2022? Seems ages away…but…
By Paulina Lewandowska
Have you had the best year so far? I know there are still two months left in 2021 and a good few months left before we can start hitting those PRs on the road again, but early planning definitely means a better chance of success in my world of cycling. So how will I tackle the short and dark winter months ahead to emerge reasonably fit and ready to roll on the other side? Here is my strategy.
1. WINTER BIKE
I have my winter bike ready to go as soon as the weather turns.
I am still trying to cling onto my summer bike for as long as I can but my winter bike with aluminium wheels is ready to go. This is so important. I don’t want to get caught one Saturday morning (club ride) not being able to ride due to not having it set like it should be.
2. KIT
As you know, I own a few pieces of kit…can’t deny it. With limited wardrobe space, I have to rotate my summer and winter kit, so as the weather gets colder, I put away all my short sleeve jerseys and bib shorts and out come all the warmer garments like long sleeve jerseys, bib tights, arm warmers, gilets, overshoes, warmer caps, socks, gloves and buffs. Getting everything ready to go means less faffing on ride out days
3. GRAVEL BIKE
So…I will ride most weekends in the winter, even when it’s cold and damp, but when it gets frosty or snowy, road bike tyres are just a no no. This is when I will get my 40 mm lumpy tyres out. I actually can’t wait for this fun riding.
4. ZWIFT
I have my subscription set up for the winter months and I train on this Monday to Friday. This is the only way for me to get training in during the week, I work full time and I leave when it’s dark and come back…yeah, you guessed it…when it’s dark. I usually do custom made workouts on Zwift and sometimes I sign up for events or races to break the routine and get the blood pumping and the heart racing.
5. SUPPLEMENTS
I have been taking Xendurance supplements for a while and especially in the winter I make sure I don’t forget to take my pills! There are a few I can recommend to you: I take the Lactic Acid Buffer Tabs regularly as they help me quickly recover from my training sessions, especially long endurance rides and intervals. I take their Immune Boost capsules because teaching exposes me to all sorts of bugs and I don’t have time to be ill. I drink a serving of Focus before a ride out and I put Fuel 5 Carb Powder and Hydro Electrolyte Powder in my bottles on the bike. I also make sure I have a good supply of Xendurance energy gels in my cupboard (I would hate to run out of those…) That’s me sorted.
