Source Endurance

Last night I had the pleasure of listening to Georgia Gould address and field questions on a number of topics at the SE offices. One theme that emerged as a guide for many of her off season activities was staying mentally fresh. She cited running as a major source of her off-season exercise over the past few months, as well as cyclocross racing on weekends. Presumably these are fun, dynamic activities for her and will help her really bottle up the motivation she will need to ramp up her focus and training later on.

Since I began riding bikes a few years ago, I have been reluctant to stray too far from the bike or the prescribed workouts. I usually try to take a week off the bike to run and play basketball but that period is usually over before November even comes around. From then on, it’s the bike again. Get the workouts, log the hours (no trainer factor here, 1 hr means 1 hr indoors or out) ride the bike whatever the cost. I have also paid for it in June or maybe even later in September when great weekday rides are available but it takes tremendous will power to get on the road. I have done little off the bike activities this off season, in fact, i don’t really remember taking any time off the bike. However, to keep things fresh this off season I have begun commuting most days to and from work. It does wonders for me. I ride in daylight, I haven’t touched the trainer once and still missed very few workouts throughout Nov./Dec. It also helps me decompress after a long day at work, imagine pedaling through the quiet beautiful streets of your city instead of traffic congestion and waiting at stoplights in your car.

Stay happy with your workouts during these months, even if it means putting away the bike or enjoying the bike in a way you have not before. The off-season is preciously short in TX so it’s important to get in all activities that would otherwise ruin your rest day or interfere with your focused rides in-season.