; 15:00 RECOVERY
always spend 15:00 cooling down at high cadence
note: to get your hr up high enough at certain times, you will likely have to turn up the resistance on your trainer and/or shift down your cassette to your most difficult cog in combination with your largest chainrings. when i do max effort intervals, i usually sprint (out of the saddle) in my 53/11t.
one huge thing every cyclist MUST promise to do is STRETCH after training. cycling is terrible for your flexibility, and if you dedicate 10 min to stretching after each ride, you will be a much better cyclist because of it. namely, stretching one's hamstrings allows one to ride in a more aggressive position for longer periods of time, saving energy by getting aero and out of the wind.
well thats all i can think of. post any questions if you have them, or just post to tell me i dont know what im talking about. that works too!!
