Offseason, Part 1: Philosophy
Training for Bikepacking, Ultra Racing, and Randonneuring
Let’s get the disclaimers out of the way first: I am not an exercise scientist, physical therapist, or anything similar. I only borrow tips from such people (or secondhand from people who are better at reading scientific research than I am). If you want a layman’s survey of the nitty-gritty science behind the plans I’ll discuss, I highly recommend Dylan Johnson’s YouTube channel (and maybe especially this playlist).
All that said, I feel pretty happy with the training regimen I’ve built up over the last several years. I’ll always be evolving and refining it, but for the most part developing these practices has gone hand-in-hand with me riding further and faster.
So here’s what to expect in the coming weeks, which will collectively paint a pretty complete picture of how I approach offseason training:
Part 1 – Philosophy
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With that bit of housekeeping taken care of, let’s dive into a little philosophy.
What Is the Offseason?
Define this however you like. For me, living in the American Midwest where it gets prohibitively cold and snowy from about November to March or later, I simply mean the period of time where I’m not going to get outside on my bike much and I don’t have any major goals like a bikepacking trip or a race for a long while. (Yes, I am aware that some yahoos, among them a good friend of mine, like to fatbike through any kind of snow and cold the winter might throw at them. But if it’s below freezing, it’s not for me, at least as far as bicycles are concerned.)
The offseason is the time to be on the bike a little bit less, but also to build base endurance. It’s the time to start doing gym work. It’s the time to cross-train. A good offseason lays a foundation.
“Training” Is a Big Tent, Especially for Distance Disciplines
I’ve written a little before about how I came to cycling from the adventure side of things rather than the competitive side. That’s pretty directly reflected in the fact that I’m writing this for “Bikepacking, Ultra Racing, and Randonneuring.” Two of those three items are non-competitive. Riding bikes for the pure enjoyment of riding bikes is very important to me.
The foundation of any training is simply riding your bike, and then doing so more often. If “training” saps your ability to enjoy riding your bike, don’t try to train. Just ride. Ride when you want to. Enjoy your own pace. Go your own distance. I’ve known so many cyclists, even cyclists who loved the ability to go long distances and explore new destinations, for whom “training” was a bit of a dirty word. Bikes make kids out of all of us unless we rob ourselves of that pure joy.
Do not come to a point where this is you to your bike:
There’s a close corollary, too, for people who are “training” rather than just riding: It will look different for everyone, and you do not have to do everything all at once.
For me, the last three years have been an exercise in slowly layering on new and often more sessions. It’s been important that this was a gradual increase in training. Each step carried me to a new destination. Each practice helped me stretch towards new goals. If you’re new to this (or really, even if you aren’t), focus on the next thing, not the thing three steps ahead. Let’s say it again for the people in the back: training should be a pathway to more enjoyment if you enjoy pushing yourself harder and harder. It shouldn’t make you hate your bike.
So as we go into training details over the next few weeks, don’t think you have to do everything I do if most of this is new to you. Keep riding your bike. Maybe add an interval session. A gym day. Some yoga. But don’t feel like you need to do everything or nothing.