The UK is just about to enter a month-long lockdown to combat the second wave of Covid-19 (and many other European countries are following a similar path). This means no races, no group training sessions, and no group rides. You can leave your home for exercise, but only with people within your household, or one other person from outside your household.
With those restrictions in place, might a reverse periodisation plan make sense? Long base miles are going to be risky, and by the time the lockdown is lifted - if it is - it will be even colder.
Iām thinking about a 2 or 3 week block of vo2 / build work, followed by a week or so of recovery, and then into a block of FTP and over/under work (maybe the last 4 weeks of SSB2 MV with the vo2 work swapped out). Then some more recovery followed by longer intervals and muscular endurance work (perhaps SSB1 with a mix of MV and HV workouts).
Thoughts? I took 2 weeks off the bike mid-September, but have done some high volume / low intensity work since then, and did a lot of volume (6000-9000Kj / week) including some extensive sweetspot work in the summer and before my break - so I do feel like I might have a pretty decent base of fitness already.
Sort of makes sense. Iām UK based as well and this time of year is not one I look forward to TBH, leaves on the roads make things very slippy, off-road is currently a mud-bath.
Hitting the systems you normally donāt could have a big impact. Beware of ābrittle fitnessā, Chad has mentioned that a few times on the podcast, so threshold and above rather than the usual tempo and above. Sustained Power Build would be a good one though you could also make yourself a threshold/VO2max progressive plan if you looked through the workouts (use the filters and ordering to make it easier).
Yes, this is definitely a consideration. But Iāve done 3 11-15hr weeks of Z2/Z3 work, and have done a lot of low intensity work throughout the year, so hopefully that would stay with me until itās safe enough / warm enough to get outside for long miles again.
I think a vo2 block would be a good option for you. Although not especially because of the new lockdown rules. [Iād just note that high intensity does suppress the immune system a fair bit. So maybe avoid going to the supermarket ect after intervals. Save the aldi run for the rest day!]
For others I think the only reason to do less is if weather is really nasty. If someone has more time off work Iād be inclined to do some long easy miles if they canāt get them in normally.
Personally Iām not changing my training plans at all. I have only riden with one other person (no group rides) this year and will keep it that way. Iāll be getting the (mostly solo) rainy miles in .
Iāll still be in work, and as someone whoās had the virus recently, while Iām not complacent, Iām not especially worried about catching it (again).
With that in mind I think Iāll be sticking to plan A: LV TR in the week, and (weather permitting) 1 or 2 longer rides at the weekend. As my main riding buddy works with me, and the regulations allow for exercise with one person outside your household, I donāt think much will change for me.
Tbh I will be looking forward to the road rides as I expect the roads to be quieter and it will help me keep my sanity. But there will be certain descents Iāll be avoiding, especially after a few hairy moments today!
When you say long base miles are going to be risky, do you mean from the perspective of the weather and road conditions? Or likelihood that there will be further lockdowns e.g restricting the amount of time allowed for exercise?
I donāt think Lockdown 2.0 is really going to change my approach to training, just that Iāll be riding on my own more . Iām pretty relaxed about weather and road conditions - I tend to take a fairly flexible approach to it and just pick and choose which days and routes I go outdoors to avoid the worst of the weather. Also likelihood of lower traffic should make riding outdoors more pleasurable than usual for the time of year. Still planning on getting out there and doing a good chunk of base miles, and on the days when itās really filthy or I just donāt fancy donning all the wet weather gear then thatās what the trainer is for.
At the risk of causing considerable angst on this forum, if such a recommendation were to come in, I might very well ignore it. I simply cannot see how training alone, in the open air, puts anyone else at any risk (especially when the NHS want me to donate blood plasma, suggesting they think I have high levels of antibodies to the virusā¦)
I suppose Iām thinking about the risk of having a ride-ending mechanical far from home. But maybe youāre right - taxis are still running, as I believe are trains. Maybe I should grit my teeth and stick with the long miles. Unless I get some work there isnāt much else to doā¦
Not to mention the short term mental, and long term physical, benefits of regular exercise. The mental thing is big for me and cycling. The turbo is a means to an ends for me. But riding outside in nature regularly is like being on a drip. Does wonders for my mood
Without turning this into a lockdown discussion, there were 2 things that boiled my blood about the last one.
1 - someone in our village took it upon themselves to put flyers through everyoneās door stating that āany outdoor exercise puts lives at risk - STAY AT HOMEā. I assume said person knew little about how the immune system actually works, and vit D, etcā¦
2 - the complete lack of focus from the Government about how a fitter, leaner population would suffer much less badly from any pandemic.
Anyway, I donāt want to sidetrack the thread. #rantover
I love riding in bad weather. Wierd I know. NY lockdown will be spent battling the elements. I work outside, get home and snooze then head out for a couple of hours.
Each to their own though.
Anything is better than nothing.
Good luck.
I think the justification thatās been used when this rule has been put in place is that itās about the risks of crashing and needing to use emergency services when theyāre already stretched. Not sure I agree but I guess it makes at least some sense. Agree that solo riding outdoors canāt be raising the risk of covid transmission.
I totally understand the argument of not wanting to use public health services at this time.
When I got road rash in August 2019, I got it tended to at a walk-in centre (they originally told me to go to A&E because there was too much cleaning up of my many wounds to do. I begged the nurse and she eventually did it). I had to go back another 3 times for re-cleaning and replacement gauze/dressings.
Having to do something like this again in current circumstances would be a nightmare. Repeated exposure to many potentially unwell or infected people in a clinic, not to mention the time strain on the health service.
Iāve a friend, in his 30s and very fit - he has the fastest time on one of the UK long distance (500km+) MTB routes. He contracted Coronavirus during the first wave seven months ago, heās been having periodic relapses, his last one saw his blood oxygen at 84% and even ārecoveryā workout on TR saw his HR at 95% MHR.
Itās about balancing risk, yes thereās an increased risk from boy racers on quieter roads but thereās also decreased risk from not being around others. The risk of crashing without others being involved is little different from any other time.
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. Iām pretty relaxed about weather and road conditions - I tend to take a fairly flexible approach to it and just pick and choose which days and routes I go outdoors to avoid the worst of the weather. Also likelihood of lower traffic should make riding outdoors more pleasurable than usual for the time of year. Still planning on getting out there and doing a good chunk of base miles, and on the days when itās really filthy or I just donāt fancy donning all the wet weather gear then thatās what the trainer is for.