The current routine

Soundtrack tonight is some mellow tunes by The Cure, Imogen Heap, and Mazzy Star mixed in with some emo stuff from RJA and 30 Seconds to Mars. Relaxing.

Winter is tough in Utah. Don't get me wrong, the snow really is the greatest on earth which makes for some truly deep powder days, but for a cyclist trying to keep in shape in the winter, this really isn't the best climate. Winter is really where the success of the next season is built however. I think if you wait until spring to get moving, its too late. So the planning for the year has already begun.

My plan for Jan-March is aerobic base building. Just like a building needs a strong foundation, being race fit come April requires a solid foundation of aerobic fitness. I'll be increasing my workload during this time for sure, but its mostly green and blue zone training, especially through January. This year, I've stuck mostly to the bike. In years past, I would cross train, get back to my roots in the pool to mix things up. For some reason I stuck with the bike this winter, for better or worse.

I have a few DVD's from Spinervals, which are a big help as I'm riding on my trainer in my basement for the most part. If Saturdays are above 30 degrees and there's no ice, I'll get out on the road.

M, W, F and Saturdays are on the bike and I do a 45 minute core workout on a balance ball Tues and Thurs. I started the year on January 2nd with an indoor century at The Bike Shoppe in Ogden, UT. Having not slept in many nights and suffering from a bit of a cold, I made it 82 miles, roughly 4.5 hrs. It was actually a ton of fun. The Bike Shoppe really goes all out for the indoor stuff and had breakfast and treats for us the entire ride. The Seinfeld marathon helped too! Nothing like climbing out of the saddle while Elaine looks for sponges.

Spinervals base builder DVD's are about 80 minutes long, but I stumbled on a workout online that lasts 111 minutes:

Warm up: 16 min
5:00 Pedal w/cadence above 90 rpm
5:00 Alternate :30 standing and :30 sitting
6:00 Seated, alternate 80% of workload between 1:00 on right leg and 1:00 on left
Main Set: 90 minutes
3 x 15:00 Start at low HR Z1; increase HR 3 BPM every 5 minutes
3 x 15:00 Start at low HR Z3; increase HR 3 BPM every 5 minutes
Cool Down: 5 minutes
Tip: throughout workout, guess your intensity level before looking at HRM

I'll let you know how this workout goes on Saturday. I'm looking forward to a change from Coach Troy on the Spinervals DVD's.