How do you determine your training for the winter?

Training
1

Days are getting wetter/shorter, my cycling events for the year are finished, and i’m thinking of next year.

I’m planning on formally joining the road racing scene in March/April next year after many years of enjoying local fondos and larger non-race events.

I’m 3.5w/kg at 299 tr ftp. Where do you all put training emphasis this time of year?

  • TR FTP builder with an April timeframe with 2x strength training a week?
  • Huge hours of endurance?
  • Diet and try to drop weight?
2

I have not quite finished my season yet. Got one more event this weekend. Then the plan is.

  1. A short transition period to mid October with no structured training. Have a short tour planned.
  2. From mid October start a base period at about 60% of my peak summer build hours. Include strength build in this period
  3. From late January start a build period. Reduce strength to maintenance

My main season next year kicks off in March and my current event plans run till end of August. With one A event in May and one in August. It is a long season. If I start build too early, it’d be easy to burn out. Thus a nice long winter bike base with strength build helps set a solid foundation for what is to come.

I ride ultra distance / duration. My main focus over winter is the traditional easy volume, building it back up progressively. I include a sprinkling of intensity with some sweet-spot at the end of a longer endurance session but usually just once a week, with a VO2 session being substituted in for the sweet spot once a fortnight.