Thursday, December 9, 2010

It's Getting Cold Out There -- Winter Training Tidbits

With winter's icy chill upon us here in the Mid-Atlantic....

Puncture Proof Your Ride
Not much is worse than getting a flat when it is sub-30, unless it happens to be raining too.  While no tire is puncture proof - remind me to tell you about the time I punctured a tire, tube and rim(!) all in one shot - you can do a lot to reduce the chances of getting caught trying to peel off a way too tight bead with hands slowly blackening from frostbite!  A heavy duty tire with puncture resistant plys is your first line of defense and I suggest choosing a tire that has the same level of flat resistance in the side wall.  Specialized's Armadillo tires have always done me well here and I've also had good luck with Conti's Gatorskins.  Another method is to go for thorn proof inner tubes - basically these are just super thick inner tubes that are going to take a awful nasty pointy thing to poke through.  Double up the thorn proof tube with the heavy duty tire and you're likely set (though I think the ONLY flat I ever got on Armadillos was the aformentioned metal forging puncture so no thick tubes may be necessary there!) for the winter.  No, your bike will not ride as well - it is going to feel less supple with this sort of set up - and you're going to add weight to the rig, but who cares, it's winter and it is way better than making your buddies wait for you to struggle through a flat change in mid-January!
Another possibility here is to go with Stan's NoTubes and go with the sealant fix to eliminate that leaky tube.  This could allow you to keep a better riding tire on the bike and still be puncture free.  I'd still suggest some extra sidewall protection from the heavier duty tire whether you go tubed or NoTubes through the winter just to be sure.

Fenders Aren't Just for PeeWee
Okay, some of you are going to say that fenders aren't cool.  Maybe not though there are some nice ones from Crud Catcher and SKS these days that look way more svelte than fenders used to.  What is cool - or downright cold - is the spray from the wet slushy nasty salted Mid-Atlantic winter roads.  And not only cold, that stuff isn't real nice to that frame or all those pricy bits and pieces you have hanging all over it.  Fenders keep you, your clothing and your bike cleaner and drier and that can lead to more enjoyable and longer winter rides.  They're also great on group rides - if everyone had 'em!  At least you don't have to be the jerk throwing slush all over your riding buddy.

Plastics
If you find yourself in a pinch this winter - out longer than you intended and getting really chilled or caught in the rain on a cold day - grab some plastic to save your butt.  Plastic obviously isn't a great choice most of the time - it doesn't breathe and you want gear that breathes.  Unless your freezing then you just better get warm.  And, there is nothing better in the cold and wet to keep you warm than plastic bags.  You can find plastic bags all over the place, but two way to obtain them that work really well - convenience stores where you can find the shopping bag style and get a dry place close to the bike to modify them to your needs and those lovely little bags that hold newspapers.   I've used bags in all sorts of ways - shoved up the front, back and sleeves of a coat, to cover my feet inside my shoes (since it is super thin it plastic bags will fit right over your socks) and even in my gloves with a little bit of ripping and tearing - and they do work in an emergency.  And, if it is really really really cold I might even start with them on my feet.  Again, this stuff doesn't breathe and that is BAD so whip this out only in emergencies!

Put Your Right Arm In
Of course, while plastics are a great emergency solution when you haven't prepared well the best way to enjoy the winter is to make sure you have the right gear and you use it at the right times.  Winter gear has progressed and improved a ton since I started riding and the new lighter weight and more technical apparel is definitely nicer than the heavy jackets we used to wear.  Understand what you have and what you don't have and make an effort to fill in the holes in your winter collection.  One great thing about high quality winter gear is that it does last a long time.  Even though the new stuff is a lot better than my old faded gear, I have some neon purple/yellow bits from the early 90s that is still functional...slightly embarassing but still functional.  Invest in good winter gear and it will last potentially decades.  Don't be afraid to spend serious money for good stuff - unless you think the new stuff is just too sexy not too have....BTW, have you seen the Radiation gear from Castelli??  Damn.

As one of my athletes recently said, 'Yea, the jacket was $350, but I use it several times a week all winter long and I'll have it for years.  That's a lot less than I spend on race wheels that I probably don't nearly use as often or put anywhere close to the same number of miles on.  And probably benefits me more actually when I really think about it.'  That's pretty logical.  Get good stuff.

Let's Get It Started In Here
December is definitely time to start planning for next season if you have not done so already.  Yes, not all the calendars are out yet, but for the most part you can start to put together - and perhaps mostly flesh out - your event calendar for next season this month.  This is one of the primary concerns in setting up your annual training plan.  It is also a great time to start to think about those goals and even picture in your mind how you're going to get there and what it is going to look like when you put down your best performance on that day.  Positive mental imagery is very important and you have no reason to doubt that you won't be at your very best come race day - you have all the time you need to get ready - so start picturing that success as you start laying out the events.  Once you have an idea of what events you're going to target then it is possible to lay out a training plan based on what you need to do in order to overcome the challenges of the event.  All of this early preparation should only add to your confidence and expectations for success.  A good plan not only gives you the right workouts and training cycles, but gives you confidence that you'll be at your peak when your big day comes.  I'm here to help.  Give a call or drop an email.

Breathe Deep
In today's age of high tech monitors and wattage based training plans sometimes the forest gets lost in the trees.  This is a great time of year to take some of the clutter off the dashboard and spend at least a couple weeks just riding or running.  Base training - or not worrying about training and enjoying riding for the joy of riding - can definitely be done a lot by feel as long as you are honest with yourself about the effort you're making. 

Power monitoring and other technology is incredible.  It has changed how we train and how coaches build plans.  Understanding and making proper use of that technology can make your training time more efficient allowing you to stronger by training more intelligently.  That being said, sometimes you need to make sure you're head is up and you're doing the one thing that likely got you building goals and chasing dreams through sport in the first place - nothing more than being out there doing it.
Smile.
Look around. 
It will be time to get focused soon enough.