Unless you live in San Diego or Florida, all of us face challenges staying fit during the winter months. Sure, you can go skiing or play wheelchair basketball, but if you are a dedicated cyclist, sometimes it can be a challenge to get cycling-specific training in.
2007 double National Champion, Seth Areseneau, has some great advice about how to get motivated this winter...
Unless you live in San Diego or Florida, all of us face challenges staying fit during the winter months. Sure, you can go skiing or play wheelchair basketball, but if you are a dedicated cyclist, sometimes it can be a challenge to get cycling-specific training in.
2007 double National Champion, Seth Areseneau, has some great advice about how to get motivated this winter....enjoy!
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Winter Wheels
By Seth Arseneau
January, 2008
We are well into the winter season. Cold weather and holiday treats are the norm. However, when it comes to handcycling, it is also a good time to start thinking about base fitness. Putting in some time on an indoor trainer can make a big difference in the start of the season. If you are planning on racing or setting any fitness goals, training in the "off season" is absolutely imperative.
I'll be the first to admit that I haven't always been very good about maintaining a winter training regimen. Indoor trainers don't offer much excitement and adventure. However, they can provide just about ANY type of workout that you might want to do. If you are able to ride outside in the winter months, consider yourself lucky. Many people don't realize just how cold it gets here in New Mexico (30s and low 40s for the last month). I have let the cold weather limit my riding to about once per week. While I CAN ride outside all year long, cold weather takes a lot of the enjoyment out of it. Personally, I've found that it decreases my overall desire to ride. As many already know, maintaining motivation can be a training challenge in itself! So, I am now in the market for an indoor trainer. I had one that I purchased several years ago, but it proved to be of poor design and quality and broke after a rather small amount of use.
So, what kind of trainer am I looking for? Many people will say that fluid trainers are the only way to go. Others say that magnetic resistance is more accurate. For handcyclists, either one will work just fine. We don't put out nearly the amount of power that cyclists do, so we will not tax the resistance systems in the same way. However, the adjustment mechanisms should be solid and something that won't fail prematurely.
Another thing to look for is how easily a trainer will adjust to fit a 650c wheel. Almost all handcycles use this size, and some trainers are a bit tricky when it comes to fitting this size wheel. My old trainer had some plastic brackets that had to be installed to handle the 650c. After a relatively short period of time, the brackets broke and rendered the trainer useless. So, when shopping for a trainer, be sure to take a look at the mechanism that adjusts for wheel size. For trainer reviews, check out www.roadbikereview.com.
When it comes to actual training/riding in the winter, the best thing to do is focus on base fitness. Just spending time turning the cranks can really help to keep your body in shape and ready for next season. An hour per day, four times each week are good numbers to shoot for. If one of those days can be longer (2-3 hours), it's even better. If you did a lot of hard riding, training, or racing in the past season, the off season is also the time to allow your body to recover. Consistent easy miles will be the way to ensure that you hang on to all the gains that you made in the previous season. Of course, that's not to say that every ride should be a light spin. It doesn't hurt to throw in a few efforts here and there to get the heart rate up a little higher. Increasing the resistance or upshifting a gear or two for ten minutes at a time can give you a little more of a workout. The higher intensity effort should be noticeably tougher than the regular pace but not so hard that you will have trouble holding it for ten minutes. This kind of workout should be restricted to twice per week or less. An average week might look something like this.
Day 1: 60 min. at a fairly easy pace
Day 2: Again, 60 min. fairly easy
Day 3: 20 min. warm-up, 10 min @ elevated heart rate, 10 min. regular pace, 10 min. @ elevated heart rate, 10 min. cool down
Day 4: 60 min. fairly easy
Day 5: 90 min. fairly easy
That would be an excellent off-season week for a handcyclist. Not all weeks would need to have that much training time, and the days wouldn't need to necessarily be in order. The main thing is that you just put some time in to keep your body in cycling mode. The "fairly easy" riding shouldn't be so easy that you fall asleep, but it shouldn't anything that makes you work too hard. You should be able to carry on a conversation at that pace. Another thing to remember is that using a stationary trainer is always more of a workout than riding on the road. It's more like riding up a long slope or into an endless headwind. There is virtually no coasting, and the resistance can be precisely controlled. An hour on the trainer is like an hour-and-a-half on the road. So, 60 min. on the trainer will be plenty to keep you in top shape. If you spend your winter on the trainer, be sure to have a fan nearby. It's incredible how much sweat a handcyclist can generate while riding in place. A light breeze blowing will help to keep you cool. Many people like to put their trainer in front of the TV so they can catch their favorite show or watch a movie while they workout. Not many people burn 300-500 calories an hour while watching TV!
So, the main thing to remember is that it is important to stay active. In terms of training, the off-season can be just as crucial as the higher-intensity riding that you will do in other parts of the year. Riding indoors isn't always the most fun, but it can provide excellent benefits and prepare you for the big race, century, or bike tour that is right around the corner. Even if none of those are a goal, staying fit throughout the winter is always a good thing. Other activities can be equally (or more) beneficial. Activities such as swimming, basketball, and weight training are a good way to diversify things and stay in shape. And remember, only eat as many holiday treats as you plan to burn off. If you decide to go for that extra piece of pie, remember to add an extra 15-30 minutes to your next workout!
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