Off season maintainence on 1 - 2 days of riding bike? Focus on run 3-4 times a week

Training
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Hello all,

I am going in to off season in a couple of weeks, and i want to figure out how to train to maintain some cycling fitness, when focussing on running instead.
Furthermore, we are having our baby no. 2 in january, so i know the time next year is going to be tight.

I plan to start up my running game again, running hopefully 3 times a week, maybee even more until the baby comes. But i want to be able to keep some/most of my biking fitness untill next season, where i know i wont be able to get on the bike so much. ( so would be bad to start from scratch! )

So how would you do it to maintain in 1 or 2 workouts per week? My run training will be getting in miles, and on occation some intervals.

I was thinking if i should do 1 workout with vo2/anerobic efforts, and 1 effort of Sweetspot per week. Would this be sufficient to keep my FTP up somewhat? And what if i can only manage 1 workout, what should it be ? (trainnow?)

Thank you in advance.

( ps. i did read this the good advice on the TR. blog on the Re-build, offseason, maintainance piece.)

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You could probably just ride endurance and rely on the running for VO2max and muscular endurance adaptations.

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I wouldn’t worry at all about maintaining bike fitness. I find it much harder to regain run form then bike form.

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If I could only ride 2x week, I’d use the Train Now feature to pick a climbing ride one day and an attacking ride the second day.

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Congratulations on having your second on the way!

I’m in the same boat, our second is due in 6-8 weeks. I would try to keep my schedule flexible and pick my priorities. If your priority is running at the moment, then try to be consistent with your runs, and add bike rides and indoor workouts as you see fit. Another priority for me would be sleep. Sleep (i. e. getting enough of it) is a limiter.

Personally, if you are in the offseason, I’d just ride for fun. If fun means spending time completely off the bike, then do that. If fun means unreasonably hard rides where you want to enjoy the last of your fitness, do that. Crush your PB on that Strava segment.

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Doing the same, I’ve tried the Sweetspot base low volume. That’s three workouts a week but currently struggling to do them all and when I manage it, I am failing them. Probably down to a mixture of running fatigue and missing workouts.

I’ve decided that I am now going to try and do two or three a week but drop the plans and use the Trainnow feature. Hopefully it’ll keep me at a decent cycling level and depending on how I feel I can choose the type of workout that day.

Enjoy your running…

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