Welland Valley CC

Now is the time of the year when many riders suffer from colds, sore throats and coughs. It’s also the time when many want to get into training hard (or harder, or perhaps just start training). It’s very tempting to try and carry on riding which means that you run the risk of making the condition much worse, or slowing down your rate of recovery. You would be much better keeping off your bike until you are properly recovered.

If you’re reasonably fit, a week off the bike won’t have any detrimental effect – in fact it might be advantageous, forcing you to take that break you knew you ought to take but couldn’t bring yourself to. If you were just about to start training, it will just mean you peak on August 8th rather than August 1st.

On peaking

Dave Lloyd, who is one of the most successful coaches of time triallists says that the training of the very best cyclists can enable them to peak three times over the cyclists and that good cyclists can peak twice. That means that most of us can peak once a season.

If you’ve not done much all winter, choose an event in June, July or even August that you would really like to do well in and aim your training at that. Start building up the mileage now to get the endurance you need, and if you’re overweight, try to lose a bit, then, from the end of March, start building up your power, and from May, concentrate on speed.

Don’t worry if you don’t do as well as you would like in the early races – think of them as hard training and contributing to your goal of that wonderful performance later in the season.

If you have been training regularly, perhaps aim to peak twice, say in mid June and in late August or early September. Make sure you have a couple of easy weeks after your June peak and take one week completely off your bike before you start building up for your later peak.

If you want advice on tailoring a training programme to your needs, E mail me at dbirch@betula5.freeserve.co.uk see me at a club time trial or ring me on 0116 2792756.

The following letter, from a Mr.L.Rouge of Coton, gives an alternative view of preparing for the new season which I’m sure will be a comfort to those less obsessional than I about training.

To the Editor:

Sir,

It was most alarming to find that the November issue of the Club newsletter included the topic: 'Coaching Bits'. This is the time of year for each of us who is, by nature and by build, a lanterne rouge to look back on a wonderful season and to relax in the knowledge that it is many months before Paris - Nice and the start of the new season. Until then, any sort of 'on the bike' preparation is unnecessary exhibitionism.

If you are uncertain whether or not you are a lanterne rouge, try this little test:

Do you ride with clips and straps?
When out riding, do you always wear plain, white socks?
Do you measure in feet and inches, pounds and ounces?
Is your hero the 'Emperor of Herantals'?
Do you have difficulty reading the race results in Cycling Weekly because of the size of the print?

If you can answer 'Yes' to most of these questions then you have no need to worry - your personal best is a long way behind you.

You should, however, make the most of the long winter evenings. Use this time to write your letters of complaint to the BBC, Eurosport and David Duffield.

Try to remember where you last saw your bicycle; the shed, the kitchen, the boot of the car, the boot of someone else's car, Bruntingthorpe Airfield? And just as important, was it all in the same place?

We are fast approaching that Saturday afternoon when the machine gets its annual clean and you don't want to waste the allocated hour collecting a wheel from George Halls. (A true lanterne rouge will have taken a wheel in for a new spoke to justify the reason for not riding the Hill Climb.)

Assess your weight gain. Winter food = pounds = inches. Contact Mike Reay to confirm the difference between XXL and XXXL.

You should now be planning your season's goal. Use the RTTC Handbook (CTT indeed. I ask you) to find a suitable '10' for the August Bank Holiday on a downhill course with a prevailing tail wind.

In the meantime, feet up, a good book, keep warm and wait for the clocks to go forward.

Yours faithfully,

Lanterne Rouge.